Description

Fantome du Laos tomato
Solanum lycopersicum

Pale yellow, almost white, flattened round tomato. 7 to 12 cm in diameter. Mild flavor. 1.50-meter tall plant. Native to Laos. According to legend, if a departed person is thinking of us, this tomato becomes fluorescent when exposed to starlight. Indeterminate. 75 days to maturity.

Full sun, well drained and rich soil. Sow indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost. 5 mm deep. 60 cm between plants.

Germination: 95% in November 2024
Ecological seeds produced at Catherine’s Ornamental Garden.

Note
After testing several varieties of white beefsteaks, I realized that there isn’t much difference in flavor between one or the other, you just have to harvest them at the right time. Underripe they are almost tasteless and overripe they become floury. In the end, I decided to continue producing the Fantôme du Laos. It’s a good, productive variety, and I must admit it has a very pretty name! Harvest starts early in August, but towards the end of September the tomatoes tend to ripen all at once. It’s perfect for filling the freezer, and makes an excellent soup stock!

P.S. I left some tomatoes in the starlight and they seemed to glow a little, but maybe I was completely off base…