Chocolate Stripes

[bmerryman]

What's the history of this tomato? I tried searching around but haven't uncovered anything.

[HelenB]

A couple of small seed sellers state that this was red by Al Anderson of Troy, Ohio, and inntroduced by him via Seed Savers Exchange in 2008.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by bmerryman

What's the history of this tomato? I tried searching around but haven't uncovered anything.

It's not a legacy tomato, as in those varieties that are much older varieties, either family or commercial heirlooms. But here's what I know from looking at Anderson's explanation from the SSE YEarbook.

It was first offered to SSE members in the SSE 2007 Yearbook by Anderson but he just introduced it, he was not the person who either bred it or in whose garden it appeared initially by Cross pollination; that person was John Siegel , also of Ohio as is Anderson and Ansderson has introduced severa varieties from Siegel.. He states that it was a cross between Schimmig Craig and a pink and he doesn't say if it was an accidental cross or a deliberate one. perhaps Siegel didn't tell him that.

I haven't grown it and don't intend to for various reasons, but I'm shaking my head as to how the fruits have the color that's described for it knowing what S Craig looks like b'c I've grown it and knowing that pink fruited varieties are pink. Ah well, I guess we'll never know for sure.

So that's Chocolate Stripes, not an heirloom, not a legacy variety, but OP, either from an accidental X pollination or a deliberate one, but I'm betting on the former.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...colate_Stripes

Above is a link to Tania's Tomato data base for this variety. It's a MUST to have this wonderful website in your faves. When you're through reading that page go to the upper left and click on HOME and then save the site to your faves. Tania lists over 3,000 varieties of tomatoes, most with pictures, histories where known as well as seed sources, if there are ones, for each variety. Notice the different ways that you can search for variety information. I prefer to use the alphabetical way myself.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...g1g-v3&aql=&oq=

Above is a general Google search for this variety which also gives much information but mainly for seed sources and the like. And since some of those seed sites are owned by SSE members there's information they have from the SSE YEarbooks themselves.

Hope that helps.

[travis]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I haven't grown it and don't intend to for various reasons, but I'm shaking my head as to how the fruits have the color that's described for it knowing what S Craig looks like b'c I've grown it and knowing that pink fruited varieties are pink. Ah well, I guess we'll never know for sure.

So that's Chocolate Stripes, not an heirloom, not a legacy variety, but OP, either from an accidental X pollination or a deliberate one, but I'm betting on the former.

I'm wondering why you're betting on a bee cross, when the person who introduced it said SC x "a pink fruited" variety. How would he know it was a pink fruited variety if a bee did the crossing?

I also wonder why it couldn't be SC x pink since the pink could be a striped variety as well, something like Pink Tie Dye, thereby donating even more pronounced striping that SC donated.

But then, I'm like you. I always question and wonder more than accept verbatim.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by travis

I'm wondering why you're betting on a bee cross, when the person who introduced it said SC x "a pink fruited" variety. How would he know it was a pink fruited variety if a bee did the crossing?

I also wonder why it couldn't be SC x pink since the pink could be a striped variety as well, something like Pink Tie Dye, thereby donating even more pronounced striping that SC donated.

But then, I'm like you. I always question and wonder more than accept verbatim.

I always question, as you do.

So where are the dark genes coming from? Not SC. A "pink". A 'striped pink", all possibilities but Al Anderson has introduced several varieties from Fred Siegel, and well, I mean, ahem, Al, whom I don't know, hasn't always gotten everything right even with known varieties.

I'm actually more interested in the origin of what led to the mahogany color than I am with any striping, but you already know that about me from posts made here and there.

[travis]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I'm actually more interested in the origin of what led to the mahogany color than I am with any striping, but you already know that about me from posts made here and there.

I don't know. Is Schmoozo Who, or whatever it's called, a clear skin or yellow skin thing? If clear skinned red fleshed, and the unnamed, so-called pink actually was a mahogony type like Cherokee Purple, then the F1 bee cross would've been pink, and the viewer may have thought the mystery parent was pink, when in fact it was mahogony as the subsequent grow out showed. But then I don't know anything about Schmoozo Who, so I can't really say. Besides, I don't really care!

