Please help me decide whether these are worth growing - Page 2

**carolyn137** · January 17, 2009

Are we rushing towards having affordable and fast DNA typing of tomatoes? I wonder how many of us are growing one thing and come to find out, it's a totally different variety (Oh no...the tomato police will be hanging around looking to get a "swab" on the sly.)

*****

Nope, not rushing to have affordable and fast DNA typing. Doing RFLP mapping of DNA is still very expensive and since heirloom tomatoes are orphans there's no one to pay the money needed.

In addition, right now so few genes are known for various traits that it's impossible to know what to look for.

Such mapping is being done on a research basis by those who have Federal grants and are studying evolution of shape and origin of some OP's but even that's not a huge area yet.

The BIG area yet to be addressed are the genes associated with taste. Over 400 organic compounds have IDed by Mass Spectroscopy as being present and involved with taste but I think only one gene out of those several hundreds has been associated with taste.

bate181 · January 17, 2009

i grew carbon last year. wasnt that impressed to be honest. CP is much better. and i have to say that paul robeson is amazing

brokenbar · January 17, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Are we rushing towards having affordable and fast DNA typing of tomatoes? I wonder how many of us are growing one thing and come to find out, it's a totally different variety (Oh no...the tomato police will be hanging around looking to get a "swab" on the sly.)

*****

Nope, not rushing to have affordable and fast DNA typing. Doing RFLP mapping of DNA is still very expensive and since heirloom tomatoes are orphans there's no one to pay the money needed.

In addition, right now so few genes are known for various traits that it's impossible to know what to look for.

Such mapping is being done on a research basis by those who have Federal grants and are studying evolution of shape and origin of some OP's but even that's not a huge area yet.

The BIG area yet to be addressed are the genes associated with taste. Over 400 organic compounds have IDed by Mass Spectroscopy as being present and involved with taste but I think only one gene out of those several hundreds has been associated with taste.

As usual, you are on top of this and everything else tomato! Taste...such an emphemeral thing and growing anything is subject to so many variables that would effect it. I have stated before that I don't eat tomatoes but I have tried some that others have described as having very vivid flavor and I never "get" whatever it is they are getting (the black varieties in particular.) In a "brave new world" maybe they will be able to genetically engineer a food item so as to produce a particular kind of taste ?
I think I prefer to decide on my own and flavors should be complex and not just a one taste wonder.

MoopseeMort · January 18, 2009

Yellow Brandywine, Platfoot strain? That is smooth and very flavorfilled and pretty decent production as well. I'd put that in before anna russian.
Aunt Ginny's is a pleasure. I was really impressed with that one. I've grown well over 300 varieties, so to make it to the top of my list, they have to be pretty darn yummy and grow well/produce well.

Brandywine SS is definitely a beloved tomato of many. Depending on your soil/growing conditions, it may readily top Earl's Faux. I'd give it a try in your shoes.

Good luck and ...enjoy....mmmmm.

Grub · January 18, 2009

Do grown Aunt GP. Superb. Not short of Brandywine S or Earl's F but way better production for me here in humid Sydney. A flavour savour.

Ruth_10 · January 18, 2009

Quote:

Aunt Ginny - This makes the grow list every year, and is one of my favorites. Very juicy, and has anywhere from just avg to high production for me, can vary. Can't say I agree with the desciption comparing it w/Brandywine, though. I don't even see these as having a similar taste profile,

I second that AGP does not resemble BWS in flavor. They are very different. As for blacks, I'd put JD's Special C-Tex ahead of both Carbon and CP.

I grew Anna Russian only one year and thought it was good but not great. I'd be willing to grow it again one of these days. I found German Red Strawberry more to my liking.

OneoftheEarls · January 19, 2009

For my garden, I'd put up Spudatula against any of the blacks for flavor and production, this was grown sprawled in newly opened soil.

For sweet...I'd put up Mr. Stripey over Yellow Brandywine. Trying KBX myself this fall.

For pink/reds-Brandywine, Druzba (they are smaller)

and maybe a contest between the Earl's Faux, Liz Birt, Dora, Cherokee Purple, Gary O'Sena and Paul Robeson...lol

and he HAS to try Black Cherry!

The most eaten (liked) tomato at MY tomato tasting table last summer was Garden Peach, a mild fuzzy small-medium light-yellow.

Earl

**carolyn137** · January 19, 2009

For sweet...I'd put up Mr. Stripey over Yellow Brandywine. Trying KBX myself this fall.

*******

And I'd put the gold/red bicolor Mr Stripey at the bottom of my list of maybe 15 gold/red bicolors grown to date.

And Garden Peach is in the same category as Nectarine, Peach Blow Sutton, etc., all with fuzzy skins and I find that they, like th bicolors, are quite inconsistent from year to year, some years great, others years mealy and bland.

What threads like this show is that there will seldom be consensus on any one variety b'c none of us grow out tomatoes exactly the same way, or use the same amendments or have the same soil, or the same weather in any given season.

If there's a variety that lots of folks like and it doesn't do well for a person in one season, then grow it again before making a firm conclusion about ditching it.

