Warning: If you aren't into heirlom tomatoes, this thread will be one big snooze. Even if you are it may be yawn worthy. It's inventory and assessment time and I need to write this all down in a place where I won't lose it!Cosmonaut-Volkov: Selected as a mid-season slicer that has a full rich flavor that holds up to heat. From Ukraine. Productive with big fruits. Sprouted 3/1 records indicate three were planted, magical seed splitting seems to have occurred since I now have six plants. Health is a five on a 1-5 scale. Size is 8 inches. Buds removed on all six plants today. Two need repotting.
Chocolate Stripes: selected as a mid-season
salad/slicer that yields a plentiful crop of 3-4 inch, mahogany colored with dark, olive green-striping. Very pretty! Fruits reported to have complex, rich, sweet, earthy tomato flavors. Sprouted 3/2. It is growing slow and may have been impacted by cold as evidenced by the slight purpling. Health is 4.5. Size is 3.5-5 inches. Has stretched a bit, needs to be repotted deep.Cherokee Purple:
Selected for flavor, one of the best out there. Late season variety. Sprouted 2/27. Was stunted from early cold exposure in the frame. Now it is stretched and still very purple. Health is a 4-4.5. Size is only 3.5-5" high but not very substantial branches. It's way behind the Ukaranian. All four plants needs repotting.Dr. Carolyn
Selected as a white, sweet, later season cherry tomato. This took forever to sprout, almost three weeks! Sprouted 3/7 and has thrived in the frame now that temps are up. It definitely likes heat. Next year if replanted needs a heat mat to help sprouting. Health is a five. Plants are well branched and thick stemmed except for the two that share a pot. Those need replanting. Height is 4" at 1.5 months.Sungold
Selected as a very early season, very sweet orange cherry. Sprouted 2/25. Plants are now 7-9" high. I removed flower buds today on 3 of three plants. Slight yellowing noted on the lower leaves of two plants. One repotted, the other will be done in the next day or so. Health is a 4 at this point. Hopefully repotting will fix the yellow. If not, they'll get a hit of Neptune's Harvest.San Marzano
Selected because it's the best sauce tomato in the world! Seven plants with a huge size difference 1.5-8.5 inches. Germinated 2/28. Blossoms removed from one plant today to keep them in the vegetative stage. Health is 5 for all except one. It needs repotting (notice a theme here?) The three sharing the container will also need a new space within the week. I need more dirt.Black Krim
Selected as a rare black, very intensely, slightly salted flavor tomato. Planted and sprouted later, 3/20. Doing great, great color, 7 inches tall. health is a five. Note to self. No more February plantings. Remember the Krim.Amish Paste: No picture, got lazy. Selected for Wisconsin heritage, as a large flavorful, early coreless big sauce tomato. Sprouted 3/1. Health is only a 3 of 5. Kind of scrawny. Slow grower 3.5-5 inches. Two need repotting. Consider change to Opalka next year.
Persimmon: Selected as a sweet orange slicer with few seeds, alleged to have been grown by Thomas Jefferson. I call it Prima Donna. Sprouted 2/28. Its a sickly, slow grower. Two plants already sent to compost. The two on the left may be next if they don't improve after repotting. Health is a 1-3. Size is 1"-4". Currently quarantined from the rest of the group.Matina: Potato leaf variety selected for early yield (about one month before beefstakes) but still with flavor way better than early girl (blech). Plant is frankly going nuts. Now 7" but has been repotted three times to try and shrink it down. I might put one out early to see how it does before it takes over the house.
Carbon: Selected as another black, high ranking in flavor that also happens to be gorgeous. Sprouted 3/1. Next year hold off two weeks. Very healthy plants, currently my biggest and fullest at 8.5 inches. I removed blossoms today on one of them. Health is a five. Now in gallon pots.
Siletz: Selected as one of the best early varieties. Dwarf determinate plant big on tomato flavor and sweetness. I'm not sure which of the unidentified plants is Siletz, but based on the leaves I have an idea. If it is the plant I think it is, it's health is a five and size is 5 inches after second repotting. Each time I repot, I sink the plant deeper in the soil to make it stronger, thus keeping height down while they are indoors and making a substantial root system.
8 comments:
What do you do with all these Tomatoes? Freeze 'em? Can em'? Give them away? All of the above? Id like to just put in freezer bags but what if the power were to go out?
The family eats them almost daily in the summer. I also make a bunch into sauce to enjoy in the winter. If the crop is good, a bunch get given away too!
I still seem to be awake :> I love to hear when people describe their plants. Though I wouldn't describe Black Krim as rare. I hear about people growing it all the time.
I agree that Krim isn't rare anymore. You still have to get it in a trade or online around here, but the word is definitely out about how tasty it is!
What a great selection of toms. I would Cosmonaut-Volkov for its name alone. Probably the singlemost best named tomato I've ever heard. I'm growing the less interestingly monikered Black Russian, Green Sausage (fairly good name), Black Cherry and Super Marmande.
I've just noticed that in my excitement over your tomatoes, I've missed out the key word grow between would and Cosmonaut. It's late here, that's my excuse
Martyn,
I've heard great things about Black Cherry, it was on my list this year but all my favorite places were out of it. It's on the 2010 list. I've never heard of Green Sausage. I love the name. C.Volkov's name definitely figured into my selection process as did its country of origin. We had an endless winter this year and I figured I needed a few varieties that were cold tolerant if the trend was going to continue.
What fun you are having with you tomatoes. I vote for the San Morzano. I've grown that one before. It is a great sauce tomato. Love all the names. At least you should remember what you've planted. I actually saved some seeds from some great tomatoes last year..but I forgot about them when I went to plant..so they are not planted yet. But there's still time...LOL
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