What's the deal w/ Green Zebra?

RJ_Hythloday · August 28, 2009

I realize we have the progenitor of GZ here and a search didn't help. One comment in another thread said (loosely) "If I were a food I'd be green zebra, because nobody knows when it's ripe and leaves you alone"

So I have one green zebra plant, I was watching a fruit that was rather large and the bottom was a little soft. I thought it'd be ready to pick soon and then saw a little bit of yellow blush. Well it sat on the counter a few days and the yellow blush started to turn RED.

I had it on a blt last night and the taste was superb, I was just really surprised by the appearance. It had a little green meat, but more red. I've got another on the counter that is much smaller but blushing red also.

Plantersville · August 28, 2009

I have a son in the Navy living in Virginia Beach and we were out there in July visiting and what I thought was green zebra that I had sent him back at the first of the year were red. He was asking me when are they gonna turn yellow? I didnt have an answer. Dont know what the deal was since I saved those seeds from a green zebra plant the year before and really bragged on them.

amideutch · August 29, 2009

I've never heard of a red Green Zebra. Here's a discription of what Tom had to say about the creation of "Green Zebra". Ami

Green Zebra has been an open pollinated variety for 36 years. The original breeding began years before in two separate events.

One, creating a green tomato that didn't crack so bad and that had good flavor. The varieties were chosen to develop segregating populations from several controlled crosses. Once I had realized that out of many progenies of various crosses that one clone was too valuable to discard. This improved clone was used in the genesis of Green Grape and more.

Two, creating a better stripe by breeding a poorly expressed gene into some other material to find segregating populations in each of the following filial generations; F-2, F-3, and so on. Once I had a line that showed much better stripes than anything I found before, that line was crossed with other material including the genesis of Elberta Girl and Green Bell Pepper tomato and more.

So you can imagine my displeasure of the original hybrid of the formation of Green Zebra----it was worthless. Red, with virtually no discernible stripes and a so-so flavor. Only upon the F-2 and ensuing generations did I find candidates that fit my wishes. Winter and Summer growouts were need to perfect the expression of flavor and stripes. Once I had one that I described as my 60% stripe pattern did I say, "Eureka!"

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Green_Zebra

RJ_Hythloday · August 29, 2009

I'll have to take pics of later ones as they develop. No stripes at all, which was something I was watching for as a sign of being near ripe. Well it really did taste great, not sweet at all, just enough acid bite. I'll make sure my wife gets a taste of one and see what she says about it.

amideutch · August 29, 2009

RJ, who was your seed source for Green Zebra? Ami

**mdvpc** · August 29, 2009

there is a red zebra tomato photo here-click on the link

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:-...6imageid%3D467

RJ_Hythloday · August 30, 2009

Ami, I got them from Baker Creek. But my tracking method already proved wrong earlier this year when what I thought was Cherokee Chocolate turned out to be Willard Wynn. I wonder if it's something else entirely. Could have been my mix up. I'll have to document a few as ripening. The other one on the counter has turned much more red than the one I ate the other day.

lj in ny · August 30, 2009

I have been growing GZ for several years. I've never had one go red on me! Here is a picture of some that are nowhere near ripe (they are a little larger than a golf ball right now) the striping is very pronouced. I have one on the counter that started to turn yesterday and I brought it inside for safety's sake (impending late blight doom). When they are ripe they turn a nice golden color in the areas between the stripes and are about the size of a lacrosse ball. I'll try to post a picture later on. I'm really curious to know what you have. Do you think you might have mixed up the seed or do you think the seed was mixed up before you got it?

lj in ny · August 30, 2009

Could it be Chocolate Stripes? That's a gosh darnoodley fine looking tomato:
http://gardenmutiny.blogspot.com/

RJ_Hythloday · August 31, 2009

Really no pronounced striping at all. I've still got the original seed packet w/ seeds still in it. I might have to give it another shot next year. I think it's more likely I mixed up the seed but I don't have a guess as to what it is. It's much later than any thing else in the garden. I did start several cultivars that didn't make it into the garden. Maybe one of them did.

August 28, 2009	#1
RJ_Hythloday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Logan, UT Posts: 207	What's the deal w/ Green Zebra? I realize we have the progenitor of GZ here and a search didn't help. One comment in another thread said (loosely) "If I were a food I'd be green zebra, because nobody knows when it's ripe and leaves you alone" So I have one green zebra plant, I was watching a fruit that was rather large and the bottom was a little soft. I thought it'd be ready to pick soon and then saw a little bit of yellow blush. Well it sat on the counter a few days and the yellow blush started to turn RED. I had it on a blt last night and the taste was superb, I was just really surprised by the appearance. It had a little green meat, but more red. I've got another on the counter that is much smaller but blushing red also.

August 28, 2009	#2
Plantersville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Plantersville, Texas Zone 8 Posts: 138	I have a son in the Navy living in Virginia Beach and we were out there in July visiting and what I thought was green zebra that I had sent him back at the first of the year were red. He was asking me when are they gonna turn yellow? I didnt have an answer. Dont know what the deal was since I saved those seeds from a green zebra plant the year before and really bragged on them. __________________ Chuck I love to eat, sleep and fish........not necessarily in that order!

August 29, 2009	#3
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	I've never heard of a red Green Zebra. Here's a discription of what Tom had to say about the creation of "Green Zebra". Ami Green Zebra has been an open pollinated variety for 36 years. The original breeding began years before in two separate events. One, creating a green tomato that didn't crack so bad and that had good flavor. The varieties were chosen to develop segregating populations from several controlled crosses. Once I had realized that out of many progenies of various crosses that one clone was too valuable to discard. This improved clone was used in the genesis of Green Grape and more. Two, creating a better stripe by breeding a poorly expressed gene into some other material to find segregating populations in each of the following filial generations; F-2, F-3, and so on. Once I had a line that showed much better stripes than anything I found before, that line was crossed with other material including the genesis of Elberta Girl and Green Bell Pepper tomato and more. So you can imagine my displeasure of the original hybrid of the formation of Green Zebra----it was worthless. Red, with virtually no discernible stripes and a so-so flavor. Only upon the F-2 and ensuing generations did I find candidates that fit my wishes. Winter and Summer growouts were need to perfect the expression of flavor and stripes. Once I had one that I described as my 60% stripe pattern did I say, "Eureka!" http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Green_Zebra __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!' Last edited by amideutch; August 29, 2009 at 04:07 AM.

August 29, 2009	#5
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	RJ, who was your seed source for Green Zebra? Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

August 29, 2009	#6
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	there is a red zebra tomato photo here-click on the link http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:-...6imageid%3D467 __________________ Michael

August 30, 2009	#7
RJ_Hythloday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Logan, UT Posts: 207	Ami, I got them from Baker Creek. But my tracking method already proved wrong earlier this year when what I thought was Cherokee Chocolate turned out to be Willard Wynn. I wonder if it's something else entirely. Could have been my mix up. I'll have to document a few as ripening. The other one on the counter has turned much more red than the one I ate the other day.

August 30, 2009	#9
lj in ny Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: NY Posts: 58	Could it be Chocolate Stripes? That's a gosh darnoodley fine looking tomato: http://gardenmutiny.blogspot.com/

August 31, 2009	#10
RJ_Hythloday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Logan, UT Posts: 207	Really no pronounced striping at all. I've still got the original seed packet w/ seeds still in it. I might have to give it another shot next year. I think it's more likely I mixed up the seed but I don't have a guess as to what it is. It's much later than any thing else in the garden. I did start several cultivars that didn't make it into the garden. Maybe one of them did.