Sophie's Choice?

[Labradors2]

This was grown as Sophie's Choice, but it seemed to have rugose leaves at plant-out time, so I questioned it.

We ate the tomato for lunch and it tasted sweet and good. I should have cut it in half and weighed it, but I was hungry and not thinking straight I guess it weighed about 6 oz.

Both Jagodka and Early Annie (planted at the same time) beat it in ripeness by a couple of weeks

It really doesn't look like the ones pictured in Carolyn's book, but I thought I'd better ask.......

Linda

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

This was grown as Sophie's Choice, but it seemed to have rugose leaves at plant-out time, so I questioned it.

We ate the tomato for lunch and it tasted sweet and good. I should have cut it in half and weighed it, but I was hungry and not thinking straight I guess it weighed about 6 oz.

Both Jagodka and Early Annie (planted at the same time) beat it in ripeness by a couple of weeks

It really doesn't look like the ones pictured in Carolyn's book, but I thought I'd better ask.......

Linda

Sophie does not have rugose leaves as you saw in my book,and also at Tania's page for it,and it indeed is an early variety,see the comments made by others at Tania's page and same for listings of it in the SSE YEarbooks

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...hie%27s_Choice

Carolyn

[Labradors2]

Thanks Carolyn,

I checked out Tania's site too, and most of her pictures of SC are round and smooth. There is only one picture at her site that looks like mine (which I would call "beefsteak" shape).

Linda

[JamesL]

Linda,
What you have looks a lot like New Big Dwarf.

[Labradors2]

Originally Posted by JamesL

Linda,
What you have looks a lot like New Big Dwarf.

Oh yippee! I had been reading the discussion here and thinking of trying NBD!

Thanks

Linda

[JamesL]

No guarantee of course. Do you remember where you got the seed?

[Labradors2]

The seed came from the seed swap!

Linda

[pondgardener]

Linda,

Did your seed come from Tormato's seed swap? He graciously included me at the last moment and I received a packet of Sophie"s Choice also. And since our toy poodle is named Sophie and it was one of the tomatoes in Carolyn's book, I started a few seeds. I just went outside and snapped a few pictures of the plants after reading your post(s). The description in Tatiana's listing sure seems to fit what I have growing...very short as compared to other tomatoes but mine seem to have rugose foliage also, or am I mistaken. Being in Colorado, I don't have any ripe tomatoes yet to compare any other attributes, so it will remain a question as to whether the seeds were a cross of some kind or something mixed up. Carolyn?...

[Labradors2]

Yes. My seeds came from Tormato's seed swap. They were in a little plastic baggie with Sophie's Choice 2013 written in black ink as well as a white typed label on the back. Since SC doesn't have rugose foliage, it probably isn't correct for that!

My seeds were started in February, which is why I have ripe fruit already! It's just as well that this appears to be a dwarf because mine is planted in a container. I haven't measured it recently, but it's about two feet tall.

Linda

[ddsack]

I agree with Carolyn, those are rugose dwarfs of some kind, definitely not Sophie's Choice which has normal RL and stays in a small squat mound shape low to the ground. Doesn't normally need staking or caging, because it keeps adding multitudes of side branches instead of growing up.

[pondgardener]

Linda,

I'm assuming we have seeds from the same source...mine had a typewritten white label of the variety with "2013" hand written in black marker.

Looking at my three plants, I don't think they would need the short cage that I did put up. They do seem to have quite a few side branches coming out in various places. In any case, something very different from the rest of the varieties I have growing this year.

George

[pondgardener]

Linda,

Maybe your plant has some characteristics of the Livingston dwarfs that are discussed somewhat in the link below. It would be interesting as to what Carolyn may have to say regarding the thread as she was offline at the time and may have missed the topic.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=25513

George

[carolyn137]

I'll have to get back later since we had some vicious storms last night, power went out and today I'm expecting the two persons from SASE to visit so I don't know when I'll be back, and more severe storms predicted for today/

It isn't easy when one is using a walker when the power goes out and it's dark, but I have a flashlight in my walker at all times when it gets dark.

Freda is here now taking care of things, making sure the fridge went back on and that the well pump is OK, and all that.

Carolyn

[ddsack]

Looking at my three plants, I don't think they would need the short cage that I did put up. They do seem to have quite a few side branches coming out in various places.

George, you will be glad of the cage in a short while! While rugose dwarfs initially look like they hold themselves up pretty well with their thick stems, they do keep growing upwards and once they start setting fruit they get heavy enough to list to one side and flop over from the weight.

[Labradors2]

Hi George,

Wait until you get some full-sized tomatoes, and you will see that they are different to most of those that are shown on Tania's page for Sophie's Choice.

I think the fruit looks very much like that of New Big Dwarf, and I think that the taste is good. Let me know what you think of it.

I couldn't find a picture of Aristocrat, but I found one of Dwarf Stone, and it's round.....

I measured SC this morning at 30", and it has 5 tomatoes blushing. As Dee says, I think you will be glad of the cage when it comes time to support the large fruit!

Cheers,
Linda