"searching for true blue zebra"

KarenO · July 4, 2013

Hello all,
I received a single seed in Tormato's last seed swap labelled "searching for true blue zebra" well I thought what the heck and I planted it and darned if it didn't grow. It is about 4 feet tall. blooming like crazy and has a few small pale green striped with dark green baby tomatoes on it so far but there will be many more judging by the blooms. My question is, what the heck is it supposed to be? healthy and vigorous plant. leaves are slightly fuzzy and a very rich dark green. Just wondering if anybody knows what it should be like or what "they" whoever "they" is might be searching for exactly. I think a blue striped green when ripe tomato is what they might be looking for out of this early generation of crossed tomato?
Karen O

habitat_gardener · July 4, 2013

The name sounds like one of Tom Wagner's
http://newworldcrops.com/zen/
though it's not listed on his website -- only the available varieties are listed.

Tatiana's tomatobase lists this one, described as "an unstable segregation line."
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/S...b=General_Info

And Tom's blog shows this photo
http://tater-mater.blogspot.com/search?q=blue+zebra

linzelu100 · July 4, 2013

Bump. I'd like to see the results of this thread.

KarenO · July 4, 2013

when something ripens to it's final color I'll post a pic here. I'm interested to see what color they will be.
KO

RobinB · July 5, 2013

I got some seeds called "Searching for the Blue Zebra" last year from Tom Wagner when I ordered some others. I grew them out and got yellow salad sized fruit with blue speckles. No stripes, and they tasted awful. Let us know what color you get! Blue coloring on yellow tomatoes was weird looking, too. This year, I've got a white cherry (Amethyst Jewel) with blue and the ripening fruit is kind of grey in places. None to taste yet. -Robin

Tormato · July 5, 2013

Karen,

You, and about 20 others received one seed in the swap. If all trial it, and get it to grow, there likely could be 20 different colors.

Blue stripes is the goal, but I'm not sure if the background color would be important, if someone does get the blue stripes.

Gary

P.S. I kept one seed for myself.

KarenO · July 6, 2013

well I see no blue as yet but stripes I do see. curious to see what it does now.

KarenO · September 5, 2013

well mine ripened up to a saladette sized rounded yellow-green tomato. I would have said it was green zebra which is likely a grandparent. Nice tomato but the search for a blue zebra ends here for me
KO

newatthiskat · September 6, 2013

I don't know save the seeds and see if it eventually shows up LOL

**Tom Wagner** · September 6, 2013

Wow! This topic started two months ago and just happened to see it bumped up.

I made the seed available for "Searching For The Blue Zebra" for just one season, I think. I wanted folks to try more than just one seed...maybe a dozen or so to help me find a great candidate for a blue striped Zebra tomato regardless of flesh color. Since then I have many possible clones that might fit the bill...yellows, greens, browns, reds, etc. Likely I had envisioned a green when ripe-blue striped version. I have those now.

The seed was listed as an F-2 family from the cross of the then Blue P-20 OSU line to Green Zebra. Lots of varieties have and will continue to come out of this segregation and many are already becoming quite uniform for OP categories. I had a lot of fun with this wildly segregating family. If flavor wasn't up to some of you who received seed from my customers in swaps....don't blame the seed name of SFTBZ....maybe the flavor was due to the segregation of the Blue P-20 or maybe it was just a matter of poor combining ability of the various alleles paring up.

I love the concept of being a breeder introducing F-2 seed of some fabulous crosses. I will continue to do so. I have several hundred F-1 hybrids that I made within the last two months that I am sending to Hawaii in advance of my traveling there later this year. I will make observations of the hybrids and follow up with a sampling of the various F-2 generations there later on. And trust me, I will make many new F-2 listings available.

My friends in Austria grew 200 plants of the SFTBZ in 2010 and they obviously enjoyed the diversity. They sent me their favorites from four versions as
F-3 seed. One of them is now called Blauer Punkt.

My search for a bluer Green Zebra is still underway...it will never cease...lots of more complicated crosses and backcrosses will continue the search as well.

Come to think of it....I may invite my grafted tomato friends to introduce a grafted version when I visit with folks from several states as I meet with them in Portland OR in a couple of weeks. Yes, I will allow them to taste several clones before making a decision.

