True North Tomatoes

[Fred Hempel]

Originally Posted by bower

Clear mud, fine by me, I expect no better!
I know Captain Lucky is a "late" fruit I will probably never grow here. And I really appreciate that you've pulled those genetics into an earlier package - not even to mention, such a diverse and pretty package!

Yes. This is a very good thing.

[KarenO]

Up next Tundra
Another sibling from the Ludmilla Pink Heart x Captain lucky cross by Karen Olivier.
A large clear epi purple tomato with that same smooth broad heart shape, small stem and no core.
A few days later for me than the others, it is typically the largest plant of the group in my garden, again indeterminate potato leaf. Solid and heavy Around 8-12 oz on average, early ones can be larger. Rich sweet “ dark” tomato flavour, smooth texture,small Locules and few seeds.
KarenO

Tundra looks stunning. You can see the flavor.

[Fred Hempel]

How big was the F2 population that produced all these hearts?

[KarenO]

the F2 selection of JUST the PL seedlings produced tundra and midnight sun and sort of hearty ribbed Polaris back then as well as a number of very nice beefsteaks I am now working with at F4 along with F4 fruit of a cross of Delicious x captain lucky done the same year but shelved while I worked on these.
As you know I am a gardener with limited space and possessive of my selections so had only my garden to work in Along with a rented community garden plot. It helped that The unusual droopy spiral PL foliage made the hearts recognisable to me even as young seedlings and all of the recessives seemed to line up for me fairly quickly.
True colours segregated in the F3 from midnight sun and Taiga from true colours at F5 I believe.
I still have lots of F2 seeds and may go back and select out a line of regular leaf hearts one day, but for now I am at my limit with these and a bunch of other things half baked.
Karen.

[jmsieglaff]

Incredible looking tomatoes and a great story Karen! I look forward to trying them out over the coming years!

[BlackBear]

Great work Karen !

In my limited space I am still mopping up after the Big Storm ...

I look forward to growing out the seeds you sent me ...Thanks !

[natural]

Very happy to see these progress on these.

Bill

[salix]

As Bower said, such a pretty, diverse and early package of beauties! All lovely, but I must confess, my heart sings when I look at Tundra...

[KarenO]

True Colours
My holy grail when I made this cross and I think unbelievable luck that I found it. These beautiful multicolour hearts on droopy indeterminate Potato leaf plants are again the product of Karen Olivier’s cross of Ludmilla pink heart x Captain Lucky. Uneven, almost blotchy pink to burgundy over green with a very glossy skin, greener shoulder barely a touch of yellow if any and much more pink in the interior differentiate this from Taiga which segregated from it a few generations ago. Delicious tangy sweet flavour and with that same broad shouldered heart shape, small stems and no core, meaty and heavy for the size. Green, pink and a little yellow, this tomato reminds me of the Aurora that dance over the northern sky, their “ True colours” shining.
KarenO

[natural]

That... is... awesome!!!


Bill

[MissMoustache]

Whoa! Those look incredible! ��

[sjamesNorway]

Gorgeous, just gorgeous!!


Steve

[bower]

Wow.... tomatoes don't get more beautiful than that!

[Fred Hempel]

Interesting. Very efficient.

Originally Posted by KarenO

the F2 selection of JUST the PL seedlings produced tundra and midnight sun and sort of hearty ribbed Polaris back then as well as a number of very nice beefsteaks I am now working with at F4 along with F4 fruit of a cross of Delicious x captain lucky done the same year but shelved while I worked on these.
As you know I am a gardener with limited space and possessive of my selections so had only my garden to work in Along with a rented community garden plot. It helped that The unusual droopy spiral PL foliage made the hearts recognisable to me even as young seedlings and all of the recessives seemed to line up for me fairly quickly.
True colours segregated in the F3 from midnight sun and Taiga from true colours at F5 I believe.
I still have lots of F2 seeds and may go back and select out a line of regular leaf hearts one day, but for now I am at my limit with these and a bunch of other things half baked.
Karen.