Family's Heirloom Tomatoes Keep Growing ... and Growing

The locally-bred and grown Rose of Italy tomatoes are still growing strong.

Brothers Mike and Pete Coviello grow their tomatoes, named after their mother, Rosaria, on a tract of land in Florham Park. This year they shared some of their seeds with the friend Paul Suszczynski of Chatham, a horticulturist and retired engineer, for him to grow at his plot at the Morris County Community Garden.


"My plant ... measured 4.5 in. by 5.75 in. and weighed 1 pound 11.4 ounces," Suszczynski said, besting a plant for Mike Coviello's own plot by an ounce.

The largest tomato picked in Coviello's plot of land in Florham Park weighed one-pound, 10.1 ounces and measured 5.5 inches by 4.5 inches.

Coviello is excited by the result from Suszczynski's plot because it shows the tomato can grow 

This year's crops are still coming in, and Suszczynski said, "the Rose of Italy seeds from Mike seem to grow well in all  of my three places and growing conditions. I am trying his secrets and they are indeed working well on many of my other crops this year."

The largest tomato from 2012 weighed 2 pounds, 5.2 ounces and measured 5.75 inches by 6.5 inches.