Indigo Cherry Drops
 

I added Indigo Cherry Drops to my 2016 grow list that will feature 8 cherries, not including the dwarf project cherries. I had no interest in any blue tomato after all I've read about the flavor, but after reading a thread here where Fred heaped heavy praise on this variety I decided to add it because it looks awesome too. Anyone growing Indigo Cherry Drops in 2016?

Related question, the variety is PVP. If I understand correctly I can still save seeds I just can't sell them. Can I use saved seed in a trade?

I will be growing Indigo Cherry Drops and Indigo Apple. I'm interested in Blue and Black varieties for here in Texas where we get almost too much sun. Last spring, we grew Helsing ★★★★★★★★ Blue that produced a lot of nice looking tomatoes. They were garden conversation material and tasted good - a pretty balanced taste. If you want some seeds - I've saved a lot of them.

[URL]http://articles.extension.org/pages/18449/intellectual-property-protection:-what-do-i-need-to-know-when-growing-and-breeding-organic-crops-and[/URL]

I provided that link because the document is written by Dr. Jim Myers, Oregon State University, who I think is the breeder of Indigo Cherry Drops (you may verify that, as I may be mistaken).

There is a section of the document specifically addressing PVP restrictions.

If you have specific questions after reading the document, you should call or email Dr. Myers and ask him rather than depend upon the various comments and interpretations you may get from other online tomato growers and seed swappers. I have found Dr. Myers to be very exact in expressing his expectations and limitations regarding the sharing of his protected varieties and breeding lines.

Well, of course, the protection is intended for commercial use and sale. If you save seeds for yourself and wont try to sell it is not against the law.
The breeders who want a real protection, keep it as F1 and won't tell you who the parents are.

Gardeneer

Salt, I look forward to seeing your results in TX and how they compare to mine in WI. Thanks for the offer of seed, but I've got my 2016 garden space all filled.

Travis, thanks for the link. After reading it, it was not entirely clear, so I emailed him. In my email, I asked if minds if I share his reply with others.

Within that link you read things like:

"The farmers’ exemption allows farmers to save seed from their crop for their own use, including further propagation."

Which makes me think you could save them.

And then there are things like:
"Recent court decisions in the United States have expanded the scope of traditional utility patents to cover living organisms, including plants, plant parts, and plant-breeding processes. To be granted a utility patent, the variety, trait, or procedure must be novel, useful, and non-obvious to one skilled in the art of plant breeding.

The utility patent holder can exclude others from propagating, growing, using, or selling the protected material, without permission, for 17 to 20 years. There is no researcher’s or farmers’ exemption, so protected material cannot be used without permission in a breeding program or be saved for personal use by farmers."

So who knows. We'll see if he replies.

Justin

I am also going to grow ICD in PNW, along with Indigo Apple. I grew Indigo Rose this year and it did real well. We shall see how ICD will do in 2016 season.
Gardeneer

[QUOTE=Gardeneer;516388]I am also going to grow ICD in PNW, along with Indigo Apple. I grew Indigo Rose this year and it did real well. We shall see how ICD will do in 2016 season.
Gardeneer[/QUOTE]

Great, so we've got 3 very different parts of the country represented with this variety.

I plan on growing it next year. I'm in WI though...so no new spots :)

[QUOTE=BackyardFarm;516394]I plan on growing it next year. I'm in WI though...so no new spots :)[/QUOTE]

Seems to be a popular variety for 2016. I'm in southern Dane county, this tomato will be grown in my slightly raised bed in full sun, which is sounds like sun makes them turn more blue/black--what's your setup?

I'm about 90 minutes north of Madison in Adams County. I'm going to put it in an Earthtainer on a south facing very sunny patio along with my other cherries. I plan on trialing Indigo Cherry Drops, Dancing with Smurfs, Blue Berries, and Amethyst Cream for the next three years to find my favorite anthro cherry.

I think I'll be sending seeds via the MMMM swap to about 40 people.

Not sure if they'll all trial it.

[QUOTE=Tormato;516465]I think I'll be sending seeds via the MMMM swap to about 40 people.

Not sure if they'll all trial it.[/QUOTE]

You are the Johnny Apple of ICD. :cute:

I am going to be growing it in the spring also. I have stayed away from the blue tomatoes because the ones I had tasted just were not very good. When Fred Hempel gave it such a recommendation and I saw that I could get it from High Mowing Seeds I felt like it was meant to be on my 2016 grow list.

Received this variety in the swap and am thinking of growing it this season, although I had more or less given up on the blue ones .. at least I'll have some eye candy :)

My Indigo Cherry Drop seedlings are looking good. I grew J&L Garden's Painted Pink last fall. It had the blue shoulders but a rosey pink body. It was the prettiest cherry I have ever grown and everyone loved it both for looks and flavor. I decided to grow both this spring so I can compare the two. I am hoping ICD will do as well as the Painted Pink did.