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Post by dirtsunrain on Jan 1, 2010 8:25:19 GMT -5
I have been reading with great interest about the OSU Blue tomato. I was wondering if anyone could provide a year end uodate on how the plants finished out in 2009.
I'm curious about the different projects, such as growing a beefstake sized larger tomato. I'm also wondering if anyone tried to make a currant or cherry sized tomato with these. Mr wagner has a few lovely photos on his blog and I googlyoogled some other results on the OSu and the P20. Fascinating....the unicorn of tomatoes.
At this point, I'm willing to pay, sell my soul or hock my duff in order to obtain some of these seeds. If anyone can point me towards some, I'd be very thankful.
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Post by Penny on Jan 1, 2010 8:39:02 GMT -5
I am awaiting some to be sent to me, and i could share with you once i receive them.
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Post by Jim on Jan 1, 2010 11:40:29 GMT -5
Don't get too excited. I found that to get them really blue they have to basically overripen and they are nothing to get stoked about as far as taste...
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Post by mjc on Jan 1, 2010 14:21:09 GMT -5
Jim, I've seen several other threads on this one, all over the place, and most agree on the point of it not being something to write home about in the taste department. But, most of the other comments I've seen do seem to lean toward the color being light/heat dependent and not really an indicator of ripeness. It's more like the 'overripe' ones finally had the right light/heat combination to get the intense color.
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Post by Jim on Jan 1, 2010 17:21:41 GMT -5
thats cool...I ate them at various red and blue stages and wasn't impressed/
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Post by thehills on Jan 4, 2010 14:04:23 GMT -5
I grew the standard size OSU blue this year, the plant had a very late start, but the blue colour on the shoulders fully developed on the vine, there was no post picking further bluing. I would agree with others, this is not one to grow for flavour :-)) But I am sure the breeders will have a lot of fun with it :-)) thehills
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Post by Alan on Jan 4, 2010 16:51:29 GMT -5
I made some sungold crosses with it this season as well as some Roma crosses just for fun.
They were overly productive plants, putting on huge crops, really a machine for me in a lot of ways. I took some to market for fun, believe it or not, despite their flavor reputation, people there loved them, so did Kim. So much so that I no longer consider this tomato only a novelty breeding stock.
One observation I made was just how juicy they really were and how they caught peoples eye at market, I plan to grow a large crop next season for seed but more importantly for sale at market by the container as a juice tomato novelty.
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Post by mybighair on Jan 4, 2010 16:53:04 GMT -5
For most people the OSU Blue is breeding material and needs quite some work before we have a finished product.
The fruit is perfectly edible but nothing exceptional, and I think a lot of people that were excited to grow it have been disappointed by the taste. I must agree with Alan on their juiciness and I quite enjoyed eating them, but don't think most would be exited by the taste experience. If you don't want it for breeding you may be better off waiting a few years for a better strain to be developed. By then I think we'll have some really good blue varieties with flavours as intriguing the colour.
I have some seeds from "Big Fruited OSU" X "Brandy Wine" that I'll be growing out next season and I plan to cross it to some other heirlooms that are renowned for flavour. The flesh also needs firming up to suit my taste (same goes for "Brandy Wine"), and I've selected heirlooms that are said to be firmer to achieve that goal.
We have enough people working on this, some of which are already accomplished tomato breeders (Tom Wagner and Alan being two), so it's just a matter of time. And you can be pretty sure that people here will be some of the first to have the improved seed.
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Post by michaeljohnson on Jan 5, 2010 0:59:36 GMT -5
I still continue to grow it out every year for the novelty value more than anything, and I still continue to be fascinated by it, and love to watch the look on the faces of visitors when they see them for the first time, most cannot believe that they are real and are astonished by the colour- one visitor thought that I was growing some giant form of deadly Nightshade or something
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Post by tatermater on Jan 5, 2010 2:17:41 GMT -5
I have so many blue crosses, back crosses, and F-2 seed that I will have to find a garden just to be able to sample the combinations, let alone derive what I want.
That said, one of the major objectives will be as I stated in my trip in Europe would be to create the smallest fruit possible, like 1/2 inch so that the blue will be be seen from inside the locule wall. With the seed expressed, the pulp left over may appear quite blue, thus more anthocyanin. The OSU Blue by itself is not much for flavor, too much of the California mechanical harvester background, therefore the myriad of amateur breeders working with the blue tomato will eventually come up with a flavor winner. Will I find one? Hopefully this year of 2010.
Tom Wagner
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Post by Jim on Jan 6, 2010 11:01:37 GMT -5
It was a productive monster I will give it that.
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Post by iva on Jan 6, 2010 12:34:04 GMT -5
I was quite pleased with it as well. The taste wasn't all that special, but still way better than those market toms. The only thing 'bad' about it is that the skin is a bit bitter, but the flesh is kind of sweetish, ant the juice has a nice tang. But it is worth growing for ornamental purposes if not anything else. The blue fruits are just adorable on the vine. And everyone sure couldn't keep their eyes of them when they saw it for the first time
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Post by iva on Jan 6, 2010 12:36:46 GMT -5
Isn't it nice?
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Post by Penny on Jan 6, 2010 12:47:37 GMT -5
Hi Iva.......great to see you.
It is pretty isnt it.
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Post by ozarklady on Jan 6, 2010 14:36:36 GMT -5
Oh that is an awesome tomato! Does anyone have any extra seeds? Please add me to your request list for 2010 if you don't have any. And tell me what you need in trade or purchase price. I am thinking, crossed to get better taste, but maintain that color, awesome in theory. I want to get my hands on it, for just that attempt. Keep me informed of how your crosses turn out. I can learn from your work, as surely as from my own..
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