Episode: #3 16/09/2006
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

The big news this spring is the Garden Gurus sensational new tomato range which was selected for superior growth and disease tolerance traits. To ensure they delivered the best taste they were taken to the Melbourne International Flower Show in April this year for taste testing by the public.

The four standout taste varieties that were given the thumbs up by the tasters at the show were ?Picolo Roma?, ?Red Mamma?, ?Abruzzi Bruschetta? and ?Salsa the Fresh Salad Tomato?. These made the grade and are available today through leading garden centres across the country for you to buy and try in your own backyard.

Piccolo Roma is a strong-growing tomato that will require staking, producing firm, thick-walled fruit 4.5cm ? 6cm in length. Fruit is produced on trusses of 6 -10 fruit with an average of 30g per fruit.

?Red Mamma? is a top performer in taste tests. It is a real Mamma of a tomato with a large, flat 180g ? 200g fruits, bursting with true tomato flavour. Each one is a meal in itself.

?Abruzzi Bruschetta? is a taste test winner with large, beefsteak-type firm fruit, with a gutsy flavour and meaty texture. Round globe-shaped fruit develops in clusters 3 ? 5 per truss. Strong disease tolerance in a robust plant is a result of inspired breeding. It is a tall grower so will require staking.

?Salsa the Fresh Salad Tomato? is a top performer in taste tests. It is an early cropping and reliable tomato that produces well rounded fruit of excellent flavour. It comes up a treat when thinly sliced in salads. Five to eight medium-size fruits per truss. It is a prolific, easy-care variety that is trouble free because of high disease tolerance. It is also a tall grower so will require staking.

You should be planting tomatoes right now and you will love these new improved varieties brilliant for the backyard. Rich in lycopene, the potent cancer-fighting antioxidant, which is also of value for reducing high blood pressure and reducing cholesterol. Tomatoes are an important part of our everyday diet in Australia and we have found the best for every possible purpose in your backyard and kitchen.