Duke of York Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
Price: $2.95
SKU: 340369185 days, indeterminate - The plants of 'Duke of York' are regular leaf, vigorous, and productive. Its fruit are a beautiful red color, globe to flattened-globe shaped, and weigh from two to eight ounces, averaging about six ounces each. The flesh is firm, meaty and tasty.
'Duke of York' was introduced by Moore & Simon of Philadelphia in their 1899 seed catalog.[1,2] Although we have not discovered its exact pedigree, it is believed to be an old English variety. Moore & Simon went on to describe it as follows:
As far as we can tell, 'Duke of York' has not been commercially available since the 1930s. We are happy to reintroduce it to gardeners for the 2017 season. Our stock was grown out from USDA accession number PI 644896 who received the seed sample in 1937 from Sutton & Sons, Ltd. of London, England.
'Duke of York' was introduced by Moore & Simon of Philadelphia in their 1899 seed catalog.[1,2] Although we have not discovered its exact pedigree, it is believed to be an old English variety. Moore & Simon went on to describe it as follows:
"One of the grandest Tomatoes recently introduced, color rich, glossy scarlet, similar to our Sutton's Gold Mine, splendid cropper, round in shape, flesh very firm, large size, fine flavor. A leading feature Of this superb variety is that it ripens its fruit more uniformly together than any known kind, whilst its profusion of clusters averaging eight and ten large evenly-formed clusters each, makes it conspicuously handsome. Ripens evenly to the stem, is a strong, healthy grower, not subject to rust or blight, is an enormous cropper, and produces until the vines are killed by frost, holding its size exceedingly well until the last picking. Quality the very best, very solid and meaty. It is in every way a desirable variety for market gardeners, as its beautiful appearance always insures an extra price. An excellent sort for late summer and fall. Plants should be 'set out' earlier than other late sorts."[2]
A few years later in their 1904 seed catalog, J. Bolgiano of Baltimore exclaimed, "Of Special Value to Florida Growers." They further stated, "Ripens evenly to the stem, is a strong, healthy grower, not subject to rust or blight, is an enormous cropper and produces until the vines are killed by frost, holding its size well until the last picking. Quality the very best, solid and meaty."As far as we can tell, 'Duke of York' has not been commercially available since the 1930s. We are happy to reintroduce it to gardeners for the 2017 season. Our stock was grown out from USDA accession number PI 644896 who received the seed sample in 1937 from Sutton & Sons, Ltd. of London, England.
Fruit Color: Red
Harvest Timing: Main Crop / Mid-Season
Harvest Timing: Main Crop / Mid-Season
Sow seeds indoors (do not direct sow into the garden), using sterile seed starting mix, 6 to 8 weeks before your last expected frost date. Plant 1/4" deep, water lightly but keep moist until emergence.
Full light and cooler temps (60° to 70°) will help to prevent the seedlings from becoming too leggy. If plants become rootbound before you can safely set them into the ground, transplant them into larger pots.
Harden off plants before planting outside. Young plants are very susceptible to frost and sunburn damage. Avoid too much nitrogen. Water evenly but not in excess.
Click here to view our full tomato growing guide.
Full light and cooler temps (60° to 70°) will help to prevent the seedlings from becoming too leggy. If plants become rootbound before you can safely set them into the ground, transplant them into larger pots.
Harden off plants before planting outside. Young plants are very susceptible to frost and sunburn damage. Avoid too much nitrogen. Water evenly but not in excess.
Click here to view our full tomato growing guide.
Informational Sources:
- "List of American Varieties of Vegetables for the Years 1901 & 1902,” by W. W. Tracy, Jr., USDA, Bulletin No. 21, 1903."
- "Key To Profit in the Garden," Moore & Simon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1899.
- "Yearbook of Agriculture," USDA, 1937.
- "The Pedigree of Varieties of Lycopersicon Esculentum Mill.," G. A. Kemp, Canada Department of Agriculture, Lethbridge, Alberta, April 20, 1960.
- "Development of Wilt-Resistant Tomatoes," by Fred J. Pritchard, USDA, Bulletin No. 1015, March 28, 1922.
Customer Reviews:
Do you have experience with this one? 📝 📣 Write a review!
No reviews have been posted yet.
