Which variety has the shapliest heart?

Nan_PA_6b · February 25, 2017

I'm thinking of making a cross to produce a micro with heart-shaped fruit. For visual appeal, I'd like a nicely shaped, valentine's type heart. So what varieties of heart have decent taste and great shape?

Nan

ContainerTed · February 25, 2017

Fishlake Oxheart. Last season, I got several that were "valentine-ish" off of the one plant I raised. It's the closest I've seen to what you seek.

Spartanburg123 · February 25, 2017

Was that pink, or red, or back to pink....LOL. Sorry, epi joke....

ContainerTed · February 25, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spartanburg123

Was that pink, or red, or back to pink....LOL. Sorry, epi joke....

Well, that one in the picture is red. But, I also grew the Pink one last season. Two separate colors from two separate seed sources. Shall wonders never cease. LOL !!!

Actually, both were very tasty.

Gardeneer · February 25, 2017

Check my current avatar !
What do you think ?
It has no know name. I call it "Brown Heart ".

oakley · February 26, 2017

My favorite, though a bit odd is a folded heart...this variety is on my every year list with
its strange fold. Every tomato has this odd fold. I save seeds every year and i get this fold.
I know it is originally OrangeRussianHeart from TGS but not sure where this folded heart
came from.

KarenO · February 26, 2017

The most Consistently "valentine " shaped hearts I have grown are ludmillas pink heart and orange strawberry.

KarenO

Nan_PA_6b · February 26, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenO

The most Consistently "valentine " shaped hearts I have grown are ludmillas pink heart and orange strawberry.

KarenO

Wow, Orange Strawberry looks amazing! It's the winner so far. What does it taste like?

Nan

**carolyn137** · February 26, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

Wow, Orange Strawberry looks amazing! It's the winner so far. What does it taste like?

Nan

Nan, since I was the person who first made it known,I think I qualify to answer.

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

Most who made comments in the above link liked it very much ,but there were others who thought that the flesh was too dry, and didn't taste all that great.

It's on page 182 in my heirloom tomato book, and here are the specs I wrote about it using some abbreviations

mostly in the 8 oz to 1 lb range growing singly or in pairs
Yield: moderate
Plant /Foliage, indet, medium cover of RL foliage
Taste:rich and sweet

And the picture on page 183 shows lovely shaped hearts on a branch of a plant plant.

This variety was sent to me by Marjorie Morris and she was also the one who sent me German Red Strawberry, but I hope by now that folks know that they are not versions of each other. GRS is her family heirloom from Germany and OS was from a stray seed.

And NOT versions since last I knew some were listing German Orange Strawberry which is very wrong.

The only way you'll know if you like it is to grow it yourself.

Carolyn

AlittleSalt · February 26, 2017

I grew Mayo's Delight a couple of years ago. It produced one big tomato that looked a lot like this one from http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Mayo's_Delight I'm also growing an accidental cross that is a cherry tomato that I named VHS Cherry or Valentines Heart Shaped Cherry.

ddsack · February 26, 2017

Some years back I tried to select for the most perfect hearts from the Latvian Heart that my parents grew, received from an old gent that was a friend of the family.

But there was too much variability each season, and the hearts did not get any more heartier through time. Seeds saved from the best hearts did not guarantee equally nice hearts the next year. I gave up on it. Maybe a more patient person with a very long term commitment would do better.

Nattybo! · March 5, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddsack

Some years back I tried to select for the most perfect hearts from the Latvian Heart that my parents grew, received from an old gent that was a friend of the family.

But there was too much variability each season, and the hearts did not get any more heartier through time. Seeds saved from the best hearts did not guarantee equally nice hearts the next year. I gave up on it. Maybe a more patient person with a very long term commitment would do better.

Wow! That second photo is just amazing. And I can't get it out of my head, like it needs to be made into a card or poster or something. There is something about the stiched up scar...

Anyways, just wanted to say, beautiful!

Gardeneer · February 26, 2017

ddsack , those are truly most beautiful valentine heart shape. The nice pink color complements the shape.
Here is a picture and a sketch of my Brown Heart.
That is the only heart shape That I have grown accidentally.

JLJ_ · February 26, 2017

For me, Anna Maria's Heart has beautiful heart shape with very little variation.

Orange Russian #117 did too, last year, but I haven't grown it as long.

Sand Hill Preservation's description of Anna Maria:

Anna Maria's Heart: Mid-season, Indeterminate, Regular Leaf, wispy foliage, pink heart, most fruits between 6 to 12 oz., excellent sweet/tart flavor. From Scott Hamilton in Germany, passed down in his wife's family, originally coming from the former Russia, named for his wife. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed (Limit 1 Pkt.)

