Okay, What causes this??????

[ContainerTed]

This is a Hybrid called "Super Steak". All of the fruit from the two plants were very normal and very tasty - This one is still on the counter and is finishing the ripening process. But this is distinctly half and half. The pictures show that the line is very distinct and goes all the way around. It seems to be very representative of my year, so I've decided to use it as my Avatar.

[tessa]

that is amazing, ted.
i kinda hope it finishes off like that...and can be renamed 'rainbow' something or other.

[amideutch]

Nah, I think Half-n-Half would be a better name. Save the seed if it fully ripens that way. Ami

[ContainerTed]

Well, Ami, I'm a prolific seed saver of any varieties that I grow, but from which half should I save seeds ?????

Anyhow, it is not going to finish as you see it here. The ripening process paused here for about 6 days and only now is advancing slowly out into the green area. I'm just waiting to see if it becomes fully red before going bad.

In all my years, I don't recall a tomato doing this. Too bad it wouldn't finish this way. We could have called it the "Christmas" tomato or "Navigation Lights" or "Mutt and Jeff" or "Bread and Butter" or "Opera House" or "Ying Yang" or................

However, maybe its progeny will do this all the time. Hmmmmm........I'm off to salvage seeds and we'll find out next year.

Anybody want to try a few???

[carolyn137]

There already is a Christmas tomato variety bred by Tom Wagner and not released but I trialed it for him many years ago.

I've seen pix like yours before and some ideas were thrown around but I can't remember them.

I just emed a friend of mine at a midwestern Univeristy who is the one who has received a lot of press lately b'c of her work on the evolution of tomatoes and sizing, etc., and I hope that she can give me a more precise explanation.

It's her work, the pictures of which appeared on the cover of Scientific American last year.

I got to know her when I was asked by a third party to contribute info on heirloom tomatoes as part of a chapter in a book that's one book in a series that are being written for those tomato enthusiasts in academia.

Of course I read the rest of that chapter and while I got the general drift of what was being said I am so far out of the loop on computer modeling and the new genes IDed that it was almost like reading Sci Fi, but with no plot.

[ContainerTed]

Thanks, Dr. C.

As I was getting ready to set up a seedsaving operation, my wife ask me if I had seen the "other one still on the vine". I hadn't paid that other one much attention as it had sustained some damage during a windy spell. But, here it is and it came from the same branch on the same vine, and was the next bloom stem above the first "bi-color" . And I have one more fruit that set on the next bloom stem above these two. Hopefully the weather will allow us to see how it comes out.

Anyhow, now I have two weird toms. The first two pixs are the original one with its now advancing ripening. The last four are the second tom. The first one weighs just over 6 ounces (that's 176 gr, Tessa & Ami ) and the second one just over 5 ounces (153 gr).

I guess I'll plan on saving all the seeds unless Dr. C finds out (again) that I'm just wasting my time. LOL.

When I cut it or them later on today, I'll get some pictures of the insides.

[carolyn137]

I guess I'll plan on saving all the seeds unless Dr. C finds out (again) that I'm just wasting my time. LOL.

*****

Hmm, did I find out that you were wasting your time doing something? I sure don't remember that.

And please call me Carolyn as I sign off on every post and as I've asked everyone do to from time to time. If I were tell you the other folks here/there who have Ph.D's you'd be surprised and all of them are referred to either by their user names or just first names as they sign off.

I got "glomped" with the Dr. title b'c of a certain book that was written. But since I started posting about gardening topics, and especially tomatoes, back in about 1989 I've always signed off as Carolyn.

[ContainerTed]

Well, Carolyn, I have never been impressed with degrees and titles, only with the actions and accomplishments of some of the people who have them and whom I meet from time to time. In my world, you don't need a sheepskin to be smart. As a matter of fact, an old comedian made the observation that just how smart one looks depends on where one is standing at the moment. I must say that I do respect and appreciate the effort that many folks make in any specialized field of study, and the sacrifice they go thru and especially the unique knowledge they share here. And I try to acknowledge that effort and achievement from time to time. But I am never intimidated, nor do I ever feel out of my class. You see, they may know things that I don't know, but I know things they don't know. Makes us even.

