Carolyn's Fall 2014 Feedback Reports

[paulgrow]

Sweet Ozark Orange/ First batch of ripe fruits had severe BER. Gave plant a good dose of calcium. Second batch of fruits good production of baseball size fruits, sweet taste very meaty.

Don Double Delight/ fair producer tennnis ball fruits, taste mediocre. probably won't grow again.

Lucky Cross/ good production on baseball size orange fruits. Matured late in season Sweet taste.

1884 Purple/ fair to poor production deep purple fruits, taste somewhat sweet.

Dixie Wine/ Excellent production, baseball to softball sized fruits some over a pound. Very tasty sweet and meaty.

Chapman/ Fair producer, softball sized fruits somewhat acidic but good flavor.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

My turn!

Raspberry Miracle – managed to get two plants to grow, and got one fruit from one plant that was leaky. Saved seeds from the fruit – did not taste. The other plant turned out to be “Not Raspberry Miracle.”

Absinthe – One plant, 5 fruit. Managed to save seed and taste and it was fabulous – would grow again. The fruits were between 6 oz and 11 oz.

Sakharnyi Pudovichok – I picked this for the name translation “Ton of Sugar” and expected it to be sweet. I don’t know if it was. I had two plants – but one produced 6 oz pink fruits and the other produced large orange/red fruits. Saved seed from both. Both were prolific. I probably will not grow again only because I don’t know which seed is correct and I didn’t like what fruit I tasted.

Don’s Double Delight – this was the one of the most prolific plants in my garden. It was early, and the first to produce a ripe beefsteak. The fruit was gorgeous, large and, when fully ripe, luscious! Would absolutely grow again. I gave some away – my neighbors loved me this year!!!!

Rozovyi Izumnyi Again I picked this one for the translation “Pink Raisin-Like,” and expected it to be on the sweet side. However, one plant bit the dust early, the other produced a large amount of 10 oz. fruits. I didn’t care for the flavor – I expected it to be sweeter. Due to the production, I would give this one another shot.

Serendipity I loved the flavor of this tomato and would grow it again in a heartbeat. It wasn’t as prolific as some others, but I’m a sucker for bicolors! I picked this one because it is related to Earl’s Faux.

Thank you, Carolyn, once again, for allowing me to be a part of this seed offer. I managed to save seed from all of them.

[dfollett]

Istra - 2013 seed - Two of seven germinated - one was deformed and the other didn't survive to pot-up. It just stopped growing and withered. Nothing to report.

Dutka's Pink - 2011 seed - One of five germinated and produced a healthy plant. Grew well, but produced only 3-4 fruits. They appeared true to type - large pink beefsteak. Hardly any seeds, fewest I've seed in any variety, especially for the size.

Brazilian Giant - 2013 seed - One of five germinated and produced a very large healthy prolific plant. True to type - Very large, ribbed, lobed, red beefsteaks. Several, were well over a pound, which is large for here. I found the flavor a little bland for my taste, but that's subjective. Most of the fruits suffered fairly extensive cracking and cat facing. That may be explained by our very cool nights with lows in the 30's until the last week of June.

Sen-Say - 2013 seed - Five of seven germinated - one was a lollipop. Two made it into the garden - one in a container and on into an experimental row with plants a foot apart and pruned to a single stem trained up a piece of twine. They both had very wispy leaves. The plant in the container, I tried to restrict to four stems, but it had a different idea. Seems like it was more interested in sending out suckers and more stems than growing the ones I wanted it to. It still turned into a very large healthy plant. Very true to type - very large pink hearts. Lots of fruit - Good, but not great flavor. The one I tried to keep to a single stem trained up twine fought me at every prune. It seems that it put all it's energy into trying to develop more stems. It just kept suckering. Overall, it didn't do well. Most of the fruits were hearts (a few were more round than heart) and much smaller than the container plant. The fruits had very few seeds for such a large fruit (although more than Dutka's Pink). I think this is a plant that needs to be allowed to sprawl.

[carolyn137]

It has been two weeks since anyone else has given feedback and there are many more to come,I could say per the agreement you made when you got the seeds, but I won't.

I really really need your feedback so I know what to delete from my last Seed Offer for this coming January. Yes, as I've said, it will continue but I'm stepping back and just being responsible for finding new varieties.