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by travis

I don't know. Is Schmoozo Who, or whatever it's called, a clear skin or yellow skin thing? If clear skinned red fleshed, and the unnamed, so-called pink actually was a mahogony type like Cherokee Purple, then the F1 bee cross would've been pink, and the viewer may have thought the mystery parent was pink, when in fact it was mahogony as the subsequent grow out showed. But then I don't know anything about Schmoozo Who, so I can't really say. Besides, I don't really care!

Sch___________Creg is red with orange stripes, and as I remember it can be kinda hollow and not very tasty either. So epi is yellow.

Bred by Tom Wagner.

I don't care either. I just want them to come this weekend and get the snow and ice off my roof before the next big storm expected mid-week.

The original poster wanted to know the history behind Chocolate Stripes so that's what I tried to provide, but getting down to the details of which varieties, directed cross, natural cross, whatever, is a bit beyond the general history, as I see it, especially when at least you and I have some questions about the parentage.

[shlacm]

If anyone wants to try it I have almost a full pack of seeds from last year that are available for SASE! 'Cause that horrendous disease magnet is NEVER going back in MY garden... not worth the risk!!! Not that I ever got an actual tomato from it... it just attracted the diseases.

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Wow!
Now I am actually a bit leery to try this one again.
I grew a couple last year. One went to a co-worker of my wife's.
The other one grew fine in my garden but was NOT a good producer. The nearby Radiator Charlier was the one that got all diseased and bug infested.
I was actually going to give the Chocolate Stripe the benefit of the doubt because I didn't have it in the best location. I was going to give it a much better, sunnier location this summer.
I have so many others to grow so if I pass on it, I won't be upset.

What's so funny is that my wife's friend said it was the best tasting tomato in his garden.

[lurley]

Maybe he was growing hybrids from the local nurseries?

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Originally Posted by lurley

Maybe he was growing hybrids from the local nurseries?

Good point! That's funny!

Actually, I had grown so many plants in the past that my wife supplied a bunch of people at her workplace with tomatoes. Everyone would get 2-3-4 heirloom plants. It was kind of the talk that no one had to go out and buy tomato plants.
This year I am just not doing that anymore.

Plus, that dude actually got fired come to think of it....

[shlacm]

Originally Posted by BigBrownDogHouse

Wow!
Now I am actually a bit leery to try this one again.
I grew a couple last year. One went to a co-worker of my wife's.
The other one grew fine in my garden but was NOT a good producer. The nearby Radiator Charlier was the one that got all diseased and bug infested.
I was actually going to give the Chocolate Stripe the benefit of the doubt because I didn't have it in the best location. I was going to give it a much better, sunnier location this summer.
I have so many others to grow so if I pass on it, I won't be upset.

What's so funny is that my wife's friend said it was the best tasting tomato in his garden.

Eeeek! Don't be leery b/c of me! I probably shouldn't have posted that! Last year was my first year growing ANYTHING, ever!!! It was a great learning experience! In other words; one disaster after another!And even if my experience is an accurate predictor of future problems I could expect from this variety, we are in such different climates! If I had to guess I would say that it doesn't tolerate combined heat and humidity.

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Originally Posted by shlacm

I would say that it doesn't tolerate combined heat and humidity.

You know what though....that describes Illinois perfectly in the summer. Hot and very HUMID.
Last summer was definitely hotter than 2009 around here.. I do remember that.

I'll probably try it again. I think you have to give every tomato two growing seasons if that first year isn't a good one.

[kath]

I grew Chocolate Stripes last year and found it to be a vigorous grower which had set 20 fruits by 7/1. About 50% of the fruits were catfaced early, it had trouble setting fruit in the heat, and the fruits were variable in taste tests- none bad, just some better than others, and I actually liked it most of the time, which is unusual! The pretty fruits were very pretty. It was attacked by aphids once, but then had no problems until Early Blight started to affect most all the plants. Just my experience. Oh, and it doesn't get too much hotter and more humid than it was in my area last summer.

[ebennett]

I have chocolate stripes in the garden this year, but nothing ripe yet. Didn't know it was so buggy. Nice pic, btw. That's either a very small child or some very large tomatoes.