Malakhitovaya Shkatulka: color variations?

habitat_gardener · October 1, 2016

What I grew this year is probably NOT Malachite Box, but the photos at Tatiana's Tomatobase show some color variations. Mostly green, some yellow, some red. My tomatoes are a definite dark tomato, about the same as my Black Ambers this year, and not even as green as Daniel Burson. They are also quite a bit smaller than I expected. But they are delicious! (I will check on my seed source once I enter the tomato-seed vault later this month.)

So I'm wondering if there's some color variation, perhaps dependent on climate, for this tomato.

Ricky Shaw · October 2, 2016

hab, yours don't sound right.

Mine was textbook and I saved seed, so it's as easy as a stamp if you want to give it a whirl again. The toms would blush bronze when peak ripe, but best taste might be just before that. Toms were med to med-large with green inner walls and locules and whitish meaty centers. All were oblate and many were boxy, the green jewelry box comparison struck me as right on.

The indeterminate regular leaf plants lush growth characteristics were similar to my other Russian variants, Moskvic and Cosmonaut Volkov, but even thicker stalks, leaves, and branches. I wonder if all three of these varieties have determinate linage, I know very little, but they all have that look to them.

This plant in a container will require plenty of hydration. If those growing tips wilt in the heat of the day, my experience was mold will follow like clockwork.

**carolyn137** · October 2, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by habitat_gardener

What I grew this year is probably NOT Malachite Box, but the photos at Tatiana's Tomatobase show some color variations. Mostly green, some yellow, some red. My tomatoes are a definite dark tomato, about the same as my Black Ambers this year, and not even as green as Daniel Burson. They are also quite a bit smaller than I expected. But they are delicious! (I will check on my seed source once I enter the tomato-seed vault later this month.)

So I'm wondering if there's some color variation, perhaps dependent on climate, for this tomato.

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/M...vaya_Shkatulka

I don't see any color variations at all, as you mentioned for Tania's site..

What she and others show is about the same and what I get when I grow this variety.

If what you got is as dark as Black Amber,thanking Charline for that one,methinks something seriously wrong is going on.

So please do check your seed source,seed packs,labels,whatever.

Carolyn

KarenO · October 2, 2016

Very Ripe ones in my garden became a limey green-yellow. They should be green when ripe sometimes with a yellow tinge.
KarenO

October 1, 2016	#1
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	Malakhitovaya Shkatulka: color variations? What I grew this year is probably NOT Malachite Box, but the photos at Tatiana's Tomatobase show some color variations. Mostly green, some yellow, some red. My tomatoes are a definite dark tomato, about the same as my Black Ambers this year, and not even as green as Daniel Burson. They are also quite a bit smaller than I expected. But they are delicious! (I will check on my seed source once I enter the tomato-seed vault later this month.) So I'm wondering if there's some color variation, perhaps dependent on climate, for this tomato.

October 2, 2016	#2
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	hab, yours don't sound right. Mine was textbook and I saved seed, so it's as easy as a stamp if you want to give it a whirl again. The toms would blush bronze when peak ripe, but best taste might be just before that. Toms were med to med-large with green inner walls and locules and whitish meaty centers. All were oblate and many were boxy, the green jewelry box comparison struck me as right on. The indeterminate regular leaf plants lush growth characteristics were similar to my other Russian variants, Moskvic and Cosmonaut Volkov, but even thicker stalks, leaves, and branches. I wonder if all three of these varieties have determinate linage, I know very little, but they all have that look to them. This plant in a container will require plenty of hydration. If those growing tips wilt in the heat of the day, my experience was mold will follow like clockwork.

October 2, 2016	#4
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	Very Ripe ones in my garden became a limey green-yellow. They should be green when ripe sometimes with a yellow tinge. KarenO