I also send seeds to various commercial places for trial, and to a few long time friends who don't participate here and that's another concern.

Make my day, but more realisticaly, make the next few weeks your days to post your feedback pretty please.

Thanks ever so much,

Carolyn

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

It has been two weeks since anyone else has given feedback and there are many more to come,I could say per the agreement you made when you got the seeds, but I won't.

I really really need your feedback so I know what to delete from my last Seed Offer for this coming January. Yes, as I've said, it will continue but I'm stepping back and just being responsible for finding new varieties.

I also send seeds to various commercial places for trial, and to a few long time friends who don't participate here and that's another concern.

Make my day, but more realisticaly, make the next few weeks your days to post your feedback pretty please.

Thanks ever so much,

Carolyn

I suspect that there are quite a few like me, Carolyn, who have always posted the feedback you wanted . . . and probably more than you wanted , but don't post until they're done with the tomatoes, in case anything interesting turns up. I haven't forgotten you this year, either -- and have a working post for this thread on my desktop, so all the varieties will get their due mention.

The reason I replied to this, though, is that I thought some might miss your very significant statement "I really really need your feedback so I know what to delete from my last Seed Offer for this coming January".

Especially for new participants, who might feel reluctant to seem negative or ungrateful, it might be important for those who disliked the tomatoes, or had poor performance from them, to realize that reporting that won't hurt your feelings, or be unappreciative of your seed distribution efforts, but is something you really want to hear about.

Some might also not realize that these feedback threads become a valuable resource for others considering growing the new varieties in upcoming years, helping people to identify varieties that might like, or not like, growing in their region or garden type.

(All of mine that germinated did fine, considering the weather, I will "make your day" with a proper summary concerning them as soon as possible." )

[T-punch]

Dester 2012, 2 out of 9 germinated, slow to set fruit but came on strong later,many, large fruit matches description, taste was middle of the road...not up to par with brandywing, stump, better boy.

[MrsJustice]

Hello Miss Carolyn, Neil told me I can tell you he is the one who replaces your Granny Heart Seeds you gave me. I still can't not believe that I dropped those's plant, but very happy that Neil gave me the opportunity to grow them. I got 100% germination and only use I 1 seed. I only grow 1 Granny's Heart Plant with protective covering. I will post pictures soon. My Farming season has just ended November 1.

Farmer Joyce Beggs

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by MrsJustice

Hello Miss Carolyn, Neil told me I can tell you he is the one who replaces your Granny Heart Seeds you gave me. I still can't not believe that I dropped those's plant, but very happy that Neil gave me the opportunity to grow them. I got 100% germination and only use I 1 seed. I only grow 1 Granny's Heart Plant with protective covering. I will post pictures soon. My Farming season has just ended November 1.

Farmer Joyce Beggs

I think that Granny's Heart is excellent, but fact is that I know two Neil's, one in Canada, Neil G, and one in IA, Neil L, but it really doesn't matter which one gave you some replacement seeds. What's important it that you got to grow a plant.

Carolyn

[Redbaron]

Unfortunately Carolyn I am running concurrent experiments and trials. And as it turns out one technique I am trialing failed, and that failure just happened to have your 2014 offer. So I really can't report till next year.

As you probably know I am trialing a new method that doesn't use fertilizers or pesticides. I make strips in the virgin sod.. In year 2 I tried 2 ways. Using the same strip twice and shifting the strips 2 feet over to new sod and letting last years bed grow out into sod again.

Both sides grew plants pretty good, but when it came to weed pressure and tomato production, the 1/2 that reused the same bed failed, basically producing "mule" or nearly mule plants. Pretty to look at but no tomatoes. Several plants finally started producing near the end of the season, but in the end, frost came first. I am very sorry Carolyn.

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I think that Granny's Heart is excellent, but fact is that I know two Neil's, one in Canada, Neil G, and one in IA, Neil L, but it really doesn't matter which one gave you some replacement seeds. What's important it that you got to grow a plant.

Carolyn

It was your Neil in Canada; He is so nice. I have been trying to post pictures but my computor is not allowing them here. I will try again again and again to add to all my reports.

