Indian Stripe vs. Cherokee Purple - Productivity and Fruit Size *PICS*

rnewste · June 27, 2008

Here is a comparison of my Indian Stripe (on the left) and its companion Cherokee Purple growing in the same 'Tainer, same watering, same fertilizer, etc. Three times the number of tomatoes on the Indian Stripe as of today:

I had been under the impression that Indian Stripe was a smaller tomato compared with CP. What I am experiencing is somewhat the opposite. Also, two of the Indian Stripe are blushing right now. CP is behind in that category as well. The "acid test" will of course, be the taste comparison....

Ray

**Lee** · June 27, 2008

Hmmmm... Any chance the 'tainer got rotated 180?

What was your seed source for the CPs? I've seen quite a few people get smaller
fruited ones, but the originals in Craig's garden/driveway are always monsters.

You're right though, the proof will be in the tastin'.

Lee

rnewste · June 27, 2008

Lee,

My Cherokee Purple seed came from Victory Seed Co.

Don't get me wrong, the CP are quite large (look at the one in the 4 o'clock position in the above photo. It looks more of the size of a Mortgage Lifter), but I am just amazed at the number of Indian Stripe vs. the Cherokee Purple under identical growing conditions.

Ray

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · June 27, 2008

wow lots of fruit set on both in my opinion. Very nice!!

Vince · June 28, 2008

never grew indian stripe. But I can tell you from growing two different batches (7 and 9 plants) in the last 2 years of CP that you should expect some variability as far as fruit set and size go(even from OP seed). For example I may get 30+ fruit off one plant and its neighbor from the same saved seed may give only ten, The same goes with fruit size.....one plant can hold a nearly 2lb mater and its neighbor may only give max 1lbers. go figure.

**carolyn137** · June 28, 2008

Ray, I'm a bit concerned about the number of malformed fruits on that Indian Stripe plant. That I've never seen.

When I first received the seeds for Indian Stripe from Donna Nelson and compared it with CP, the fruits of the IS were smaller than CP, more fruits to the truss and the fruits were somewhat lighter in color than CP.

I sent the IS seeds to Craig for him to compare with CP and he got the same results.

In subsequent growouts IS has always maintained the same traits I just mentioned as it has for most others according to feedback.

But again, it's all those malformed fruits of IS that make me wonder.

What was the source of your IS seeds?

elkwc36 · June 28, 2008

I have never grown IS and CP in the same year till this year so will see how they compare. Also the CP(4-6 oz) I grew Craig felt may not of been the real one so this year growing from his seeds. I grew IS last year from seed Carolyn sent me and the fruit were in the 6-10 oz range and no odd shapes or as Carolyn said malformed. Really very uniform in my garden last year. You have very nice looking plants but at this time your IS looks nothing like mine did last year. And will be another month before I can say this year. JD

dice · June 28, 2008

[odd fruit form on Indian Stripe]

Maybe the constant water supply is responsible for
the odd shapes and large size on Indian Stripe. I had
a lot of cat-faced and strangely shaped fruit on a
variety of cultivars last year, when we had a fairly rainy
summer. Fruit that swelled while it was raining were
often larger than fruit that swelled when it was not raining,
too.

rnewste · June 28, 2008

Carolyn, JD, and Dice,

The Indian Stripe & Cherokee Purple are in my Rev "A" 'Tainers that had a 40 sq. inch wicking orifice. The moisture meter says "Wet" on the gauge. It was too late in the season to retrofit the orifice to the smaller size as I have done in my Rev "C" design of 16 sq. inch opening, so your analysis of larger than expected fruit size and shape is right on the money.

Impact on taste is unknown at the moment, but I guess if I were a commercial grower who was paid by the pound, I would be happy. However, Quality (taste) is much more important to me than Quantity.....more to report later in the season.

Ray

johno · June 28, 2008

Not growing CP this year, but my Indian Stripes are growing in the same ribbed form as those in the above photo, which I didn't expect. I've got nowhere near that number of fruits, nor the size, but the shape is the same. My seeds came from a seed-saver in MI.

maryinoregon · June 30, 2008

Fascinating. When I have grown IS, they have always been smaller than CP. Seed source, Sand Hill Preservation. This year I am growing both so I can compare them. For me, the taste has been absolutely comparable. Probably IS grows a few more tomatoes than CP. Neat to see the pics.

duajones · April 12, 2009

Thought I would bring this thread back to life. First time growing IS for me this year and at this point the IS is outperforming CP as far as fruit set at this point. 13 per plant avg versus 8. Its still early but time will tell. And of course I havent tasted an IS fruit yet and cant compare yet to size or taste, but am definitely looking forward to it.

montanamato · April 12, 2009

I wish I had grown them the same year but I didn't...After growing CP for several years ,I gave IS a try last year...Two plants in the best part of the garden performed a little less than all their neighbors...Fruit size was smaller than CP which does not matter to me, but taste was not in the same league as CP...Of course it was a cooler, wetter year...I wish I had grown them both...I should probably have given IS another try, but instead I am trying CP potato leaf this year....
Where are the leaves in the photos? They are amazing plants, but my CP are always pretty well covered in foilage...Perhaps trimmed back for the photo shoot...?

