Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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June 26, 2011 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Posts: 664
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Carbon Copy
Hey all
Last year because I am so in love with the taste of the Carbon tomato I decided to try and cross the Carbon with a few others. This year I planted some of those crossed seeds. I grew 10 plants and all but 1 grew regular Carbons which is not a problem as they are a favorite. The one noted plant has produced mini Carbons. They are larger than a Black Cherry but smaller than a Kimberley and are growing in clusters of 10 or more with many clusters per plant. What is so awesome is that they have the flavor of the regular size Carbon and not like a cherry of any variety that I have tasted. I have harvested over two dozen so far and each taste the same and are for the most part blemish free. I am saving from about 6 so far and the number of seeds per tomato is almost as many as a large tomato. Will these seeds produce the same plant next season or is this a one time thing that will not reproduce a similar plant? I am lost as to how to proceed from here other than being sure to save seeds. My working name for it now is Carbon Copy. Any thoughts from someone more experienced with some idea of what I might have? ron |
June 26, 2011 | #2 |
Tomatoville® Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
Posts: 10,385
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A few things - if your hybrids were producing fruit very much like Carbon, it is likely the crosses didn't take - depending upon what you were crossing Carbon with - coloration like Carbon is likely going to be recessive to whatever you crossed it with...
For the small fruited one, saved seeds will produce a range of possibilities - if you want to get what you describe for Carbon Copy, you will need to grow out as many of the saved seeds as you can next year and select the plant most like what you are aiming for - save seeds from that - and repeat for a few more years.
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Craig |
June 26, 2011 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Posts: 664
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Thanks Craig
I will do as you suggest. For remainder of this season I have started suckers from the Carbon Copy plant and hope to grow them out for a fall crop. They ripen much sooner than the regular Carbon and taste the same as real Carbon. Just a much smaller same shape and color as the real thing. I guess I am prematurely excited about this plant. The flavor alone just blows away all other small fruited tomatoes I have eaten. thanks again I will stay on top of it ron |
June 26, 2011 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
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Well, if you can ever get them even remotely stable, I'm totally interested in them! How cute!
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June 30, 2011 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Posts: 664
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Here is a couple of pictures of some of the Carbon Copy that I picked this morning. I also included a regular size Carbon from a different plant for a true size comparison. The Carbon Copy plant has no large tomatoes on it and is loaded with the smaller fruits. All of my plants were planted the same day(about 80 plants) and these ripened before Kimberley,Stupice, and even SunGold. They continue to set fruit even in 100 degree weather. I have detached 6 suckers and put them in containers hoping to root more plants for the fall garden. I am saving seeds to plant more of these next year and can only hope that they can be reproduced.
thanks for looking ron |
February 27, 2016 | #6 | |
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February 27, 2016 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Posts: 664
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Shule
Carbon tomatoes slow way down when temps reach low 90s but will still set a few fruit. The fruit that has already been set will grow and prosper in the higher heat. Carbon Copy never slows down at high temps or at lower temps. With good soil it will produce an abundance of tomatoes from early season till disease or frost kills the plant. In 2015 I was still picking Carbon Copys in the first week of December but the flavor was not quite as good as in high heat. Hope this helps ron |
June 30, 2011 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: zone 6b, PA
Posts: 5,664
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That's great, Ron- I'm excited for you! Hope they come true- they look terrific.
kath |
June 30, 2011 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Crystal Lake IL
Posts: 2,484
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I've never had a Carbon, but those look delicious. Good luck.
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Tracy |
June 30, 2011 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Cranberry Country, SE MA - zone 6?
Posts: 353
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I love Carbon. Keep me in mind.
__________________
I never met a fish I didn't like. |
June 30, 2011 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 907
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Looks great! Maybe you don't want to say (which is fine), but I am curious as to what you crossed Carbon with to get Carbon Copy?
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June 30, 2011 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: England
Posts: 512
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I also think it looks great. To get an F1 that looks like that from Carbon the male parent must have either been a dark fruited cherry or a GWR cherry.
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June 30, 2011 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Posts: 664
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Last year I grew 6 Carbon plants and used one of them to try to make some crosses. I used about 6 different cherries to try and cross with the Carbon, Whenever I saw a new flower cluster I would immediately attempt a cross. At this point, this is the only cross that is evident from my efforts. I still have many seeds from those efforts that I have yet to grow out and see if any other crosses actually took place. Without taking much time to delve into past paperwork I cannot truthfully say what the other parent is except it is a cherry variety. Also at this point it doesn't matter to me because the flavor is all Carbon and no question about it. I am sending seeds to one other Tville member to grow out and help make selections. This is one cross that I truly want to become stable so others can grow it and be as amazed as I am.
ron |
June 30, 2011 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Alpine, Calif. in winter. Sandpoint Lake, Ont. Canada summers
Posts: 850
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If you get this variety stable, I certainly hope you keep the name "carbon
copy". You couldn't do any better than that name!!! |
June 30, 2011 | #15 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 2,984
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Quote:
Moreover, the Carbon in that picture looks like it has clear epidermis. Just my observation. And the cherry tomatoes look like to be yellow epidermis. If that proves true, you could narrow down the possible cherry pollen parent if some of the cherries used were clear skin rather than yellow skinned. |
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