[Farmette]

Hi Carolyn: In the past I have always posted my results in a more timely manner, I believe. But this year my notebook with my germination results got misfiled and I only recently found it. And in 2012, I chose to take a part time job after being retired from teaching for 5 years. My hours just recently increased to 24 hours a week and so it is a period of adjustment for me. I am behind in getting a few other things done too. I had intended to include the germination report with the end of year when it got so late, but will add it to the others, hopefully this weekend. Thanks so much!

[MrsJustice]

[QUOTE=carolyn137;436381]I think that Granny's Heart is excellent, but fact is that I know two Neil's, one in Canada, Neil G, and one in IA, Neil L, but it really doesn't matter which one gave you some replacement seeds. What's important it that you got to grow a plant.

Carolyn
I try to post a pictures with Paste button hopefully this works

This way the only way to show you my Granny Heart.http://www.ebay.com/itm/131343481755...84.m1555.l2649

[MrsJustice]

[Blk_Vegan]

With the first freeze scheduled to hit my area this week I've finally began to shut down what's left of my tomato garden. Fairly decent year production wise. So here the results of what I acquired in the give away.

Dutka's Pink- Started all seeds given. None germinated. Bummer. Was looking forward to this one.

Indian Stripe PL- Managed to have one plant survive some early Spring storms. It was true to type. Fruit were smaller than regular Indian Stripe but taste was comparable. Plant was shorter only attaining to about 5 ft. Not quite as productive.

Loka- This was one that I was looking forward to as it was from Ghana and I happened to be growing a wonderful pepper from that country called Kpakpo. Unlike the peppers however, this tomato was this first that I have grown that I would consider a "spitter". Truly sour tasting. No sweetness. The plant was compact and probably determinant yet quite productive. The fruit were beautiful. Five to eight ounces, ribbed and bright red. Pretty to look at but taste wise quite unappealing.

Once again Carolyn as always, thanks for sharing.

[Farmette]

Finally:

Fatima (2013) 2 plants were grown, both seemed true to height and color. Yield was above what I expected, maybe due to the constant moisture supply from the Earthbox in which they were grown. I found the taste to be very good, not too sweet.

Medovoe Serdtse (2013) 1 plant was grown in a container. Smaller plant. Determinate, t produced a good supply of very nice, tasty orange hearts. They were not bland, but had a taste that came close to the taste of a KBX. All grew true to size as they were all in the 4-6 oz. range.

Orangevyi Velikan (2013) 1 plant was grown in ground. Average size plant. I thought the yield was slightly above average. They grew true to expectations, with the majority of fruit being in the 8 to 12 oz range. They were beefsteaks and I was hoping for something similar to KBX, as the yield was higher than my usual KBX. Unfortunately, the taste was just average for me. So, a very nice looking orange beefsteak, with an average taste.

Sakharnyi Pudovichok (2013) 1 plant was grown in ground. This plant was very healthy and grew quite large. It had a large number of red/orange beefsteaks, of which the flavor was excellent. This was my number one fav for taste, vitality of the plant and abundance of fruit.

Ted’s Pink Currant (2013) 1 plant was grown in ground. The conditions were less than ideal, as the area does not get as much sun as I would like. However, I loved this plant. It grew small, but the leaves were absolutely beautiful; a delicate appearance. The fruit were pink and of currant size. Since I have never grown a currant tomato, I am not sure what average yield is, but this little plant kept producing what I think was an average to slightly above average supply. Taste improved if tomatoes were a little bit more ripe, but I thought that they had that very fresh, sweet taste that some like in their fruit.

Rancho Solito (2013) 4 plants were grown, 2 in ground and 2 in containers. All produced 1-2 oz, perfectly shaped red fruit with a slightly pointed end. It was early and a prolific producer for me too. I thought the taste was very good; for me it was more of a “tomatoey” taste, which I like. The only downside was that I had a difficult time keeping it picked and, as it had a tendency to split, many of mine were a feast for the bugs.

Here are pictures for those that I was able to get. In order: Fatima, Medovoe Serdtse, Orangevyi Velikan, Sakharnyi Pudovichok, Ted's Pink Currant. No picture for Rancho Solito, although mine looked much like those posted by a previous member.

Oops, I am having trouble loading the pictures. Will try again.