I have called you Dr. C. because at times I'm too lazy to type out the rest, but my pappy would come out of his grave and get me if I didn't yield to a lady's wishes. (I DO try to act like a true southern gentleman.)

The last time you helped to find that I was on a wild goose chase was when I found the Yellow Pear that had no "wasteline" and no taper but was more of a fat teardrop shape. We discussed at length whether or not it could be a sport and finally decided it was nothing special.

So, with the second tom now in this current formula, are we chasing that elusive goose or do we have some treasure to nurture and save for posterity????

Ted

[carolyn137]

So, with the second tom now in this current formula, are we chasing that elusive goose or do we have some treasure to nurture and save for posterity????

****

What we're chasing is the explanation for the fruits that you show b'c as I said above I have seen such pictures before from others, so I don't think the phenom is a treasure to nuture, but it's time that I or others come up with a known explanation.

Ted, my whole life I've tried to keep my professional life separate from my personal life. And my personal life started by being farm raised and that's something I do treasure. And my personal life has been one of growing all the heirloom veggies and annuals and perennials that I could and hybidizing daylilies and mini roses and the like.

My love and life has always been gardening.

Being the first to report that IgA1 proteases were synthesized by pathogens such as H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae just meant I stayed in "school" too long.

[ContainerTed]

Thanks, Miss Carolyn. I'll probably save the seeds anyhow. If they turn out to not be special, then maybe Trudi at Wintersown can use them for one of the projects around the world she sends bulk seeds to. Many folks don't realize that she does a lot more than just the SASE. Since I dehydrate most of our harvest, and I have an OCD about saving (actually not wasting) seeds of any kind, I have bunches to give away.

But, I'll keep just a few from these "bi-colors" and grow them next year to make sure it's not some kind of new tomato phenomena.

BTW, I've had pneumonia a couple of times and I'm extremely allergic to penicillun based antibiotics. It tends to make me real careful about my core temp.

Wife says soup's on. Gotta go. Later

LOL :>)

Ted

[carolyn137]

Ted, is it a light dependent phenomenon such that the red side is facing light and the green side is not? Or is it random?

[ContainerTed]

Good morning, Carolyn.

For the first fruit, the ripening portion was facing to the west-southwest, however, it was in some heavy foliage and its location lost direct sun just after noon and was shaded the rest of the day.

For the second fruit, the one with the physical damage, the ripening portion was facing south-southeast into the morning sun, and like the first one, was in heavy foliage and was shaded the remainder of the day.

It was almost a perfect 90 degree angle difference between the two and I don't think either was getting much direct sun.

And, I looked again and now have two more fruit (golf ball size) to hope the weather will allow to ripen.

[ContainerTed]

Okay, I'm about 6 days late posting this, but I'm here.

I removed the stem from the first one and saw a very dense, fibrous core that went down into the middle of the fruit - Pix #1. When sliced about 3/4" thick, the late-to-ripen section is easily visible low - orange-ish look - Pix #2.

The second fruit did not completely ripen - Pix #3. It remained green on that one area. And when sliced twice (3/4") - Pix #4 - showed the green continued thru that area.

Also, in Pix #4, notice the circular shaped locule that was a result of the physical damage that occurred. Ain't Momma Nature flexible??

The ripe portions tasted just fine, but the late-to-ripen areas were tough and bland - you know, like a Walmart Special.

I saved all the seeds and they will be coming out of fermentation tomorrow. Did anyone ever find a name for this phenomena??? Carolyn, did your friend ever respond???

[dice]

I noticed that some fruits from the very top of a plant
looked like the one in that picture on the left, and they
also have the oversized core when they are finally sliced
after they soften up (most fruits from that plant have very
tiny cores when sliced ripe). I guessed it might be something
Barkeater mentioned once, "sublethal sunscald".

[carolyn137]

I saved all the seeds and they will be coming out of fermentation tomorrow. Did anyone ever find a name for this phenomena??? Carolyn, did your friend ever respond???

****

Yes my friend responded and didn't know what it was due to.

There's one other person I can ask b'c as I recall he spoke to the same issue at another message site.

Ted, after reading what you said about the light exposure of the fruits, which was variable, I'm having a hard time believing it could be sublethal sunburn. Just my opinion.