Sophie's Choice

Tomstrees · April 7, 2008

Hey everyone hope all is well.

I got Sophie's Choice as a gift from a relative,
and wanted to know what everyones experience was with it?

Thanks, ~ Tom

**carolyn137** · April 7, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomstrees

Hey everyone hope all is well.

I got Sophie's Choice as a gift from a relative,
and wanted to know what everyones experience was with it?

Thanks, ~ Tom

Call me biased, call me what you want b/c I'm the one who first listed it in the SSE Yearbook, seeds from Barry Comdon in CA although the variety is from Edmonton, Canada, but I wouldn't have included it in a certain book if I didn't think it was a great early season variety with large fruits, which is not all that typical of most early varieties.

How's that for a one paragraph response.

creister · April 7, 2008

I grew it in a 5 gallon bucket, and HEBs last year. Very productive and resilliant plant. I liked the flavor as well. Very compact plant as well. Mine never grew to 24 inches.

I didn't grow it this year, as I wanted to try some other varieties. I'm sure it will be missed.

creister · April 7, 2008

Forgot to say, as Carolyn already did, nice sized fruits and early.

ddsack · April 7, 2008

I can't say that it was very early for me, given that it doesn't have to put on much size before fruiting. Seems like the tomatoes stayed green for a very long time and it was more like mid-season for me. But maybe my soil was too cool and it would have done better in pots. It sure is a cute plant though.

**nctomatoman** · April 7, 2008

I grew it in a pot - it isn't a dwarf but a very compact determinate - loads up with fruit, good size for an early variety - the flavor didn't do much for me...I put it in the category as Taxi - good for a first reasonable sized tomato. A few pics for you from 2006.

grungy · April 7, 2008

Rates about 7.5 out of 10 in our growing conditions.

cottonpicker · April 7, 2008

I grew it once..... compact, yes... flavorful, so-so; productve, not in my experience. Never tried it again....

Grub · April 8, 2008

All of the above. I loved it for several seasons, but flavour is down. About a 6/10 on that score. But then you can cook 'em on the pan with bacon and backyard eggs for breakfast in spring and they are great. So there.

barkeater · April 8, 2008

Nice size early fruit on a very small plant. I grew 5 in the ground on black plastic a couple years ago. They were susceptible to sunburn and the later fruit were very small. However, the next year I grew one in a pot and it did much better, putting out larger fruit through In neither year was the flavor great, but it was decent, about a 6. Of course in NJ, it should taste better than anywhere else. ;-)

gwnorth · April 8, 2008

I agree with most above - quite early and productive for me though, - enough to make the tiny plant look quite overloaded. And, as Carolyn points out, it is from Edmonton, where I live, so how could I not grow it? (Even if I never heard of it from outside these tomato circles, and even if I got my original seeds from Australia - thanks again, Grub).

Tomstrees · April 8, 2008

Thanks for everyones responses.

Well I'm glad to hear that its an "early variety"
(for some reason I forgot to plant an "early").

As far as taste is concerned, I usually don't ask much -
"ANY THING" is better than what they have at Pathmark !

Will report back later ...

~ Tom

ps. Bark - Dearborns had organic bagged topsoil on sale:
$0.99 for a 25lb bag! 5 was the limit; and the limit I took

remy · April 9, 2008

It grew great for me, and as an early tomato the taste is wonderful. No, it can't compete with later maturing varieties, but I'll take it over a lot of other early tomatoes.

Remy

April 7, 2008	#1
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Sophie's Choice Hey everyone hope all is well. I got Sophie's Choice as a gift from a relative, and wanted to know what everyones experience was with it? Thanks, ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 7, 2008	#8
cottonpicker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SE PA..near Valley Forge Posts: 839	I grew it once..... compact, yes... flavorful, so-so; productve, not in my experience. Never tried it again.... __________________ "Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause". Victor Hugo

April 8, 2008	#11
gwnorth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 85	I agree with most above - quite early and productive for me though, - enough to make the tiny plant look quite overloaded. And, as Carolyn points out, it is from Edmonton, where I live, so how could I not grow it? (Even if I never heard of it from outside these tomato circles, and even if I got my original seeds from Australia - thanks again, Grub). __________________ Larry in the G W North

April 8, 2008	#12
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Thanks for everyones responses. Well I'm glad to hear that its an "early variety" (for some reason I forgot to plant an "early"). As far as taste is concerned, I usually don't ask much - "ANY THING" is better than what they have at Pathmark ! Will report back later ... ~ Tom ps. Bark - Dearborns had organic bagged topsoil on sale: $0.99 for a 25lb bag! 5 was the limit; and the limit I took __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 9, 2008	#13
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	It grew great for me, and as an early tomato the taste is wonderful. No, it can't compete with later maturing varieties, but I'll take it over a lot of other early tomatoes. 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

April 7, 2008	#3
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	I grew it in a 5 gallon bucket, and HEBs last year. Very productive and resilliant plant. I liked the flavor as well. Very compact plant as well. Mine never grew to 24 inches. I didn't grow it this year, as I wanted to try some other varieties. I'm sure it will be missed.

April 7, 2008	#5
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	I can't say that it was very early for me, given that it doesn't have to put on much size before fruiting. Seems like the tomatoes stayed green for a very long time and it was more like mid-season for me. But maybe my soil was too cool and it would have done better in pots. It sure is a cute plant though.

April 7, 2008	#7
grungy Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Wynndel, BC, CANADA Posts: 78	Rates about 7.5 out of 10 in our growing conditions.

April 8, 2008	#9
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	All of the above. I loved it for several seasons, but flavour is down. About a 6/10 on that score. But then you can cook 'em on the pan with bacon and backyard eggs for breakfast in spring and they are great. So there.

April 8, 2008	#10
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	Nice size early fruit on a very small plant. I grew 5 in the ground on black plastic a couple years ago. They were susceptible to sunburn and the later fruit were very small. However, the next year I grew one in a pot and it did much better, putting out larger fruit through In neither year was the flavor great, but it was decent, about a 6. Of course in NJ, it should taste better than anywhere else. ;-)