A gardener's favorite six- pack usually involves plants. When a new variety of cherry tomato arrived by FedEx this week, it came in a six- pack ready for transplanting. While the tomato's credentials are impressive, so was the method of packing the plants to arrive in perfect condition.

Tomato "tomaccio" originated at Hishtil Nurseries in Israel as the result of a 12- year breeding program using wild Peruvian tomato species to create the world's sweetest tomato. Sound familiar? The quest for the sweetest cherry tomato has led to Supersweet 100, Sweet Million, Sugar Snack, and Suncherry.

The gourmet quality snack tomato, referred to as the "raisin tomato," is grown for its sweet flavor which intensifies when dried. The tomato was bred to dry naturally in clusters cut off the vine. Placing the tomatoes in a 100º F oven for about three hours hastens the drying. Then it is a sweet delicacy like dried fruit to snack on.

Plants are grown in large patio containers or directly in the ground like other tomatoes. With an expected height of nine feet, they need support. Early harvesting is recommended since fruit flavor has matured by the time these tomatoes turn red.

Tomaccio is a hybrid cherry tomato bred for drying and eating as a sweet healthy snack. Will they be the promised 500 bite- sized tomatoes or 13- 18 pounds of fruit per plant? Time will tell. Only a limited number of plants have been released to the public this season through several vegetable plant wholesalers.

Tomaccio makes its debut to the gardening public in the United States in 2010 season, although Europeans have been growing and enjoying the tomaccio for several seasons.

I shared my six- pack with several local vegetable gardeners and we can compare notes on growth, yield, and flavor.

The plants arrived in ideal condition from Raker & Sons, a wholesaler in Michigan who has teamed with Hishtil Nurseries to propagate the introduction for the North American market.

The mail- order elves at Raker anticipate a plant's shipping needs. Plugs were inside a plastic six- pack cushioned in cardboard and completely immovable no matter if turned upside down, right side up, or sideways. The seven inch tall thick stems were not broken, and the dark green leaves were shielded. Soil was moist and remained in peat pots inside each cell.

A gardener's six- pack Although tomaccio may not ripen as early as Burpee's Fourth of July hybrid, if the afternoon thunderstorm pattern con-

Plants were shipped with excellent ventilation and support. Plants were cushioned in cardboard and completely immovable during shipping.