Sophies Choice - Page 2

ArthurDent004 · June 16, 2013

I was inspecting my plant and noticed two tomatoes that were trying red but now looked like they were turning black at the stem end. I also noticed some sunken spots so I snipped both of them. One had four cracks running from the stem down, while the other had one large crack that ran halfway down to the blossom end. I never saw it because it was on the backside of the tomato. Am I correct in thinking the crack were caused by uneven watering.

**carolyn137** · June 17, 2013

Sophie's Choice is a variety I introduced:

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/S...b=General_Info

I don't remember saying that it doesn't like dry conditions and it was grown in dry CA for several seasons after arriving from Canada,but I do remember Jeff McCormack saying in the blurb for it at SESE that for him it didn't like hot weather.

Since there are 11 seed sources for it for 2013 methinks it grows well for many under diverse conditions.

Carolyn

Ken4230 · June 17, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Sophie's Choice is a variety I introduced:

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/S...b=General_Info

I don't remember saying that it doesn't like dry conditions and it was grown in dry CA for several seasons after arriving from Canada,but I do remember Jeff McCormack saying in the blurb for it at SESE that for him it didn't like hot weather.

Since there are 11 seed sources for it for 2013 methinks it grows well for many under diverse conditions.

Carolyn

This is the best post i have read on T'ville ever. To me, it means that you are now alive and kicking. As i kept up with the thread about your illness, i was always reminded of that old country song "Who's gonna fill their shoes"
I guess you can fill your own for a while longer.

Carolyn, i'm glad to see you back.

Tormato · June 17, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Sophie's Choice is a variety I introduced:

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/S...b=General_Info

I don't remember saying that it doesn't like dry conditions and it was grown in dry CA for several seasons after arriving from Canada,but I do remember Jeff McCormack saying in the blurb for it at SESE that for him it didn't like hot weather.

Since there are 11 seed sources for it for 2013 methinks it grows well for many under diverse conditions.

Carolyn

For me, it grows well, gives a good amount of tomatoes for the space it takes up, and then dies off right after that.

11 seed sources may mean 11 (or more) different reasons for trying Sophie's Choice.

A very early tomato
good size
good flavor
meaty
no core
slicer or canner
small garden space
great for containers
no staking

That's nine, so I'll let others add to it.

It appears to have one negative attribute, in that some people on this thread very likely have wrong seed/plants.

Welcome back Carolyn.

Dr. L

ve Apple

WhippoorwillG · June 17, 2013

If I'm not mistaken, my seed came from Tatiana's. I currently have four that have been in the ground for about 6 weeks.

Trimmed to a single stem, they are about 3feet tall at this point.

They have set a good amount of fruit and are holding their own, outshining many other varieties.

Anxious to sample the flavor.

And I too am very excited and relieved to see Carolyn back on the boards! :thumbup:

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

bower · June 17, 2013

I'm not convinced yet that I have the wrong seed, although it came from a swap so I have no vendor's guarantee. But bear in mind, the conditions in my greenhouse promote vegetative growth - I have many varieties that are supposed to be small which turn out to be larger than expected in those conditions.
Also these plants were set out very early, the high temperatures have been marginal to the low end of the 'goldilocks zone' (70 F) for the most part. We'll see how Sophie's Choice shapes up when summer brings some higher temperatures.

Carolyn, so good to see you back.

Tormato · June 18, 2013

Maybe looking for a teminal bud will let you know? I think a 3' plant in ideal conditions is possible. However, a 5'+ plant sounds like an indeterminate plant, to me.

Dr. L

ve Apple

bower · June 18, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormato

Maybe looking for a teminal bud will let you know? I think a 3' plant in ideal conditions is possible. However, a 5'+ plant sounds like an indeterminate plant, to me.

Dr. L

ve Apple

Upon dutiful examination of the plant... you're RIGHT.

There are 3 leaves between flower clusters = indeterminate, and not Sophie's Choice.
So I take back all my remarks about SC... no such data!

Seems like a good excuse to huck the imposter outdoors, and reclaim the space.

Tormato · June 19, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhippoorwillG

If I'm not mistaken, my seed came from Tatiana's. I currently have four that have been in the ground for about 6 weeks.

Trimmed to a single stem, they are about 3feet tall at this point.

