A few early surprises....

**nctomatoman** · July 11, 2006

Last year, I let two volunteer plants live long enough to produce some fruit - one at the edge of my driveway where my large pots sit each year, the other in an area where I clean out my pots, toss BER fruit, and possibly where birds distribute seeds. Both plants produced exactly one ripe cherry tomato, from which I saved seeds, before the plants were removed. Both cherry tomatoes were gold colored, similar to but not quite as dark in hue as Sungold.

So, this year I started a few seeds from each, and decided to grow one plant of each. Well, they are starting to ripen, and the outcome is interesting! One plant is producing small oval yellow fruit (not grape, but truly oval, smaller than any tomato of that shape I've seen). The other plant is producing something I've never seen - chocolate colored cherry tomatoes (the same color as Cherokee Chocolate, Black Prince, Japanese Trifele Black - yellow skinned). (In contrast, Black Cherry produces purple cherry tomatoes, clear skin). I've only tasted and picked one ripe fruit from each plant, but what I can say already is that I've never grown tomatoes that look like either one of these - so hats off to the bees for more interesting work!

I will save enough seeds of each for further work, and post pictures and tasting details when I get more.

Denise_in_MI · July 11, 2006

Chocolate Cherry's? Sounds like something I make for Christmas...Chocolate Rum Cherry's (minus the rum)...

Cherokee Purple is one of my fave's! Haven't tried Cherokee Chocolate yet. But if I could get a similar tasting fruit in a cherry form...I could be a convert to small fruited varieties! Plz keep us posted. I'd be interested in growing out an F1 (and beyond) of these if there is a need...

**nctomatoman** · July 12, 2006

Hi, Denise - my feeling is that the fruit last year may have been the F1, so what I am now seeing is the F2....would therefore be sharing F3 seed. I will see how much seed I can save and offer some for anyone interested later this year.

Denise_in_MI · July 12, 2006

Erm....my bad Craig!

My degree in Biology should've told me F3... But I don't work anywhere near biology...

I'd be happy to grow out a plant or 2 for your next grow out. My small garden of 7 to 10 plants per season cannot do much more...

July 11, 2006	#1
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	A few early surprises.... Last year, I let two volunteer plants live long enough to produce some fruit - one at the edge of my driveway where my large pots sit each year, the other in an area where I clean out my pots, toss BER fruit, and possibly where birds distribute seeds. Both plants produced exactly one ripe cherry tomato, from which I saved seeds, before the plants were removed. Both cherry tomatoes were gold colored, similar to but not quite as dark in hue as Sungold. So, this year I started a few seeds from each, and decided to grow one plant of each. Well, they are starting to ripen, and the outcome is interesting! One plant is producing small oval yellow fruit (not grape, but truly oval, smaller than any tomato of that shape I've seen). The other plant is producing something I've never seen - chocolate colored cherry tomatoes (the same color as Cherokee Chocolate, Black Prince, Japanese Trifele Black - yellow skinned). (In contrast, Black Cherry produces purple cherry tomatoes, clear skin). I've only tasted and picked one ripe fruit from each plant, but what I can say already is that I've never grown tomatoes that look like either one of these - so hats off to the bees for more interesting work! I will save enough seeds of each for further work, and post pictures and tasting details when I get more. __________________ Craig

July 11, 2006	#2
Denise_in_MI Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Zone 4 in NLP and Zone 5b/6a in SE MI Posts: 79	Chocolate Cherry's? Sounds like something I make for Christmas...Chocolate Rum Cherry's (minus the rum)... Cherokee Purple is one of my fave's! Haven't tried Cherokee Chocolate yet. But if I could get a similar tasting fruit in a cherry form...I could be a convert to small fruited varieties! Plz keep us posted. I'd be interested in growing out an F1 (and beyond) of these if there is a need... __________________ Denise

July 12, 2006	#3
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Hi, Denise - my feeling is that the fruit last year may have been the F1, so what I am now seeing is the F2....would therefore be sharing F3 seed. I will see how much seed I can save and offer some for anyone interested later this year. __________________ Craig

July 12, 2006	#4
Denise_in_MI Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Zone 4 in NLP and Zone 5b/6a in SE MI Posts: 79	Erm....my bad Craig! My degree in Biology should've told me F3... But I don't work anywhere near biology... I'd be happy to grow out a plant or 2 for your next grow out. My small garden of 7 to 10 plants per season cannot do much more... __________________ Denise