Olive Orchard Tondo di Manduria

For the second year in a row, I had the opportunity to grow in a row of the Il Fiorello olive orchard. I was grateful for the opportunity, but also very apprehensive about the pest pressure that I experienced previously. In 2023 I spent well over 40 hours on mornings and hot afternoons battling cucumber beetles - so the next year I wanted to do much less

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tondo di Manduria is generally regarded as a high-quality polymorphic variety. Polymorphic means that the variety produces more than one version of fruit from the same population of seed. In particular, this variety produces a round or nearly round fruit that is either light colored or light colored, with splotching. The flesh can also be smooth and tender or not. Finally, there is occasionally variability with the vine length, but the vines are generally considered true-to-type when the vines are compact and produce a cluster of fruit in the crown of the plant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With three different possible variables, I decided to try 6-7 different seed sources. With some seed varieties that were only available from Italy and some available from Italian sources in the United States, I did a labeled grow-out of the Tondo Manduria in the olive orchard as well as in a friend’s fertile garden. While I can say that some varieties may have performed better in one way or another, as I worked hard to notice differences, it was difficult to perceive any particular advantage any one Tondo Manduria cultivar had over the others in relation to the plant vigor, overall health or consistency of fruit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As when I grew out the Barattiere crop in 2023, the cucumber beetles began appearing early in the season on the Tondo di Manduria crop. But this season I decided to try a small handheld vacuum cleaner, that I’ll revisit in a later post. I would have to say that the handheld vacuum did pretty good, within specific criteria and with at least one modification. The primary difference between the 2023 and 2024 was I knew what to expect.

A Desperate Growout of the Carosello Tondo Barese

After asking a gardening group that I belong to several times about growing in their gardens, I one day received an unexpected phone call from one of my gardening friends. He said that he was willing to have me use a little of the space in his front yard to grow out a small row of one variety of my cucumbers, but that he would be growing some melons at the same time. Being that I would also be growing a variety that is a botanical muskmelon, I politely declined the offer. However, after giving it a little more thought, I returned his call and told him that I had a variety that I believe could set fruit before his melons even began producing male flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The variety that I decided would work best with the parameters my friend provided me was the Carosello Tondo Barese. This is one of the very earliest of the carosello varieties to fruit. On average, they begin fruiting when the plant is 12-18 inches in diameter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fruit went from being transplanted (from 2” soil blocks) to fruiting within 30 days and were ready to harvest for fruit within 60 days from transplant. As soon as I finished harvesting fruit, I told my friend that he could replant. The whole process took place between May and June. Then I processed the seed and paid my friend for them. He was pretty surprised how much seed I was able to harvest from so few seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I wasn’t able to grow as much of the Tondo Barese that I would like, I was grateful that everything was grown well and remained isolated from other melons nearby. I’m so grateful for everyone who grows for me or allows me to grow in their yard.