Florida Wild Everglades - Pearl Tomato

Pearl Tomato ‘Florida Wild Everglades’ DF

Solanum pimpinellifolium x Solanum lycopersicum

Seeds per packet: ~20

"DF" indicates seed for this variety was produced without irrigation. By doing so, we hope epigenetic changes will be triggered to further enhance this variety's inherent genetic resistance to drought stress. For more scientific information, see, for example: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/6/1226.

A wild tomato cross that produces elegant, semi-translucent, miniature sweet fruit on small trusses. Florida Wild Everglades is an indeterminate, vigorously forking vine that produces copious sweet, complexly flavoured fruit and is very drought- and disease-resistant.

In a taste test with my mom, we debated how to describe the flavour: fruity, sweet, unique, nuanced, complex were adjectives we came up with. A hint of kiwi? Cherry? I’ll leave the last words on flavour to my mom “Hmmm mmmm!” Possible great uses for the fruit include fresh eating, green salads, fruit salads (!), and fantastic garnishes. This seems to be an exceptionally drought-tolerant, disease-resistant tomato. It was stewarded and selected by Chris Homanics of Washington for over 10 years. Chris has this to say: “Florida Wild Everglades’ is one of the few ironclad varieties amongst nearly one thousand cultivars and selections I've grown over the years here in the Pacific Northwest....over a decade ‘Florida Wild Everglades’ has shown superior resistance [to late blight] on both its foliage and fruits.” According to Chris, this tomato was discovered growing wild on an uninhabited, untouched island in the Florida Everglades. “There is speculation that the population was the remnant of long-ago trade amongst native peoples or that the island may have been an early site of Spanish settlement. Or perhaps it became naturalized from migratory bird populations from regions further south?” Chris says.

Growing info: This indeterminate, highly branching tomato vine grows aggressively; this requires a thoughtful growing strategy. It may be grown by simply allowing it to sprawl across the ground (mulched or not). It grows fast enough that it is an effective weed suppressor (I want to try it as a cover crop). While simple, this approach makes harvesting a pain. My suggestion is to grow it on a netting or wire panels, as you would a tall pea.

Transplant: If you can provide enough heat and light, tomatoes can be started up to 8 weeks before intended transplant date. Sow seeds into individual pots or cells 1/2" deep, or start larger amounts in flats. Use bottom heat for germination. Move seedlings into larger pots once roots are peeking out the bottom. Transplant 1-3' apart, once nighttime low temperatures are at least 10° C — ideally higher. Harden off before putting out. While this is an indeterminate tomato, it has weak late-season production so could be grown in cages or similar as a determinate tomato.

Dry growing (growing without watering or minimal watering): This tomato is probably a superior dry farming tomato, based on our limited experience dry farming it so far. It grew unphased all summer despite my benign and total neglect. I didn’t prune, water, or fertilize it, and it grew great and happily, producing way more fruit than I could use. Choose a site with moisture-retentive but well-draining, fertile soil. Well-worked, heavier soils with good soil structure are ideal, but sandier soils may succeed if they have high organic matter. 

Sincere thanks to Chris Homanics for this remarkable tomato!