Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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April 18, 2018 | #31 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: California
Posts: 383
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Well, here is an interesting twist.
I got seeds from Marsha and my fruit was primarily yellow with a few red stripes at peak ripeness, and way too soft. When overripe, it fell off the vine and was never as red as some of the pictures here. I liked the fruity hints, but the texture thing put me so far off that I couldn't stand it. I ended up saucing it with a bunch of other tomatoes. Last edited by JosephineRose; April 19, 2018 at 11:58 AM. Reason: Photo in this picture of early picked fruit to avoid the over-softening. |
April 18, 2018 | #32 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,886
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I also grew Lithium Sunset last year (seeds from Marsha ) and I could swear that mine too were mostly yellow. Mine, unfortunately, developed black spots on the fruit and I spent a lot of time peeling them. I was glad that I did because they were absolutely delicious!
L.S. was the only plant out of the 30 varieties I grew that developed the disease on the fruit, but I liked it enough that I'm giving it a second chance this season . Linda |
April 18, 2018 | #33 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Detroit
Posts: 688
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That is kind of what I suspected... there is some level of variability between yellow/red.
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April 18, 2018 | #34 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Canada, Ontario, z5a
Posts: 142
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How interesting. I am growing LS for 2 years and all of mine look like this
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Gala |
April 18, 2018 | #35 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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April 18, 2018 | #36 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Spartanburg, SC
Posts: 1,262
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I found a few more pictures of my Lithium Sunset tomatoes. It seems that I had much variation in yellowness/redness from tomato to tomato, as shown previously. Some of mine are mostly yellow, and one is quite selectively red (this is the one shown cut earlier).
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April 18, 2018 | #37 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 963
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I looked for pics the other night of the ones I grew. They were marked lithium sunset 2014 IIRC. Also had Fred Hempel's name on it, maybe in the description. The tomatoes were yellow with faintish red stripes. Very pretty, and I imagine they would sell. But they were softish and some collapsed somewhat on the counter waiting to be eaten. They tasted okay but not like some. No doubt the disease hurt some.
Found what I wrote last year: Quote:
I did save seed if anyone wants some but they were not bagged and I don't do anything to clean the seeds other than ferment. Plants were hit by EB or septoria like all the other tomatoes, nothing worse. |
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April 19, 2018 | #38 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: California
Posts: 383
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So my question is, were the "Red Lithium" tomatoes also extra soft?
I'd love to try seeds from the Red Lithium, since mine reverted back to the original soft yellow with red stripes. Green Go, yours looked amazing. It would be interesting to start charting this. Who got yellow lithiums, who got red lithiums and who got the "gradient" lithiums, and the seed source. Last edited by JosephineRose; April 19, 2018 at 12:03 PM. |
April 19, 2018 | #39 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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April 19, 2018 | #40 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: California
Posts: 383
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Oh gosh, you know I am going to. And we both know that means I am making room in my garden for a regrow!
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April 19, 2018 | #41 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Tomato Cornhole
Posts: 2,550
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I'm growing one plant this year, it's in the garden now about 20" tall. I'll post pics when it's ripe to see what color it is unless someone knows who sent these seeds. I'm sure it's from the swap last year.
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Rob |
April 24, 2018 | #42 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 963
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I found my source seed bag, 7 seeds left. If anyone wants them, PM me, I'll pass them along.
"Lithium Sunset - RL - 2014 - Mid - multi colored striped mostly round - great flavor By Fred Hempel - not formally released packed by dfollett and his email address |
April 24, 2018 | #43 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
Posts: 2,723
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Summary:
Lithium Sunset is a "feral" tomato. It didn't meet our standards for release (even when they were lower). But, it got out there, and either it wasn't true-breeding yet, or it crossed to something, and that is why we now have a Red Lithium that seems to have better fruit characteristics than Lithium Sunset. But, that doesn't mean that the bicolor original doesn't have good flavor. It seems some folks still like it, because when care is taken to harvest in the small ripening window before it has become too soft, it is a flavorful tomato. We are still working on creating a striped bicolor tomato with a decent shelf life. It looks like we might have something within the next year or two. |
April 26, 2018 | #44 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Idaho
Posts: 241
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[IMG]Untitled by paddymcilvoy, on Flickr[/IMG]
Lithium Sunset from the first year I grew it (as sent to me by Fred Hempel - thanks Fred!) Yellow BC w/red stripes. Looks like at some point after I shared it with a couple people it got crossed. Should (I think) be Yell BC w/red stripes (in a very particular and unique pattern) and a ruffled fruit shape. I pretty much immediately started incorporating it into various breeding projects I was working on and you can always pick out it's place in some of those lines by the unique stripping pattern. For example -- (Sungold x Mikado) x Lithium Sunset (Lithium Sunset x Pink Boar) x Hippie Zebra |
April 26, 2018 | #45 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Idaho
Posts: 241
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Also, FWIW, I thought it was quite tasty from the first.
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