OneoftheEarls · January 19, 2009

yeah...well...I have these planned for just in the community garden:
Ananas Noire
Aunt Gertie’s Gold
Beauty King
Berkeley Tie Dye
Big Rainbow
Garden Peach
Georgia Streak
Jubilee
Kentucky Beefsteak
Lillian’s Yellow
Manyel
Marvel Striped
Mr. Stripey’s
Nebraska Wedding
Old German
Orange Russian 117
Orange Sunrise
Pineapple
Plum Lemon
Ruby Gold
Striped Caverns
Sutton’s
Vintage Wine
Wisconsin 55 Gold

so maybe I'll change my mind this summer...grilled hamburger or BLT needed...

Earl

maryinoregon · January 19, 2009

I have grown some of the tomatoes you are contemplating. I found German Johnson PL OK, nothing special.

Never grown Carbon. I have some seeds and was thinking about growing it, but since everyone here says Cherokee Purple is better and it's my fav, hmm...

Aunt Ginny's Purple, Brandywine-Sudduth Strain and Anna Russian did not taste that good to me, but again, we have to consider soil, heat, how much sunlight the plants get, etc. We have had several coolish summers in a row here and I am considering growing mostly earlies because of that.

Since Earl's Faux is being compared to Brandywine and it's a fave for you, I would grow it. It seems to produce much better than Brandywine and it is delicious, even grown here.

I have not grown Giant Belgium.

January 17, 2009	#16
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Are we rushing towards having affordable and fast DNA typing of tomatoes? I wonder how many of us are growing one thing and come to find out, it's a totally different variety (Oh no...the tomato police will be hanging around looking to get a "swab" on the sly.) ***** Nope, not rushing to have affordable and fast DNA typing. Doing RFLP mapping of DNA is still very expensive and since heirloom tomatoes are orphans there's no one to pay the money needed. In addition, right now so few genes are known for various traits that it's impossible to know what to look for. Such mapping is being done on a research basis by those who have Federal grants and are studying evolution of shape and origin of some OP's but even that's not a huge area yet. The BIG area yet to be addressed are the genes associated with taste. Over 400 organic compounds have IDed by Mass Spectroscopy as being present and involved with taste but I think only one gene out of those several hundreds has been associated with taste. __________________ Carolyn

January 18, 2009	#19
MoopseeMort Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Colorado Front Range Posts: 5	have you tried... Yellow Brandywine, Platfoot strain? That is smooth and very flavorfilled and pretty decent production as well. I'd put that in before anna russian. Aunt Ginny's is a pleasure. I was really impressed with that one. I've grown well over 300 varieties, so to make it to the top of my list, they have to be pretty darn yummy and grow well/produce well. Brandywine SS is definitely a beloved tomato of many. Depending on your soil/growing conditions, it may readily top Earl's Faux. I'd give it a try in your shoes. Good luck and ...enjoy....mmmmm.

January 19, 2009	#23
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	For sweet...I'd put up Mr. Stripey over Yellow Brandywine. Trying KBX myself this fall. ******* And I'd put the gold/red bicolor Mr Stripey at the bottom of my list of maybe 15 gold/red bicolors grown to date. And Garden Peach is in the same category as Nectarine, Peach Blow Sutton, etc., all with fuzzy skins and I find that they, like th bicolors, are quite inconsistent from year to year, some years great, others years mealy and bland. What threads like this show is that there will seldom be consensus on any one variety b'c none of us grow out tomatoes exactly the same way, or use the same amendments or have the same soil, or the same weather in any given season. If there's a variety that lots of folks like and it doesn't do well for a person in one season, then grow it again before making a firm conclusion about ditching it. __________________ Carolyn

January 17, 2009	#17
bate181 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southern California Posts: 74	i grew carbon last year. wasnt that impressed to be honest. CP is much better. and i have to say that paul robeson is amazing

January 18, 2009	#20
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	Do grown Aunt GP. Superb. Not short of Brandywine S or Earl's F but way better production for me here in humid Sydney. A flavour savour.

January 19, 2009	#22
OneoftheEarls Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Up North Posts: 660	For my garden, I'd put up Spudatula against any of the blacks for flavor and production, this was grown sprawled in newly opened soil. For sweet...I'd put up Mr. Stripey over Yellow Brandywine. Trying KBX myself this fall. For pink/reds-Brandywine, Druzba (they are smaller) and maybe a contest between the Earl's Faux, Liz Birt, Dora, Cherokee Purple, Gary O'Sena and Paul Robeson...lol and he HAS to try Black Cherry! The most eaten (liked) tomato at MY tomato tasting table last summer was Garden Peach, a mild fuzzy small-medium light-yellow. Earl

January 19, 2009	#25
maryinoregon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 361	I have grown some of the tomatoes you are contemplating. I found German Johnson PL OK, nothing special. Never grown Carbon. I have some seeds and was thinking about growing it, but since everyone here says Cherokee Purple is better and it's my fav, hmm... Aunt Ginny's Purple, Brandywine-Sudduth Strain and Anna Russian did not taste that good to me, but again, we have to consider soil, heat, how much sunlight the plants get, etc. We have had several coolish summers in a row here and I am considering growing mostly earlies because of that. Since Earl's Faux is being compared to Brandywine and it's a fave for you, I would grow it. It seems to produce much better than Brandywine and it is delicious, even grown here. I have not grown Giant Belgium.