They have set a good amount of fruit and are holding their own, outshining many other varieties.

Anxious to sample the flavor.

And I too am very excited and relieved to see Carolyn back on the boards! :thumbup:

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

And in this pic, the tomatoes look like unripe pinks (two-tone green, with shoulders darker than the rest), to me.

Dr. L

ve Apple

WhippoorwillG · July 29, 2013

They did turn out red and the seed was not from Tania, but rather Tomatofest.

I thought I would revisit this thread after checking my seed source and seeing if any others had the same experience with Tomatofest sourced SC?

The plants were all indeterminate and all produced relatively blemish-free red fruits ranging from 6-10oz. The flavor was also well above average.
So, based upon all the information on the variety, my plants were not Sophie's Choice.

I wish I could find out what it really was, because it will definitely return to the garden next year. I may have to call it Sophie's Faux, but would rather call it like it is????

bower · July 29, 2013

My seed came from a swap, so the source is unknown, but the results were like yours - indeterminate, medium sized red fruit, and well worth growing again for the exceptional taste. I nicked it "Really Choice" on the seed saving cup for that - delicious!

A lot of people must have the same tomato if it's coming from TomatoFest, so we really need a proper name to use and not cause any more confusion. Sophie's Faux would work, or "Long Tall Sophie's" if the fruit is very similar to the real "Sophie's Choice" and only the growth habit is different.

Has anyone grown and tasted both of them?

remy · July 29, 2013

Sophie's Choice should look like this when the fruit are developing.tomsophieschoicegreen1.jpg (click on pic to enlarge)
The plants are bushy, squat, and spreading, and the developing fruit are a bit flattened too.
I love the correct Sophie's Choice. It is always very early for me, and to have an early that is not a cherry or an overly acidic flavored tomato is a big bonus to me. It might not like the hotter weather. It never gets super hot here, but it grows so fast in spring, if set out early, it should produce before a heat wave ever comes along.
I have not grown the incorrect variety.
Remy

flyingbrass · January 9, 2014

I found this older thread while searching and wanted to add my $.02.

I've grown Sophie for 3 years now in Phoenix. Last season (2013) I harvested 46.5 lbs. from 4 plants. The plants looked awful, as usual, with rolled leaves, but as usual they kept cranking out tasty tomatoes. Most are smaller (3 to maybe 6 ounces typically), but I got one tomato that weighed a whopping 10.2 ounces. That's a huge tomato from such a little plant.

The year before I harvested about 44 lbs. from 4 plants grown in the same location, so last season wasn't a fluke.

Sophie is a real trooper here when planted in the ground around March 1. They are early. Well, at least earlier than the other tomatoes I've grown. First harvest for me is usually the first week of May (last year was May 2). Though the plants remain short, use some sort of cage to support the growing tomatoes, else stems will break from the load. I use short cages made from CRW.

cloz · January 11, 2014

I grew what was supposed to be Sophie's Choice in 2010 at 2 different places (seed from Tomatofest) and the plants grew over 5' tall. Plant was a good producer of baseball sized OK tasting fruit all season long. Indeterminate and obviously not Sophie's Choice.

JLJ_ · January 27, 2014

Not-Sophie's-Choice from Tomatofest seems to have been happening for at least five years.

Example:

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12374

Post #4 from September 13, 2009 says:

"My Sophies Choice from Tomatofest grew out to be 5 ft tall indeterminants..."

I got some Sophie's Choice seed from Sand Hill in late 2012, grew it in 2013, and it appeared to be the correct short, bushy shape -- though it got planted late and had a rough season so it didn't really get a good trial. It'll be back this year, though.

June 17, 2013	#17
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Sophie's Choice is a variety I introduced: http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/S...b=General_Info I don't remember saying that it doesn't like dry conditions and it was grown in dry CA for several seasons after arriving from Canada,but I do remember Jeff McCormack saying in the blurb for it at SESE that for him it didn't like hot weather. Since there are 11 seed sources for it for 2013 methinks it grows well for many under diverse conditions. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

June 17, 2013	#20
WhippoorwillG Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Hartwell, Georgia Posts: 174	If I'm not mistaken, my seed came from Tatiana's. I currently have four that have been in the ground for about 6 weeks. Trimmed to a single stem, they are about 3feet tall at this point. They have set a good amount of fruit and are holding their own, outshining many other varieties. Anxious to sample the flavor. And I too am very excited and relieved to see Carolyn back on the boards! :thumbup: Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2 __________________ Mark Whippoorwill Gardens