I may re-list the F-2 seed of SEARCHING FOR THE BLUE ZEBRA again. I have had so much fun with this single F-2 family and there are hundreds of new F-2 families to come along for folks to help select for novel combinations.

FaithHopeLove · September 7, 2013

I would definitely purchase seeds of Searching For The Blue Zebra if you decided to offer them again.

July 4, 2013	#2
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	The name sounds like one of Tom Wagner's http://newworldcrops.com/zen/ though it's not listed on his website -- only the available varieties are listed. Tatiana's tomatobase lists this one, described as "an unstable segregation line." http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/S...b=General_Info And Tom's blog shows this photo http://tater-mater.blogspot.com/search?q=blue+zebra

July 4, 2013	#3
linzelu100 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 447	Bump. I'd like to see the results of this thread.

July 4, 2013	#4
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	when something ripens to it's final color I'll post a pic here. I'm interested to see what color they will be. KO

July 5, 2013	#5
RobinB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Near Reno, NV Posts: 1,621	I got some seeds called "Searching for the Blue Zebra" last year from Tom Wagner when I ordered some others. I grew them out and got yellow salad sized fruit with blue speckles. No stripes, and they tasted awful. Let us know what color you get! Blue coloring on yellow tomatoes was weird looking, too. This year, I've got a white cherry (Amethyst Jewel) with blue and the ripening fruit is kind of grey in places. None to taste yet. -Robin

July 5, 2013	#6
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	Karen, You, and about 20 others received one seed in the swap. If all trial it, and get it to grow, there likely could be 20 different colors. Blue stripes is the goal, but I'm not sure if the background color would be important, if someone does get the blue stripes. Gary P.S. I kept one seed for myself.

July 6, 2013	#7
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	well I see no blue as yet but stripes I do see. curious to see what it does now.

September 5, 2013	#8
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	well mine ripened up to a saladette sized rounded yellow-green tomato. I would have said it was green zebra which is likely a grandparent. Nice tomato but the search for a blue zebra ends here for me KO

September 6, 2013	#9
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	I don't know save the seeds and see if it eventually shows up LOL

September 6, 2013	#10
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	Wow! This topic started two months ago and just happened to see it bumped up. I made the seed available for "Searching For The Blue Zebra" for just one season, I think. I wanted folks to try more than just one seed...maybe a dozen or so to help me find a great candidate for a blue striped Zebra tomato regardless of flesh color. Since then I have many possible clones that might fit the bill...yellows, greens, browns, reds, etc. Likely I had envisioned a green when ripe-blue striped version. I have those now. The seed was listed as an F-2 family from the cross of the then Blue P-20 OSU line to Green Zebra. Lots of varieties have and will continue to come out of this segregation and many are already becoming quite uniform for OP categories. I had a lot of fun with this wildly segregating family. If flavor wasn't up to some of you who received seed from my customers in swaps....don't blame the seed name of SFTBZ....maybe the flavor was due to the segregation of the Blue P-20 or maybe it was just a matter of poor combining ability of the various alleles paring up. I love the concept of being a breeder introducing F-2 seed of some fabulous crosses. I will continue to do so. I have several hundred F-1 hybrids that I made within the last two months that I am sending to Hawaii in advance of my traveling there later this year. I will make observations of the hybrids and follow up with a sampling of the various F-2 generations there later on. And trust me, I will make many new F-2 listings available. My friends in Austria grew 200 plants of the SFTBZ in 2010 and they obviously enjoyed the diversity. They sent me their favorites from four versions as F-3 seed. One of them is now called Blauer Punkt. My search for a bluer Green Zebra is still underway...it will never cease...lots of more complicated crosses and backcrosses will continue the search as well. Come to think of it....I may invite my grafted tomato friends to introduce a grafted version when I visit with folks from several states as I meet with them in Portland OR in a couple of weeks. Yes, I will allow them to taste several clones before making a decision. I may re-list the F-2 seed of SEARCHING FOR THE BLUE ZEBRA again. I have had so much fun with this single F-2 family and there are hundreds of new F-2 families to come along for folks to help select for novel combinations.

September 7, 2013	#11
FaithHopeLove Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Summerfield, FL Posts: 197	I would definitely purchase seeds of Searching For The Blue Zebra if you decided to offer them again.