Plant Answers

banner

'Hoffman Cluster Surprise' Tomato
Lycopersicon lycopersicum
Highly productive indeterminant tomato with a profusion of cherry- sized tomatoes produced in a large cluster in the summer. 69 days from transplant.
Exposure: Full sun with good drainage
Size: 3'T x 5'W
Fruit: Smooth, red, cherry-size
Planting time: Spring, after last frost.
Care: Fertilize before planting with a slow release fertilizer, then every 2-3 weeks with a quick release nitrogen source.

A new and popular tomato product is a cluster of vine-ripened fruit still attached to the stems. These products are known as 'cluster tomatoes', 'cluster-harvested tomatoes', 'truss tomatoes', or 'on-the-vine tomatoes'. The term 'truss tomatoes' is frequently used in Europe, and 'cluster tomatoes' is used in the United States. This new way of marketing tomatoes is credited to Italian producers who first began testing in 1989. The popularity of this vine-ripened product quickly swept through the European greenhouse tomato industry, and more recently the North American industry. Most currently grown varieties are indeterminate meaning they tend to be taller plants requiring high trellis systems. The clusters are harvested by clipping the main cluster stem from the plant. All tomatoes on the cluster remain attached, and range in maturity from breaker to ripe. Prices vary, as with other tomato products, but they frequently sell in grocery stores for $2.00 per pound. Many cluster tomato varieties have outstanding flavor and appearance to compete with the best of the vine-ripe tomatoes sold. In addition, consumers are highly attracted to the to the tomato aroma provided by the stems of the cluster. Outstanding fruit quality and shelf-life allow the consumer to pick tomatoes from the cluster over several days. Try the 'Hoffman Cluster' tomato and see if you like it.