Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

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GoDawgs
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Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#1

Post: # 48221Unread post GoDawgs
Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:24 pm

This year I’m doing some heart shaped tomatoes (a type I’ve never grown before) and some others of foreign origin that I got when Farmer Shawn distributed Carolyn's seeds. Some of the tomatoes are setting fruit, something I’ve been waiting for just to see what they look like! Oh boy! Kinda like Christmas.

This is Vladyka, an indeterminate pink heart of Siberian origin. I can see the heart shape starting and the cluster looks like it will be elongated like some cherry tomato clusters.

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Next is Honigsüsser Erloser (Honeysweet Savior), an orange heart from Germany, supposedly with a sweet flavor.

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Then there’s Inzhir Rosovyi (Pink Fig), a midseason pink and heavily ribbed tomato of Russian origin. I really like that shape!

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There are two others but they’re not showing any fruit yet. Süsse Friesin is supposed to have pale red, egg-shaped cherries and Koroleva Rynka (Market Queen) is just described as red, round, regular leaf,indeterminate and midseason; from Siberia.

Most of all, I can't wait to see how all of these taste!

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#2

Post: # 48224Unread post PlainJane
Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:44 pm

Looking forward to the tasting as well!
“Never try to outstubborn a cat.”
- Robert A. Heinlein

FarmerShawn
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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#3

Post: # 48227Unread post FarmerShawn
Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:06 pm

Thank you for the update! I am very pleased that those are doing well for you, and I, too, hope they are tasty. I'm especially interested in that last one, which just looks cool.

Seven Bends
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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#4

Post: # 48228Unread post Seven Bends
Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:10 pm

So interesting; I can't wait to see how these turn out! The pink fig is especially intriguing to me but they all look great. Guess I'll wander off to Google now to do some research.

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#5

Post: # 48234Unread post MissS
Mon Jun 07, 2021 6:24 pm

Thank you so much for posting your findings on these seeds. I find these varieties very interesting and can't wait to hear your opinions on them. I wonder if there are still treasures buried in there.
~ Patti ~

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#6

Post: # 48240Unread post GoDawgs
Mon Jun 07, 2021 7:29 pm

I intend to save as many of the seeds as I can and hopefully participate in the MMMM this year.

I also got some 2016 German Johnson seed and it germinated just fine. That plant is a big 'un! Just starting to set little marbles.

The last tomato was King Kong from 2019. There were just five seeds. I started three in one pot and none germinated so I sowed the last two, doused with some Miracle Grow. One finally came up but appeared to be a blind seedling. Just 1" of stem with a tiny bump on top. I still watered it along with the others and about three weeks later after the other tomatoes were ready to harden off, the King Kong seedling decided to open up and grow! Maybe it was just a light colored helmet on it. It finally went out to the garden a month behind the others. So whoever it was that was hoping I'd have some seed, the answer has been changed from no to yes!

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#7

Post: # 48708Unread post HL2601
Wed Jun 16, 2021 9:36 pm

Thanks so much for posting all those great pics! I have Carolyn's Vladyka going to..I am behind you so flowers are just starting. Your results are inspiring! I really hope you will be able to do MMMM...we need to bring all these varieties forward :) Best of luck with your season!'Heide

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#8

Post: # 48717Unread post GoDawgs
Thu Jun 17, 2021 6:25 am

I posted this elsewhere here but I'm reposting it on this thread so that I can keep all the Shawn/Carolyn seed results together.

The first two Süsse Friesin cherry tomatoes from Farmer Shawn's Carolyn seed have been picked. One cherry is slightly larger than the other and measures 1.25" x 1.12", weighing 0.5 oz (13g). The '19 seed was started on 3/21 and the plant was transplanted out on 4/25. That makes the first fruits ready 86 days from seeding and 51 days from transplant. They are the first ripe tomatoes of all 23 varieties I'm growing. None of the others have even started turning yet. Hmmm, I'll have to check Rosella again. She might have one turning.

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The description I have (can't remember where I found it) is: "Continuously growing pale red, egg-shaped cherry tomatoes 10-12g, very tasty, with sweet aromatic fruits, resistant. Good producer."

So the weight, color and shape seem to be right. For sure, the plant is loaded with tresses of little greenies. The tress these came from is down near the bottom of the plant.

I'm tempted to wait a day or two before saving the seed and tasting just to make sure they're fully ripe. They seem soft enough. Can't wait! Oh, and I did check Rosella. She has her first two cherries about ready too. :)

MMMM this year? You betcha!

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#9

Post: # 48722Unread post Lotte
Thu Jun 17, 2021 6:59 am

I am pretty sure Honigsüsser Erlöser umd Süsse Friesin are seeds from me.Carolyn got them in a trade and Shawn got them from Carolyn.They are both German even though I am Danish, but I got them also in a trade.The seeds are coming around in the world, but they do deserve it.They are both great tomatoes in taste and looks.

