What Tomato is this???

[ContainerTed]

Okay, some folks will know right away, but let's let some of the new folks do some guessing. Here's the description found at Tatianna's Tomatobase:

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Developed by Young, P. A., Tomato Disease Laboratory, Agricultural Experimental Station, Jacksonville, Texas. In Jour. of Hered. 46:243-244, 1955, P. A. Young describes a dominant mutant which he termed (_?_) or (_?_) and which he located in 1953 as a mutant on a plant of the Stokesdale variety. Because the vines are distinctly non-suckering in type, Gleckler Seedsmen of Metamora, Ohio, listed (_?_) in 1959 as (_?_).

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Just like it says above, this tomato will solve your "sucker" problems. No pruning will be necessary. What would you name it?

Here's a couple of pictures.

[retiree]

It has 2 names actually. I almost answered and the realized it said "new". haha

Neil G.
(Canada)

[kath]

Ooo..I know that one! Had to look up its other name, though. Someone gave me seeds for it a while ago but I gave them away- just don't have any desire to grow a tomato just for its unusual characteristics unless it holds the promise of amazing taste, too.

kath

[Worth1]

It has two names I only know it under one.

All pruners should be condemned to grow only this one.

Worth

[jmsieglaff]

No idea!

Pencil Tomato?

WTF Tomato?

Does it taste as bad as it looks?

[Sun City Linda]

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

No idea!

Pencil Tomato?

WTF Tomato?

Does it taste as bad as it looks?

ROFL

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

No idea!

Pencil Tomato?

WTF Tomato?

Does it taste as bad as it looks?

As bad as it does taste most of the time, it's still better than those grocery store cardboard excuses. It has a really full tomato taste with almost no sweetness. That means it is really, really tart. But, you know it's a tomato.

[jmsieglaff]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

As bad as it does taste most of the time, it's still better than those grocery store cardboard excuses. It has a really full tomato taste with almost no sweetness. That means it is really, really tart. But, you know it's a tomato.

So you're saying I'm going to have to grow it at some point? Deal. Impressive such a foliage lacking tomato can still be decent, albeit quite tart apparently.

[heirloomtomaguy]

That is the variety known as St@!k.

[heirloomtomaguy]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Yeah, but you aren't new here as was requested.

To me the foliage looks like a series of poodle cuts at each level and you Have to grow it at least once for the novelty of it. Growing it twice is beyond what's necessary IMO.

Carolyn

I reread it and changed my answer. Maybe you could change the quote so newbies still have to guess.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by heirloomtomaguy

I reread it and changed my answer. Maybe you could change the quote so newbies still have to guess.

No, I could not delete just the boxed quote so what I did was to delete my own post, but what I wrote about it was preserved in your own post above.

Carolyn

[Worth1]

They could have named it Twiggy.
Anyone remember her.
Worth

[charline]

I have this one too! its so funny.... people just cant believe that it is a tomato.

[ContainerTed]

Like I said in the original post, a lot of folks will know it instantly. And it does have more than one name. In fact, technically it has three. And the taste I got back in 2010 is quite tart. But, this is an heirloom that needs to be preserved.

Well, who said you couldn't mix tomatoes and "topiary".

To fill in the blanks above, it was called both "Cu" and "Curl". But Gleckler Seedman marketed it as "Stick". I'm considering crossing it with something that tastes good and see if we can retain the growing habit with an improved taste.

Yes, it is a novelty and a conversation starter. But, it is as much a part of tomato history as any of the others. Later this season, I'll post some pictures of the fruit and do another taste evaluation.

My first plants back in 2010 got to about 4 feet tall in an 18 gallon container. They need a lot of support. One of my plants back in 2010 actually branched into two main stems at the 30" level. Looking forward to what shows up this year. Seed germination this year was 100% (5 for 5).

Take care. Hope you had fun and/or maybe learned something new.

[KarenO]

Very interesting, I have never heard of it. Glad to see the unique genetics are being preserved. If you put up a seed offer when you have fruits I know I would like to have a couple to try. Thank for posting, cool to see something different
KarenO