Jeanne

June 27, 2008	#1
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Indian Stripe vs. Cherokee Purple - Productivity and Fruit Size PICS Here is a comparison of my Indian Stripe (on the left) and its companion Cherokee Purple growing in the same 'Tainer, same watering, same fertilizer, etc. Three times the number of tomatoes on the Indian Stripe as of today: I had been under the impression that Indian Stripe was a smaller tomato compared with CP. What I am experiencing is somewhat the opposite. Also, two of the Indian Stripe are blushing right now. CP is behind in that category as well. The "acid test" will of course, be the taste comparison.... Ray

June 27, 2008	#2
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,186	Hmmmm... Any chance the 'tainer got rotated 180? What was your seed source for the CPs? I've seen quite a few people get smaller fruited ones, but the originals in Craig's garden/driveway are always monsters. You're right though, the proof will be in the tastin'. Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

June 28, 2008	#5
Vince Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 942	never grew indian stripe. But I can tell you from growing two different batches (7 and 9 plants) in the last 2 years of CP that you should expect some variability as far as fruit set and size go(even from OP seed). For example I may get 30+ fruit off one plant and its neighbor from the same saved seed may give only ten, The same goes with fruit size.....one plant can hold a nearly 2lb mater and its neighbor may only give max 1lbers. go figure. __________________ Vince

June 28, 2008	#6
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Ray, I'm a bit concerned about the number of malformed fruits on that Indian Stripe plant. That I've never seen. When I first received the seeds for Indian Stripe from Donna Nelson and compared it with CP, the fruits of the IS were smaller than CP, more fruits to the truss and the fruits were somewhat lighter in color than CP. I sent the IS seeds to Craig for him to compare with CP and he got the same results. In subsequent growouts IS has always maintained the same traits I just mentioned as it has for most others according to feedback. But again, it's all those malformed fruits of IS that make me wonder. What was the source of your IS seeds? __________________ Carolyn

June 28, 2008	#8
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	[odd fruit form on Indian Stripe] Maybe the constant water supply is responsible for the odd shapes and large size on Indian Stripe. I had a lot of cat-faced and strangely shaped fruit on a variety of cultivars last year, when we had a fairly rainy summer. Fruit that swelled while it was raining were often larger than fruit that swelled when it was not raining, too. __________________ -- alias

June 27, 2008	#4
Gobig_or_Gohome_toms Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Zone 4 Lake Minnetonka, MN Posts: 967	wow lots of fruit set on both in my opinion. Very nice!!

June 28, 2008	#7
elkwc36 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: SW Kansas Posts: 339	I have never grown IS and CP in the same year till this year so will see how they compare. Also the CP(4-6 oz) I grew Craig felt may not of been the real one so this year growing from his seeds. I grew IS last year from seed Carolyn sent me and the fruit were in the 6-10 oz range and no odd shapes or as Carolyn said malformed. Really very uniform in my garden last year. You have very nice looking plants but at this time your IS looks nothing like mine did last year. And will be another month before I can say this year. JD

June 28, 2008	#10
johno Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Arkansas zone 6b Posts: 441	Not growing CP this year, but my Indian Stripes are growing in the same ribbed form as those in the above photo, which I didn't expect. I've got nowhere near that number of fruits, nor the size, but the shape is the same. My seeds came from a seed-saver in MI. __________________ You create your own universe as you go along. Winston Churchill

June 30, 2008	#11
maryinoregon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 361	Fascinating. When I have grown IS, they have always been smaller than CP. Seed source, Sand Hill Preservation. This year I am growing both so I can compare them. For me, the taste has been absolutely comparable. Probably IS grows a few more tomatoes than CP. Neat to see the pics.

April 12, 2009	#12
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Thought I would bring this thread back to life. First time growing IS for me this year and at this point the IS is outperforming CP as far as fruit set at this point. 13 per plant avg versus 8. Its still early but time will tell. And of course I havent tasted an IS fruit yet and cant compare yet to size or taste, but am definitely looking forward to it. __________________ Duane Jones

April 12, 2009	#13
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	I wish I had grown them the same year but I didn't...After growing CP for several years ,I gave IS a try last year...Two plants in the best part of the garden performed a little less than all their neighbors...Fruit size was smaller than CP which does not matter to me, but taste was not in the same league as CP...Of course it was a cooler, wetter year...I wish I had grown them both...I should probably have given IS another try, but instead I am trying CP potato leaf this year.... Where are the leaves in the photos? They are amazing plants, but my CP are always pretty well covered in foilage...Perhaps trimmed back for the photo shoot...? Jeanne