When Lucy Scheck emailed me earlier this summer, she said her father grows big tomatoes. I had received 75 emails just like it from gardeners across Long Island, so while I was impressed, I had no reason to believe his tomatoes were any different.
Scheck's father, Vincenzo Domingo, 78, lives in Deer Park with his wife, Rosa. "He does not own a computer," Scheck explained. "That is why I am sending this for him."
"He was born in Sicily and came to this country when he was in his early twenties," she wrote. "Since he's been in this country, he has grown all types of tomatoes, along with various vegetables and fruits. My father has always been proud of his garden. Last year, his largest beefsteak tomato was 3 1/4 pounds."
Come again? Rewind, please...
"Last year, his largest beefsteak tomato was 3 1/4 pounds."
THAT got my attention. What does a man who can grow a 3 1/4 tomato do to his soil? What's his secret?
The only treatment he uses is sulphur, Scheck said. And he only applies it when he feels it's necessary. Domingo doesn't use wire cages for support, either. Instead, he ties his tomato plants the old fashioned way -- with sticks and twine.
I'm running out to meet Domingo in person and see if his green thumb has produced an attention-getting tomato this year. Can lightning strike twice?
I'll let you know what I discover.
