Ron,

I hope you got my return PM a few days ago. I would love to try them. Will the fresh seed be from the original F! or from a clone grown plant which is still F1, or from an F2 plant?

Ted

[QUOTE=dipchip2000;221255]Here is a couple of pictures of some of the Carbon Copy that I picked this morning. I also included a regular size Carbon from a different plant for a true size comparison. The Carbon Copy plant has no large tomatoes on it and is loaded with the smaller fruits. All of my plants were planted the same day(about 80 plants) and these ripened before Kimberley,Stupice, and even SunGold. They continue to set fruit even in 100 degree weather. I have detached 6 suckers and put them in containers hoping to root more plants for the fall garden. I am saving seeds to plant more of these next year and can only hope that they can be reproduced.
thanks for looking

ron[/QUOTE]

So, did the regular Carbon tomato set fruit in 100° F. weather, too?

Shule

Carbon tomatoes slow way down when temps reach low 90s but will still set a few fruit. The fruit that has already been set will grow and prosper in the higher heat.
Carbon Copy never slows down at high temps or at lower temps. With good soil it will produce an abundance of tomatoes from early season till disease or frost kills the plant. In 2015 I was still picking Carbon Copys in the first week of December but the flavor was not quite as good as in high heat. Hope this helps

ron

@ron

Yes! That helps a lot. Thank you. :) Is Carbon Copy drought-tolerant, too?

Shule, I grew 4 vines of Carbon Copy F2 back in 2012, when the project first began.

2012 here was the hottest, driest summer on record for S.W. Indiana ... several weeks in a row with temps above 95*F, two weeks running 95 - 108*F, and exceptional drought, which is a step above extreme drought.

The vines did not succumb. I only watered them once per month that summer due to the well running dry at the farm where I had cowbirded 60 plants on a chicken ranch.

They also set fruit, cherry to small cocktail size depending on the plant, up to about 98*F daytime temps.

@travis I've been to Evansville. :) I lived in Jasper for a bit (and south of Evansville in Kentucky). 108° F. sure is hot for there! :) I think it usually just got to 100 while I was there, which was still hot, especially with the humidity we had then. Thanks for the information! I'm glad I received this variety. I've been wondering what Carbon tastes like, too. So, this should give me a really good idea by the sound of it.

[QUOTE=shule1;535962]@travis I've been to Evansville. :) I lived in Jasper for a bit (and south of Evansville in Kentucky). 108° F. sure is hot for there! :) I think it usually just got to 100 while I was there, which wKhot, especially with the humidity we had then. Thanks for the information! I'm glad I received this variety. I've been wondering what Carbon tastes like, too. So, this should give me a really good idea by the sound of it.[/QUOTE]

Shule, I lived in Mississippi until I was 14, and worked in cotton fields during the summers, and neverexperienced extended drought and heat to the extent of 2012 in Evansville. It was even worse that summer in Western Kentucky that summer.

As to Carbon Copy, it was a cross between Carbon and a sweet red cherry tomato. So whatever you grow probably will not replicate Carbon for flavor exactly.

I just grew those four vines to increase the seeds for the fellow who made the cross and then sent him seeds from the better examples. I've only grown it once since then, an F3 plant or two gave me some really nice purple or black cocktail tomatoes.

[QUOTE=shule1;535962]@travis I've been to Evansville. :) I lived in Jasper for a bit (and south of Evansville in Kentucky). 108° F. sure is hot for there! :) I think it usually just got to 100 while I was there, which wKhot, especially with the humidity we had then. Thanks for the information! I'm glad I received this variety. I've been wondering what Carbon tastes like, too. So, this should give me a really good idea by the sound of it.[/QUOTE]

Shule, I lived in Mississippi until I was 14, and worked in cotton fields during the summers, and never experienced extended drought and heat to the extent of 2012 in Evansville. It was even worse that summer in Western Kentucky that summer.

As to Carbon Copy, it was a cross between Carbon and a sweet red cherry tomato. So whatever you grow probably will not replicate Carbon for flavor exactly.

I just grew those four F2 vines to increase the seeds for the fellow who made the cross and then sent him seeds from the better examples. I've only grown it once since then, an F3 plant or two gave me some really nice purple or black cocktail tomatoes.

This makes me happy as I'm trying CC for the first time and the reviews have been great. I grow in grow bags, so being tolerant of dry conditions is a big factor, as they dry out fast. Really looking forward to growing this one!
Sharon

I grew Carbon Copy for the first time last summer. Very wet June and July, followed by a dry Aug. - Oct. This tomato likes it dry and performed like a cherry should. I bent down a hog panel into a half circle and planted a C. Copy on one end and cucumbers on the other. I was able to walk under the panel and pick both cucs and cherries. Another plant went into a rebar cage. Both produced until November. This tomato was prone to cracking, even during dry periods. I grew several varieties of cherries and few cracked other than C. Copy.

Anything bad I say about this tomato is far surpassed by the good. After growing cherries for decades, this tomato goes to the top of the list for one reason. Without a doubt, the best taste in the garden last year.

Yes, cracking, splitting and bursting can be a big problem when you cross a cherry with a thin skinned purple or black heirloom type. I had so much of that with Indian Stripe x Sun Gold that I gave up completely with any of the segregates.

On the other hand, I crossed Jaune Flamme x Sun Gold and had great success, nearly no cracking in the various recombinations. Also, Kumato x Sunchocola gave several recombinations that don't crack or split.

But yes, the cocktail size recombinations I got in the Carbon Copy F3s did tend to split in wet weather. Pick them half ripe, and that takes care of the problem.

Here is hoping that CC is a tasty one because I have at 5 plants up and growing along!

I generally pick them at or shortly after first blush. As Travis said they are prone to cracking with the Spring showers or rain. I have solved this by picking early and let them ripen on counter like any other tomato.


Imp
You better have lots of help to pick tomatoes, I plant 10 plants of CC and harvest gallons 2 or 3 times a week. Depending on the weather any year, if your other tomatoes do well, this tomato will do outstanding.

ron

[QUOTE=dipchip2000;536235]I generally pick them at or shortly after first blush. As Travis said they are prone to cracking with the Spring showers or rain. I have solved this by picking early and let them ripen on counter like any other tomato.


Imp
You better have lots of help to pick tomatoes, I plant 10 plants of CC and harvest gallons 2 or 3 times a week. Depending on the weather any year, if your other tomatoes do well, this tomato will do outstanding.

ron[/QUOTE]

Did I understand correctly that you've planted 600 seeds and not seen an albino, but that three people, each planting a few seeds, had a "ghost" in the bunch? Or are there more?

Carolyn's mention of temperature related variegation made me wonder if this might be something this variety was more likely to express if the seedlings were germinated or grown in colder temps and/or if another appeared whether it might be worth a try to warm its environment and see if that made a difference. Just a thought, but might be interesting for those growing it to have the possibility tucked in some corner of their minds, just in case.

If one of the ghosts *could* mature to fruit production, even if via response to warmth or as a result of a successful graft it would certainly be interesting to see what came of its seeds. Thought I'd mention it here as the variety isn't obvious to those seeing the albino thread unless they've read the whole thing.

I believe it was two people had the albino seedlings. I've only started about 18 CC or so but they are among the most vigorous and healthy looking of all my seedlings.