Victory seeds carries it too, as do other places.

**carolyn137** · February 26, 2017

I'm a dedicated heart lover,but one major problem is that one plant can give you several different shapes, and some of those are darn good varieties,sadly..

I agree with the two that Karen mentioned and went through Tania's list of hearts to remind myself of some varieties that I knew still had seed sources,and were not bi or tricolor ones and tasted good,as you said. But taste is a fickle variable as I think most know.

Tania's list

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...9733;#mw-pages

So I'll just make some suggestions that for me were more consistent in producing the valentine ones you asked for and also had great taste, for me..

Not in any order since I went thru her list alphabetically, but I do have my faves, and chose them since I knew that seeds would still be available.

Cuor Di Bue
Fresa
German Red Strawberry
Indiana Red
Kosovo
Lithuanian Crested Pink
Russian 117
Tsar-Kolokol

There area few others as well, some from 2015 grow outs which won't appear until the seed offer ,and very new ones from 2016 grow outs but so new no seed vendors, etc. to access seeds right now.

I have sent out several of the 2015 ones to certain seed vendors two years ago, for trial, and I won't know what their descriptions are until I get my 2017 Yearbook since 4 of my seed producers are SSE listed members. . And I had some from both 2015 and 16 being grown for me this past summer here at home, so I know them quite well.

Carolyn,and please Don't ask me when the Carolyn/Shawn seed offer will go up since it seems to get more complicated almost every day.

February 25, 2017	#5
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Check my current avatar ! What do you think ? It has no know name. I call it "Brown Heart ". __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

February 26, 2017	#15
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I'm a dedicated heart lover,but one major problem is that one plant can give you several different shapes, and some of those are darn good varieties,sadly.. I agree with the two that Karen mentioned and went through Tania's list of hearts to remind myself of some varieties that I knew still had seed sources,and were not bi or tricolor ones and tasted good,as you said. But taste is a fickle variable as I think most know. Tania's list http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...9733;#mw-pages So I'll just make some suggestions that for me were more consistent in producing the valentine ones you asked for and also had great taste, for me.. Not in any order since I went thru her list alphabetically, but I do have my faves, and chose them since I knew that seeds would still be available. Cuor Di Bue Fresa German Red Strawberry Indiana Red Kosovo Lithuanian Crested Pink Russian 117 Tsar-Kolokol There area few others as well, some from 2015 grow outs which won't appear until the seed offer ,and very new ones from 2016 grow outs but so new no seed vendors, etc. to access seeds right now. I have sent out several of the 2015 ones to certain seed vendors two years ago, for trial, and I won't know what their descriptions are until I get my 2017 Yearbook since 4 of my seed producers are SSE listed members. . And I had some from both 2015 and 16 being grown for me this past summer here at home, so I know them quite well. Carolyn,and please Don't ask me when the Carolyn/Shawn seed offer will go up since it seems to get more complicated almost every day. __________________ Carolyn

February 25, 2017	#1
Nan_PA_6b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,194	Which variety has the shapliest heart? I'm thinking of making a cross to produce a micro with heart-shaped fruit. For visual appeal, I'd like a nicely shaped, valentine's type heart. So what varieties of heart have decent taste and great shape? Nan

February 25, 2017	#3
Spartanburg123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 1,262	Was that pink, or red, or back to pink....LOL. Sorry, epi joke....

February 26, 2017	#7
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	The most Consistently "valentine " shaped hearts I have grown are ludmillas pink heart and orange strawberry. KarenO

February 26, 2017	#11
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Some years back I tried to select for the most perfect hearts from the Latvian Heart that my parents grew, received from an old gent that was a friend of the family. But there was too much variability each season, and the hearts did not get any more heartier through time. Seeds saved from the best hearts did not guarantee equally nice hearts the next year. I gave up on it. Maybe a more patient person with a very long term commitment would do better. __________________ Dee **************

February 26, 2017	#14
JLJ_ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 759	For me, Anna Maria's Heart has beautiful heart shape with very little variation. Orange Russian #117 did too, last year, but I haven't grown it as long. Sand Hill Preservation's description of Anna Maria: Anna Maria's Heart: Mid-season, Indeterminate, Regular Leaf, wispy foliage, pink heart, most fruits between 6 to 12 oz., excellent sweet/tart flavor. From Scott Hamilton in Germany, passed down in his wife's family, originally coming from the former Russia, named for his wife. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed (Limit 1 Pkt.) Victory seeds carries it too, as do other places.