Champion tomatoes

[sjamesNorway]

[quote=Shule post_id=8242 time=1580314652 user_id=161]
@SusieQ

Yes. EM-Champion is an early, determinate, acidic, oxheart-shaped, productive, OP, red, large tomato. Last I checked, it was only available in Canada (commercially, anyway). It's been gaining popularity over the last six months or so, but I didn't hear a lot about it without searching out the information before then.



EM-Champion was definitely not what I'd call "acidic" at all. I had just the right amount of sweetness for us.

Steve

[Shule]

EM-Champion was definitely not what I'd call "acidic" at all. I had just the right amount of sweetness for us.

I haven't grown it. I thought I was just going by what Tatiana's store said some time ago. However, the store (and thus its product descriptions) are unavailable; so, I can't verify with proof that it's my source. The article in the database doesn't mention acidity, interestingly.

[sjamesNorway]

EM-Champion was definitely not what I'd call "acidic" at all. I had just the right amount of sweetness for us.

I haven't grown it. I thought I was just going by what Tatiana's store said some time ago. However, the store (and thus its product descriptions) are unavailable; so, I can't verify with proof that it's my source. The article in the database doesn't mention acidity, interestingly.

Here's what Tatiana says about EM-C, "Sprawling determinate plants with wispy regular leaf foliage grow up to 3' tall and are excellent for growing in pots. High yield of red fruits, from perfectly shaped hearts to slightly ribbed/ruffled. 6-12 oz. Delicious balanced flavor, meaty flesh. Very few seeds make it a real challenge to collect save many seeds for this variety. "

[Labradors]

I think Steve is being helpful. I am planning to grow EM Champion this season and I really do not like acidic 'maters...…..

Linda

[Tormahto]

In my garden, EM Champion is more sweet than "balanced".
Balanced being the sort of half-way point between sweet and tart (what some might call acidic), but EMC is a bit less sweet than nearly all other heart varieties that I've trialed (which are generally very sweet). Much like German Red Strawberry, it has never had "full" intense flavor, for me, while almost all other hearts do.

[Labradors]

Thanks Tormato. I'll have to see how it does for me. it is compact and early. Hoping it's going to taste great in my garden because taste is everything for me.

Linda

[Tormahto]

I found it compact, but not what I considered early.

Fish Lake Oxheart and Anna Russian were earlier (and tastier). At some point, if I ever get around to making (determinate) crosses, I'll likely work with EMC.

[Labradors]

Breeding a compact, early, tasty heart would be great. I've grown both Anna Russian and FLO and loved both. I also loved Orange Strawberry (which I grew last season).

Linda

[sjamesNorway]

I found it compact, but not what I considered early.

Fish Lake Oxheart and Anna Russian were earlier (and tastier). At some point, if I ever get around to making (determinate) crosses, I'll likely work with EMC.

I really liked FLO, but it was 10 days later than EM-C in my garden and climate. EM-C was a bit sweeter.

Steve

[sjamesNorway]

I should say that we liked EM-Champion 2 seasons ago for it's taste and production. That was in the hottest summer ever in Norway. Last year's summer was normal and much cooler. The production was still there, and the taste was superb. I conclude that the taste will vary with the temperature, and I've decided not to grow it in my sometimes-hot greenhouse.

Steve

[Greatgardens]

EM-Champion sounds very interesting, and DET to boot. How is EM-Champion about splitting and cracking?
Available from Russia on eBay, BTW.
-GG

[sjamesNorway]

EM-Champion sounds very interesting, and DET to boot. How is EM-Champion about splitting and cracking?
Available from Russia on eBay, BTW.
-GG

I had no problem with splitting or cracking.

Steve

[Tormahto]

EM-Champion sounds very interesting, and DET to boot. How is EM-Champion about splitting and cracking?
Available from Russia on eBay, BTW.
-GG

Now you've jinxed me.
I've had 2 consecutive years with no splitting or cracking of anything.

[Tormahto]

I've been searching through Tatiana's Tomatobase for determinate hearts and cannot arrive at a conclusion as to whether several varieties are determinate, semi-determinate, or compact indeterminate. It's a tough task, but finding, growing and tasting those tomatoes is something I could burden myself with.

Varieties found so far:

Bliznetsy (Determinate?/Regular Leaf/Pink/Heart?Oval?Plum?/8-16 ounces
Budenovka, Pink (S-Det/RL/Pi/H/20 oz
Bychiy Glaz (Det or S-Det/RL/Red/H/6-10 oz
Bychye Serdtse Khilenko (S-Det?/RL/Pi/H/10-12 oz
Bychie Serdtse Abakanskoe (S-Det/RL/Pi/H/up to 25 oz
Danko (Det/RL/Rd/H
EM Champion (Det/RL/Rd/H/ up to 24 oz (for me)
Grandpa's Cock's Plume (may not be the correct variety)
Kardinal (S-Det?/RL/Pi/H/6-10 oz
Lyubinyi Prazdnik (S-Det?,Det?/RL/Pi/H/6-10 oz
Monomakh's Hat (S-Det?,Det?/RL/Pi/H/ 1 lb

Don't expect perfect spelling.

[Labradors]

Tormato, I thought you grew ALL the hearts recently. Were these the ones that you missed? .

[Tormahto]

I've likely grown about half of all of the hearts that I know of. There are hundreds. From the above list I've grown "maybe" about half of them. It's just a guess, because some "seemed" to be not so compact indeterminates in my garden.

And, Grandpa's was not a heart. I last saw seed for that one more than a decade ago, except for 1 single pack (a wish list request) in the MMMM several years ago.

I've never even seen seed of Bliznetsy, Bychy Glaz, BS Khilenko, and Lyubinyi Prazdnik.

Eastern European hearts are very rare (in this corner of the world), compared to E E beefsteaks.

Maybe the N to Z's, in my continued search, will be more promising.

[Labradors]

Well keep up the good work in growing a gazillion hearts .

[Tormahto]

From the A to M's I missed this one:

Anzhela Gigant Ukrainskaya (Determinate/RL/Red/Heart/6 -16 oz

It seems like it might be almost a twin to EM Champion.

Maybe I'll have time next week to finish researching the N to Z's. And then to start on the Master Wish List.

Anyone care to guess what might be listed first, and by whom?

[Ginger2778]

The True North hearts series from Karen Olivier?

[imp]

Hmmm, something mud ball or calabash???