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#10

Post: # 48735Unread post GoDawgs
Thu Jun 17, 2021 11:56 am

[mention]Lotte[/mention] , thank you for that information on those two tomatoes. It's amazing how your seeds migrated from Germany to Denmark, to the US Northeast and now down here in the South.

There's a nice green heart coming along on the H.Erlöser. It's hard to wait to see how all these new-to-me tomatoes turn out!

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#11

Post: # 48788Unread post Lotte
Fri Jun 18, 2021 8:47 am

Thank you GoDawgs, yes I find it great fun to trade the seeds worldwide, and I am very happy when other find the seeds I am distributing very good too.

You can really look forward to the HE, it is a very lovely tomato. I'm not growing many huge tomatoes but this one is one of the best I have tried.

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#12

Post: # 49273Unread post LK2020
Fri Jun 25, 2021 9:17 am

I'll be watching your results, I have some seeds from Farmer Shawn including HE and the "pink fig." Last year I grew Grandma Oliver's Chocolate from Farmer Shawn/Carolyn seeds, and it was a rock star! I don't have pics handy and they would probably be too ugly to post b/c the plant got some leaf disease(s) but it produced like crazy nonetheless, and the tomatoes were good-sized and scrumptious! I wasn't able to start seeds this year or it would have been on my "must have" list!

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#13

Post: # 49872Unread post GoDawgs
Sun Jul 04, 2021 8:19 am

The first ‘Pink Fig’ tomato (‘Inzhir Rosovyi’) was ready and we tried it last night. Weight of the tomato was 6.6 oz or 185g. It was pretty good but it still can’t beat ‘Stump Of The World’ in flavor. Still, I’ve saved some seeds from it. This is how they look younger, very fluted:

Image

And this is the same tomato when ripe, all those flutes filling in as it gets older. Just like people, come to think of it! :D

Image

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#14

Post: # 49874Unread post zendog
Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:29 am

I grew Inzhir Rosovyi last year and enjoyed it. It is a bit like Coeur de Boeuf or Italian pear types, but seemed to have more open space in the seed cavities. I didn't try it, but I kept thinking it would be a great tomato to try stuffed and roasted.

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#15

Post: # 58725Unread post FarmerShawn
Mon Dec 06, 2021 10:45 am

So. I just finished putting all my newly dried seeds into envelopes, and can report that I now have new seeds to share for about 80 varieties from Carolyn's collection. Whew!
Probably in January I'll put out the seed offer, both for those resurrected ones, and for the leftover older ones from her collection. There's still lots of those!
I only wish I had been more diligent about keeping notes while they grew, but as a general market gardener working alone, I just didn't have the time. I do think I've got photos for most of them, though. And a few of them were standouts in my garden.
Anyway, there's something to look forward to in 2022...
Shawn
Ps - I'd love to hear about anybody else who had success with Carolyn's seeds

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#16

Post: # 58727Unread post root_grow
Mon Dec 06, 2021 12:14 pm

@FarmerShawn thanks again for sorting through and sharing all those seeds! I found some gems among the seeds from Carolyn’s collection and especially from the last offer that I’m sure will be regulars in my garden. My favorites from the older seeds were Russkaya Dusha and Babushkino, both delicious and prolific red slicers, and Grandee, a lovely pink heart on compact plants. There were others I’ll for sure grow again too :) Hopefully I can get pictures next year, this season was more chaotic than usual.

I will try again next year with what’s left of the varieties that didn’t sprout to see if there might be hope for them yet. And look forward to the next offer!

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#17

Post: # 58733Unread post rxkeith
Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:37 pm

i grew honigsusser erloser last year. it was a good tasting tomato, but lost several early fruit to blossom end rot.
inzir rozovyi i grew this year. decent production, but i found the flavor lacking. they also split like crazy after a period
of rain. fruit was still good, just not very nice looking. only time i grew it so no year to year comparison yet.


keith

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Re: Update on my "Farmer Shawn's Carolyn Seed" plants

#18

Post: # 58769Unread post Dee
Tue Dec 07, 2021 2:13 pm

I love reading about people's experiences growing these tomatoes. It was an exciting seed offer, and I am grateful I was able to take part. I was away from my garden and in another province half the year after my Dad's passing, so wasn't able to grow the seeds FarmerShawn shared. I am really looking forward to growing them next summer, though. I'm already eager to get planting, though starting seeds for transplants doesn't happen here until late March or April. Thank goodness for seed catalogs and forums like this to keep me occupied and planning until then!

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