June 18, 2013	#22
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	Maybe looking for a teminal bud will let you know? I think a 3' plant in ideal conditions is possible. However, a 5'+ plant sounds like an indeterminate plant, to me. Dr. Lve Apple

July 29, 2013	#25
WhippoorwillG Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Hartwell, Georgia Posts: 174	They did turn out red and the seed was not from Tania, but rather Tomatofest. I thought I would revisit this thread after checking my seed source and seeing if any others had the same experience with Tomatofest sourced SC? The plants were all indeterminate and all produced relatively blemish-free red fruits ranging from 6-10oz. The flavor was also well above average. So, based upon all the information on the variety, my plants were not Sophie's Choice. I wish I could find out what it really was, because it will definitely return to the garden next year. I may have to call it Sophie's Faux, but would rather call it like it is???? __________________ Mark Whippoorwill Gardens

July 29, 2013	#27
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	Sophie's Choice should look like this when the fruit are developing.tomsophieschoicegreen1.jpg (click on pic to enlarge) The plants are bushy, squat, and spreading, and the developing fruit are a bit flattened too. I love the correct Sophie's Choice. It is always very early for me, and to have an early that is not a cherry or an overly acidic flavored tomato is a big bonus to me. It might not like the hotter weather. It never gets super hot here, but it grows so fast in spring, if set out early, it should produce before a heat wave ever comes along. I have not grown the incorrect variety. Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

June 16, 2013	#16
ArthurDent004 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Cordova, TN Posts: 148	I was inspecting my plant and noticed two tomatoes that were trying red but now looked like they were turning black at the stem end. I also noticed some sunken spots so I snipped both of them. One had four cracks running from the stem down, while the other had one large crack that ran halfway down to the blossom end. I never saw it because it was on the backside of the tomato. Am I correct in thinking the crack were caused by uneven watering.

June 17, 2013	#21
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I'm not convinced yet that I have the wrong seed, although it came from a swap so I have no vendor's guarantee. But bear in mind, the conditions in my greenhouse promote vegetative growth - I have many varieties that are supposed to be small which turn out to be larger than expected in those conditions. Also these plants were set out very early, the high temperatures have been marginal to the low end of the 'goldilocks zone' (70 F) for the most part. We'll see how Sophie's Choice shapes up when summer brings some higher temperatures. Carolyn, so good to see you back.

January 9, 2014	#28
flyingbrass Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Glendale, AZ 9b Posts: 90	I found this older thread while searching and wanted to add my $.02. I've grown Sophie for 3 years now in Phoenix. Last season (2013) I harvested 46.5 lbs. from 4 plants. The plants looked awful, as usual, with rolled leaves, but as usual they kept cranking out tasty tomatoes. Most are smaller (3 to maybe 6 ounces typically), but I got one tomato that weighed a whopping 10.2 ounces. That's a huge tomato from such a little plant. The year before I harvested about 44 lbs. from 4 plants grown in the same location, so last season wasn't a fluke. Sophie is a real trooper here when planted in the ground around March 1. They are early. Well, at least earlier than the other tomatoes I've grown. First harvest for me is usually the first week of May (last year was May 2). Though the plants remain short, use some sort of cage to support the growing tomatoes, else stems will break from the load. I use short cages made from CRW.

January 11, 2014	#29
cloz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Southern Connecticut Posts: 435	I grew what was supposed to be Sophie's Choice in 2010 at 2 different places (seed from Tomatofest) and the plants grew over 5' tall. Plant was a good producer of baseball sized OK tasting fruit all season long. Indeterminate and obviously not Sophie's Choice.

January 27, 2014	#30
JLJ_ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 759	Not-Sophie's-Choice from Tomatofest seems to have been happening for at least five years. Example: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12374 Post #4 from September 13, 2009 says: "My Sophies Choice from Tomatofest grew out to be 5 ft tall indeterminants..." I got some Sophie's Choice seed from Sand Hill in late 2012, grew it in 2013, and it appeared to be the correct short, bushy shape -- though it got planted late and had a rough season so it didn't really get a good trial. It'll be back this year, though.