Opalka?

[Colorado_west]

Opalka is not red with yellow streaks is it?

Paste tomato and package said Opalka. Package was given to me with a few left over seed. All the plants were same thing.

[carolyn137]

Opalka is not red with yellow streaks is it?


No, it isn't. It's solid red. Go to tomatogrowers.com and look at the picture.

There are some longish so called pepper shaped varieties that do have yellow streaks, but Opalka is not one of them.

Was this commercial seed or traded seed?

[Tomstrees]

Sounds like Roman Candle ~

Tom

[carolyn137]

Sounds like Roman Candle ~

Tom, there are other striped long ones as well, such as Speckled Roman and others listed in the SSE Yearbooks that you don't often see being sold commercially.

And often there's little to no difference between them, as to looks. Sigh.

Carolyn

[Suze]

Carolyn and others -- I recall a thread on GW a year or two ago about a seed mix up with SSE public catalog re Opalka and Speckled Roman. And this did affect a couple of other vendors as SSE does supply seed to other vendors occasionally. Sorry, can't be more specific, that's about all I remember.

[Colorado_west]

Roman candle listed in SSE as plain yellow. I grew them.

I presumed it was commerical seed. I normally save the empty packages for next years orders. I do not find it. I have not found it yet in tomatoes seeds but have more to check as not altogether it looks. I do think as so few seed I did plant it all I can remember no picture on the package. Coloring was very much like red zebra.

Thankyou, at least know not Opalka.

[carolyn137]

I did notice a few things - there was both authentic (purple) and crossed (brownish) Noire Charbonneuse, a striped Opalka (looked like Speckled Roman), an interesting Green Giant cross (reg leaf plant, odd greenish reddish fruit), Summer Cider that actually looked more like Vintage Wine....probably other mix ups, surprises, etc (aside from those noted above - such as the not Cherokee Green collection).



Suze, this is the only reference to both Opalka and Speckled Roman that I could find, written by Craig re this past season's Tomatopalooza/

I seem to remember some SSE mixup as well, but I don't remember it being Opalka related. And nothing more was said by anyone who posted in that thread at GW re the two.

But surely your memory is better than mine at this point in time.

Colorado, I asked above if this was a commercial package or traded seeds or whatever and I don't think you've answered that yet.

[Mantis]

I am growing Opalka from TGS and the shape is on the money and I am expecting red fruit. More prolific than I thought it would be which is good.
First fruit is about 5 inches long so I should get a taste soon.

[Tomstrees]

Sorry Carolyn -
Looong weekend ~ :wink:
I meant speckled roman ~

Tom

[Gimme3]

Opalka will be tubular and pointed on it's blossom end...(occassional fruits will blunt).quite prone to green shoulders, but not yellow streaks...)))

[Mantis]

Yep, so far.
Gimme, did you find them good production or what?Mine is putting out 3 or 4 fruit per truss so far and I reckon this is pretty good for a paste type.

[Colorado_west]

Sorry, Carolyn, I presumed commerical seed as in package. I found the package as I had saved back half dozen seed. It was Pinetree for 2005. Marked Opalka and I have asked the guy from whom I got the seed given to me. He could not remember as red and yellow but his wife did and they came out of that package. Just heard now what she had to say. Wrong seed they sent them in the package. I presume now speckled Roman. It was commerical seed.

I bought from Pinetree this year and I bought Paprika and it said mildly pungent and sweet. I grew and nice long red and deep color and had to get picked as frosty and I started getting them ready to dry. I did not put on gloves as listed as sweet. I had almost all the red one seeded and in the dryer and I had a green one and I decided to taste and see if it tasted okay or should I toss. It was hotter than heck and I tasted red then and same hot. They burnt my hands for days. I sure got wrong seeds there. Pinetree does send out wrong seed. I need to write them on the peppers I think????

[ddsack]

Colorado West is right -- it was Pinetree (at least) that had mixed up Opalka seeds last year. I posted about this on GW as I had grown Opalka from TGS and knew it didn't have stripes. Here is the mix of tomatoes I got from that seed:

[Gimme3]

First off...i wanna somehow express deepest appreciation for Pinetree seeds, out of Maine, USA. These people always send way more (any of yall know Waylon ?) than they said. Second off...they Always ...are quick to reply an hold up....their part of the Deal. Third off, if it wasnt for Pinetree...Lord knows...i'da never finally figured out...how to grow Good Lettuces, in Georgia...mainly because...they send enough seed...for a rookie to screw up, an STILL....have a few more shots left...in the Pack...))) 4th off...they aint never tried to gouge me...the price to send is the most reasonable an naturally appreciated....that i've seen. Count me...as a Pinetree Seed appreciator.

In the 2 pictures i viewed, those are fruits quite semblant....of an Opalka, in the first pic. The second pic...neither of those fruits are even close to ripe....so...the picture does nothing to imbue the thread.

Mantis...its in the Taste....friend...))) aint nothin like....tastin..a nice sweet, meaty Opalka. My experience has been that the plant will yield 2-5 top quality, fruits to brag about, maybe 8....but that the rest will be average(5 inches long) in size...an somewhat more consistent in ripening, than the Prize fruits it grows. It's a "wispy-foilaged plant"....not wanting to open a new can of worms....lol.....jus Taste it....an then...if you like it....help us all....keep growin it...))) In my specific area...Opalka will have...a companion pole Lima,...in the future...))) Theres nothin the lima can do...to hurt it, an dependin on the season....a World of good to offer the Plant...)))

[gardengalrn]

I had a few trying times with Pinetree years ago but now I order during the "off" times and haven't had the delays I complained about before. I actually order most of my veggie seeds there then go looking elsewhere for the specialty or things I can't find. That being said, I couldn't remember if it were Pinetree that sent me the wrong Opalka seeds or not so I didn't post a few days ago. Now that others have confirmed this, I will chime in too. They sent me replacement seeds before sowing time, I wouldn't have known the difference until harvest.