Cherokee Purple help

[jhp]

Okay tomato experts, please take a look at this picture and tell me if I grew Cherokee Purple in 2009. Seed was obtained by a commercial source.

I was expecting a more oblate, larger tomato than what I grew. Taste was good, but I like a larger tomato. Most of these were more like a saladette size.

In 2007, I tried to grow CP from a different commercial source and got a small red round tasteless tomato.

Am I cursed to never grow the real CP? Can someone out there help me get seeds of the real CP? I'm thinking that I may need to also grow Indian Stripe and Cherokee Chocolate just to be sure. I want 2010 to be my Cherokee year!

Thanks in advance!

Jen

[Suze]

I don't think that's CP - both size and shape aren't right. Looks like a cross of CP and something else, just a guess. Although there are several factors (disease, hot weather, drought, poor soil, etc.) that can cause smaller than expected fruit size and/or some variation in shape, what I'm seeing is beyond the norm for CP.

There are others, but Victory Seeds should be a solid source for CP, as well as Cherokee Chocolate and Indian Stripe.

Edit/add - another thing that occurs to me is you could have gotten a "sport" of CP, kind of like what Brad Gates got with his Haley's Purple Comet - http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/H...s_Purple_Comet

But, in any case, Victory Seeds is a good source for CP.

[stormymater]

I'm certainly no pro but the CP I grew didn't have the red I see (though that could be the pic) - more purplish-brown & their shape was a squatter beefsteak kind of round - no heart-like elongation & baseball to softball sized.

I saved plenty of seed - would be glad to share - Tomatomail me if you are interested.

Stormymater

[pete]

Here's mine,

"http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_4462.jpg"


I think if your plants looked healthy and they were that small and shaped taller than fat, it is not cp.
That is a regular size dinner plate, 10" or so and that tomato weighed over a pound, bigger than most but most are 12-14 oz. in a good year.
That might be the tomato in my avatar!!

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_4472.jpg


pete

[SunnyK]

When I grew it a few years ago, I did get a range of sizes per cluster from 8- 12 ounces and some maybe even a bit smaller as the season came to an end....but never the range of shapes that I see in your picture.

[jhp]

Ah ha! Just as I suspected! Not CP. The shape is what made me think that it was just not CP because of course you can get all ranges of sizes on a plant. But I did not get even one that was large and/or oblate. Yes, it was a crazy summer weather-wise. We had a lot of rain. But I grew 31 plants and all managed to produce fruit that was the size/shape expected except for the two CP plants. I gave away one, but I don't know who got it. I send a bunch to the maintenance crew at my husband's old office building and they divvy it up amongst themselves. So can't verify with them.

Suze, the smaller ones sure do look like Haley's Purple Comet. Although there were the occasional medium sized ones too.

Stormymater, I think I might have to take you up on that offer.

Pete, wow, those are some beauties! That is just what I wanted to grow! Don't suppose you saved any seeds?

SunnyK, Thanks for the confirmation. It helps.

This whole CP thing has been very frustrating for me. To get the wrong seed not once, but twice, is just so disappointing.
Thanks folks! Just needed verification that I am not crazy.

Jen

[Wi-sunflower]

Someone commented that the color looked too red. I wouldn't go by color on a "black/purple" tomato, especially in a cool summer. Almost all of my "black" varieties last summer were an odd, off color last year.

But as others pointed out -- the shape wasn't right. I also have the squat beefsteak shaped CP.

Carol

[jhp]

So called "black" tomatoes never get all that dark here either, even in a good summer. So I don't take much stock in that. Thanks Carol.

[stormymater]

Don't feel bad Jen - what you grew were very beautiful - did they taste good?

I grew Black Pear last summer - the seeds germinated with a 25/75 RL/PL ratio. The RL grew little yellow grapes that were sweet & citrusy when fully ripe (spitters before that) & the PL grew the biggest (like baseball) ugliest red-black pears with woody green necks, ugh. If you tries to wait until the necks got color or even softened a bit the bottoms were "stick yer thumb through 'em mush". I used them in sauce but didn't save PL seed. I DID save some of the little yellow bugger seed though - sort of as a surprise to see what comes up!

Tomatomail me your address - glad to share... The Cherokee Purple seed I saved, not the little yellow buggers (unless you want them LOL).

[mtbigfish]

Ditto Carol
Mine have always been flat beefsteak - color varies and many times irregular shape at the stem end


JHP
I believe you have cross polinate particularly since the seed produced several shapes


Stormy
have you had sweet with Black Pear and Black Plum ? - I havent' had BER with either but inconsistent with flavor

Dennis

[pete]

Jen,
I have plenty of seed. That seed was from tomato growers and I have plenty to spare. If you do not have any luck this year let me know and I'll ship you some tomatoes in mid to late august this year. I always have plenty that time of year.

PM your address and I'll send you some of that seed.

Those were bigger than normal because last year we had too much rain. I used to live in Mass. and I know you don't get the heat we have here in the midwest and maybe thats why yours aren't like mine. Put them in full sun, out of the wind on a south-east slight slope, if possible.

Pete

[mtbigfish]

Pete
Have you ever gone to Glecklers Seedsman in Ohio?

I have relatives in Chillicothe and Cincinnati - my brother in law owns petland - main office in Chillicothe where my wife grew up

She is going there with her sister Feb 27 to check with her brother on family business

Dennis

[stormymater]

mtbigfish - what is it you are asking? LOL - I have grown the "black pear NOT" once. I did see an organic seed site that showed Black Pear & it was the same big green-necked monstrosity I grew. I brought one to Tomatopalooza & it was roundly rejected as a Black Pear. Vigorous plant, not a trace of BER.
Haven't grown Black Plum - I suspect they are bags o'seeds though I may be wrong.

[mtbigfish]

stormy
"I grew Black Pear last summer - the seeds germinated with a 25/75 RL/PL ratio. The RL grew little yellow grapes that were sweet & citrusy when fully ripe "
you said you grew black pear - however looks like unstable -- but sweet and yellow - not black pear

I was asking if you have grown Black Pear which I guess you have not grown and Black Plum (which I see you have not now) the stable versions and if you found any of them sweet

looks like to me NO on both

Dennis

[stevenkh1]

Originally Posted by jhp

Okay tomato experts, please take a look at this picture and tell me if I grew Cherokee Purple in 2009. Seed was obtained by a commercial source.

I was expecting a more oblate, larger tomato than what I grew. Taste was good, but I like a larger tomato. Most of these were more like a saladette size.

In 2007, I tried to grow CP from a different commercial source and got a small red round tasteless tomato.

Am I cursed to never grow the real CP? Can someone out there help me get seeds of the real CP? I'm thinking that I may need to also grow Indian Stripe and Cherokee Chocolate just to be sure. I want 2010 to be my Cherokee year!

Thanks in advance!

Jen

Hi Jen,

If it makes you feel better, mine looked exactly like that this year as well. My entire garden was somewhat stunted to one degree or another because of the cool, summer weather. As an FYI, I bought CP plants last spring from our very reputable local nursery who sells heirloom plants - so I'm very confident I got the real deal.

Steve