Cher Choc and More

rsg2001 · August 2, 2009

The packet said Cherokee Chocolate, but I'm getting two different types of black tomatoes: one that looks like Cherokee Chocolate, and one growing "saladette" types, 3-4 to the cluster. They haven't started to turn yet, but the same thing happened last year (same packet) -- both black varieties -- only I forgot to post about it. What are the odds the packet contained two types of seeds, versus there being an unintended mix? (I bought the seeds from TGS.)

dice · August 2, 2009

You would have to save seeds from the small ones and then
grow them out to see if it is a stable variety (mutation or
stray seeds from another variety). If all of the plants produce
identical fruit (and plant) the same as the year before, it is
a stable variety, and they probably came from a seed mixup
somewhere. If they all produce slightly different plants and
fruit, then it was probably the result of a bee-made cross with
Cherokee Chocolate.

rsg2001 · August 2, 2009

Thank you. I will do that. I don't have room to grow out more than a few of them, but it sounds like it would be fun to find out.

dice · August 3, 2009

How was the flavor and productivity on the small ones?
How late were they compared to Cherokee Chocolate?

**carolyn137** · August 3, 2009

I''m still not clear if you're getting one plant with two kinds of fruits, or separate plants with different fruits.

Cherokee Chocolate was stable from the get go b'c it was a single spontaneous mutation that changed the epidermis from clear, as it is with Cherokee Purple, to yellow, which it is with CC which makes the fruits a darker color.

If you're getting plants where all the fruits on one plant are the same and another plant where the fruits are different it seems to me that one thing you should do would be to contact TGS and let them know about it.

They don't want to be selling something that is wrong.

Blueaussi · August 3, 2009

*monday morning grumble*

I keep seeing the title of this thread and thinking you're talking about Cherry Chocolate peppers...which are one of my favorite, and I think Oh Yeah! Then I think, oh, wait...

*grumble, grumble, grumble*

rsg2001 · August 5, 2009

Carolyn, it's two plants from the same seed packet with two different kinds of tomatoes. Since I wrote this, the first one of the 'saladette' type that's growing in clusters has ripened and it's indeed a black - looks like either black plum or maybe nyagous, and it has a bit of cracking from all the rain. Haven't tasted it yet. The plant that looks truly like a Cherokee Chocolate is quite a ways from having ripe tomatoes, but the habit is different, and the tomatoes are definitely on the medium to large size.

Good suggestion to contact TGS - I will do that over the weekend.

mvan · August 6, 2009

Funny, my seeds for Cherokee Chocolate from TGS are not correct either. I grew two plants and they produced fruit that looks like a larger version of Green Zebra. The juice is really good (very similar taste to Green Zebra), but the skin is very thick and the meat is mealy. Despite the thick skin, they don't last very long off the vine.

rsg2001 · August 7, 2009

Mvan, so yours weren't even black tomatoes. I haven't called them yet to talk about it. My seed packet was not from 2009, but from 2008.

mvan · August 7, 2009

No, not even black tomatoes. I got them from TGS last winter along with several other tomato and pepper seeds. All of the seeds had excellent germination and appear to have been labeled correctly except the Cherokee Chocolate.

Moonglow · August 15, 2009

My Cherokee Chocolate is not fulfilling its catalog description and I should write TGS where I got my seeds.

Cherokee Chocolate is only a little bit bigger than Momotaro and this is the biggest CC I have harvested. The fruits on the vine are much smaller.

August 2, 2009	#1
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	Cher Choc and More The packet said Cherokee Chocolate, but I'm getting two different types of black tomatoes: one that looks like Cherokee Chocolate, and one growing "saladette" types, 3-4 to the cluster. They haven't started to turn yet, but the same thing happened last year (same packet) -- both black varieties -- only I forgot to post about it. What are the odds the packet contained two types of seeds, versus there being an unintended mix? (I bought the seeds from TGS.)

August 2, 2009	#2
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	You would have to save seeds from the small ones and then grow them out to see if it is a stable variety (mutation or stray seeds from another variety). If all of the plants produce identical fruit (and plant) the same as the year before, it is a stable variety, and they probably came from a seed mixup somewhere. If they all produce slightly different plants and fruit, then it was probably the result of a bee-made cross with Cherokee Chocolate. __________________ -- alias

August 3, 2009	#4
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	How was the flavor and productivity on the small ones? How late were they compared to Cherokee Chocolate? __________________ -- alias

August 3, 2009	#5
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I''m still not clear if you're getting one plant with two kinds of fruits, or separate plants with different fruits. Cherokee Chocolate was stable from the get go b'c it was a single spontaneous mutation that changed the epidermis from clear, as it is with Cherokee Purple, to yellow, which it is with CC which makes the fruits a darker color. If you're getting plants where all the fruits on one plant are the same and another plant where the fruits are different it seems to me that one thing you should do would be to contact TGS and let them know about it. They don't want to be selling something that is wrong. __________________ Carolyn

August 15, 2009	#11
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	My Cherokee Chocolate is not fulfilling its catalog description and I should write TGS where I got my seeds. Cherokee Chocolate is only a little bit bigger than Momotaro and this is the biggest CC I have harvested. The fruits on the vine are much smaller. __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog!

August 3, 2009	#6
Blueaussi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 1,205	monday morning grumble I keep seeing the title of this thread and thinking you're talking about Cherry Chocolate peppers...which are one of my favorite, and I think Oh Yeah! Then I think, oh, wait... grumble, grumble, grumble

August 5, 2009	#7
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	Carolyn, it's two plants from the same seed packet with two different kinds of tomatoes. Since I wrote this, the first one of the 'saladette' type that's growing in clusters has ripened and it's indeed a black - looks like either black plum or maybe nyagous, and it has a bit of cracking from all the rain. Haven't tasted it yet. The plant that looks truly like a Cherokee Chocolate is quite a ways from having ripe tomatoes, but the habit is different, and the tomatoes are definitely on the medium to large size. Good suggestion to contact TGS - I will do that over the weekend.

August 6, 2009	#8
mvan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fairburn, GA z7 Posts: 72	Funny, my seeds for Cherokee Chocolate from TGS are not correct either. I grew two plants and they produced fruit that looks like a larger version of Green Zebra. The juice is really good (very similar taste to Green Zebra), but the skin is very thick and the meat is mealy. Despite the thick skin, they don't last very long off the vine.

August 7, 2009	#9
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	Mvan, so yours weren't even black tomatoes. I haven't called them yet to talk about it. My seed packet was not from 2009, but from 2008.