Clear Pink Early - Russian heirloom?

[Tania]

TGS says it is a heirloom of Russian origin (http://www.tomatogrowers.com/early.htm)

I am intrigued now - is there more info available?

(hopefully Carolyn, who knows everything about tomatoes, might know more about it :wink

[carolyn137]

No Tania, I don't know everything about tomatoes.

I think I remember that Clear Pink Early and Cosmonaut Volkov, both of which reached SSE back in 1995 from Marie Danilenko, their Russian contact, was bred, and thus is not a family heirloom, if that's what you're asking.But I'm not positive about that and haven't taken the time to look at older SSE Yearbooks for info.

I didn't do a Google search either. Did you?

And I'm curious. Why all the questions about backgrounds of various tomato varieties? You've been asking about SSE Yearbook deadlines so I just assumed that you already have the 2006 SSE Yearbook, but for sure, not all info about a variety is necessarily carried forward from earlier years.

[Tania]

Thanks Carolyn.

No Tania, I don't know everything about tomatoes.

Perhaps this is true, but you sure know a lot more than anybody else, certainly much more than I do - all I know about tomatoes is what I read here and google

And I'm curious. Why all the questions about backgrounds of various tomato varieties? .

Since I grew these tomatoes and liked most of them, I would like to know as much as possible about their history. Besides, I would like to list the varieties at SSE , and hence would like to add as much reliable 'additional source information' as I can find.
Here is what I have compiled so far, if anybody is curious - http://t-garden.homeip.net/Seeds/App...C%20KO%20T.htm

You've been asking about SSE Yearbook deadlines so I just assumed that you already have the 2006 SSE Yearbook, but for sure, not all info about a variety is necessarily carried forward from earlier years

Carolyn, It wasn't me who was asking about the SSE deadlines, since I have alerdy been a member since 2005 and receive all the correspondense promptly - I think it might have been Andrey, but I am not 100% sure without opening that thread. I did ask for seed packaging for SSE requests though, so you were very close

Yes, I have 2006 SSE Yearbook, and you are absolutely correct - not all historical info is available in this book. I suspect it might have been available in the older SSE yearbooks, which I don't have.

[carolyn137]

not all historical info is available in this book. I suspect it might have been available in the older SSE yearbooks, which I don't have.

So very true Tania.

I'd be lost if I didn't have all my back SSE Yearbooks.

There are two SSE folks who have done quite a good job in repeating histories and that's Neil Lockhart and Bill Minkey, but Bill more than Neil, and I've told Bill that in order to let him know that I appreciate it. Ah, and Marinanne Jones also does a pretty good job as well. She and I go way back when she used to request almost everything I listed.

But Bill is without computer and isn't going to get computerized any time soon. So he's often out of touch with what's happening re the larger picture.

Neil is computerized but tends to read online rather than post that much. I don't even know if he's here at Tville as he was at GW.

[Tania]

I think it would be a shame to lose historical info about old varieties, I noticed SSE encourages the listing members to provide as much additional information as they can, but not everybody does that, perhaps because not everyone has this info - ?

Some people trade tomato seeds without passing any information along - either because they are busy or, again, simply gon't have the info (and I don't want to mention 3rd possible reason...). I do understand, because this does take a lot of time to collect, organize, record, and maintain data. But I also think that if I took time to maintain a variety, I should also take time to maintain the information about this variety, and I know lots of tomato folks at T-ville do the same I do, and I appreciate that.

If no information about a variety is available, it is hard to conclude if it grows true to type, and there is always a possibility of crossed or straw seeds, we all know that. So what happens when seeds are saved from a 'wrong' one and continued to be distributed around?

All I am saying, I'd rather include all the info available, from reliable sources (of course I trust myself describe what I see , and I trust other knowlegeable folks here to provide historic background since many were personally involved, like Carolyn), along with the seeds, and I am hoping that the variety continues and the history is kept and added upon by the next grower.

[mdvpc]

Tania-I have been thinking about growing clear pink early-let us know how it did for you-taste, size of fruit and plant, disease, etc. I would appreciate it.

[Tania]

Michael,

here is my description based on 2006 growout:

67 days, 4' compact indet., regular leaf, glossy light pink round fruits, 3-9 oz, very good flavor, high yield

Can't comment of disease resistance since all my tomato plants were disease free this summer (which is a miracle ), and I didn't spray them with anything. I think the summer in PNW was perfect and dry and not many fungal diseases showed up.

'very good flavor' = 7-8 on the scale of 1-10.

hope this helps

[mdvpc]

Tania-it definately helps-thanks for the info.

[carolyn137]

I'm backing away from my comment that Clear Pink Early and Cosmonaut Volkov were bred.

Reading just a wee bit it looks like both were heirlooms in Russia and were renamed by probably Marie Danilenko, who is a Russian seed dealer and the source of many great varieties to SSE and other retail places in the US, such as Paul Robeson to SESE where it was first listed.

When I get time I'll have to delve back in even earlier Yearbooks to solve this.

[travis]

"Michael, here is my description based on 2006 growout:

67 days, 4' compact indet., regular leaf, glossy light pink round fruits, 3-9 oz, very good flavor, high yield. 'Very good flavor' = 7-8 on the scale of 1-10." [Tania]

I'm bumpin' this back up to ask about days to maturity and growth habit.

TGS includes this description for Clear Pink Early:

This compact plant becomes loaded with long trusses of perfectly round, smooth, beautiful clear pink tomatoes. The flavor is very good, sweet yet tangy, making this a delightful addition to an early harvest. Heirloom variety of Russian origin. Determinate. 58 days.

Tania's description is for 67 DTM (just 9 days longer ... no biggie) and "indeterminate."

I'm lookin' for some more small, stumpy earlies that I can grow in containers and then dispose of when the weather gets hot and I'm concentrating on the in-ground indeterminate rangers.

Anyone else have experience with Clear Pink Early ... in particular in the Midwest or Mid-South?

PV

[Andrey_BY]

Cosmonaut Volkov is a Russian amateurish variety. Named after Soviet Cosmonaut Vladislav Volkov who died in 1971 while bad landing of spaceship "Soyuz-11" and not after another cosmonaut Alexander Volkov as Tania had mentioned in her list :wink: I know for sure that this variety existed before 1985 when Alexander Volkov had his first flight on a spaceship "Soyuz-14".

So this variety can be developed in 1970s...

I have no idea what can be the original Russian name for Clear Pink Early, because direct translation sounds very "heirloom"

[Tania]

excellent point Andrey - so there were two cosmonaut Volkovs, Alexandr, and Vladislav. I didn't know that... But I should have guessed since 'VOlkov' is quite a common RUssian last name!

So how someone knows for sure who was the tomato named after? (Although, Andrey's theory sounds very good). It would be great to dig more into the history and figure that out, if this is all possible! Does anyone know when the variety was developed (or renamed)?

Btw, the info available on the web about the history of this tomato varies - from 'named after [V.] Volkov' to 'named after the 1st soviet cosmonaut Volkov' (which is incorrect since neither Volkov was the 1st Russian cosmonaut...) ?

I am intrigued now.

[PNW_D]

Tania,

still have my Spring 1998 Seed Savers Heritage Farm public catalogue; it offered Cosmonaut Volkov Red with a note that it was named for famous Russian cosmonaut who was killed while landing.

[Tania]

Originally Posted by PNW_D

Tania,

still have my Spring 1998 Seed Savers Heritage Farm public catalogue; it offered Cosmonaut Volkov Red with a note that it was named for famous Russian cosmonaut who was killed while landing.

It looks more and more like I really screwed up my description... Darn. Will correct asap!

thank you folks!