Lunar Eclipse - Lithium Sunset x Indigo Rose

PaddyMc · October 12, 2014

I'm calling this line Lunar Eclipse, a name inspired by the eclipse we had a couple weeks ago. The red moon in the black sky reminded me of this line. Long-term, I'm hoping for a very dark antho-shouldered fruit, with stripes on the bottom and a bicolor interior. Flavor is, obviously, a must.

Here's the parents:

Lithium Sunset. A more complete description is here

Indigo Rose - The popular antho saladette released by OSU. Good fruit and stem antho.

Here's the F2's

From top to bottom, left to right: JL1, JL3, JL4, JL5, FY 1-1, FY 1-2, FY1-3, FY 1-4, FY 1-5, FY1-6, FY 1-7

FY1-2 is the main one I'm carrying forward. It has the size, and while being probably the darkest antho tomato I've grown, it lacks the inky-antho taste. It's a great tasting fruit in general; in fact, earlier this season, I gave a chef buddy of mine a big bag of assorted tomatoes and he came back specifically for more of these. It's pink (rather than red) on the underside, which somewhat confirms for me the theory that antho+clear epidermis tastes better than antho+yellow epidermis.

JL3, The other one I'm going forward with. It's small, and has the antho taste, but it also has the stripes+antho combination I'm looking for. We'll just have to see what comes of it.

FY1-1, FY1-2, FY1-3

FY1-4, FY 1-5, FY1-6, FY1-7. I'll probably do a couple F3's from 1-4 because I like the subtle striping, and several from 1-5 because it had the second best taste, and I like the antho "tiger stripes". If anybody's interested I'd love some co-growers for 1-4 and 1-5 (or any of the others). I think they could be great, I just don't have room.

Dutch · October 12, 2014

Hi Mc. You do have my attention and I am thinking this over. I like want you are doing. Next year in a ways off yet and I just don't want to over commit myself right now. Thanks for the pictures too. I'll have to get back to you later. Thanks!
Dutch

PaddyMc · September 8, 2015

Some of my coolest tomatoes so far this year have come out of the Lunar Eclipse line. Taste is all over the place from pretty good to pretty awful. but they're all PRETTY.

I'll post a lot more taste reports at a later date

L 3-21. Taste winner so far for sure. Could be the "one" out of this line.

L 3-7 and L 3-4

FY 1-7

FY 1-9

FY 1-10

L 3-1

L 3-5

LindyAdele · September 9, 2015

Wow! These are just beautiful! It's clear you have a passion for this, I just wanted to comment that you are doing good work, and I look forward to seeing one or more of these beautiful varieties 'out there' for sale one day.

bower · September 9, 2015

I love the first one, L3-21, for a real 'eclipse in progress' look with the antho.

Cool!

heirloomtomaguy · September 15, 2015

Alright Paddy so spider mites decimated dang near every plant i had this year. I was able to get one tomato from the fy1-2 seeds you sent me. The flavor was that of a quinessential BLT tomato but with a creamy richness that would compliment a BLT. Interesting to me was the fact that the antho showed up in the mesocarp or flesh of the tomato and not in the exocarp or skin. I have grown a ton of antho varieties and have yet to see this. Here are a couple of pics.

PaddyMc · September 18, 2015

Awesome. I too saw the mesocarp antho in this line, I'll post some pics soon. Save me some seeds from your seg, since it sounds like it passes the taste test.

heirloomtomaguy · September 18, 2015

Already saved they are drying as we speak. I have a couple pics of the other lines you sent me i will post in the appropriate area soon.

Runescape · September 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaddyMc

L 3-1

That is one awesome photo...

Interesting cross you're working on though.

PaddyMc · February 24, 2016

L 3-21. Taste winner so far for sure. Could be the "one" out of this line.

Along with L 3-21, The other two I'm carrying forward for sure at FY 1-1 and FY 4-1
https://youtu.be/nO_afJCgVgc

The FY 1-1 is the most perfectly BLACK tomato I've ever grown (check out the video above,incredibly intense antho, combined with great, tangy taste. Far, far, better than most of the rest of the "Lunar Eclipse" (dark) types, which were largely tasteless this year (or worse, soft and tasteless). Plus the wild interior colors were a sweet suprise.

FY 4-1
Also very tasty, nicely balanced, and the looks are just about exactly what I was looking for. It was, however, very late to mature (as was FY 1-1) and it was a tiny plant, buried between two huge plants, so it produced exactly two fruit. But I'm carrying it on anyway.

Darren Abbey · February 26, 2016

I'm really liking the internal deposition of anthocyanins in some of these plants. It hints at anthocyanin expression without the sunlight trigger, which is what we'd need to eventually breed up a tomato with anthocyanins through and through.

Dutch · February 27, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaddyMc

The FY 1-1 is the most perfectly BLACK tomato I've ever grown (check out the video above,incredibly intense antho, combined with great, tangy taste. Far, far, better than most of the rest of the "Lunar Eclipse" (dark) types, which were largely tasteless this year (or worse, soft and tasteless). Plus the wild interior colors were a sweet suprise..

WOW! That is incredible!
Thank you so much for sharing the photos! You have found some great leads. You are quite a trailblazer! Thanks again!
Dutch

PaddyMc · October 12, 2016

Had a really mixed bag out of this cross this year. Taste was all over the place. It was either really good, or lousy. And the lousy ones mostly also had too soft a texture for my taste.
The exception to the above was the FYM sub-line, which were some of my best tomatoes this year. They were also really early, which is great for my climate.
here's the FYM line fruit -

FY 2-1 cool purple/red stripes, bicolor, EXCELLENT taste.

FY 2-6 taste 8/10, quite good

FY 2-8, taste was too bland to save

FY 2-7, FY 2-5. FY 2-7 was very early, with good citrus taste. 2-5 yell/red bicolor, also very early, but taste wasn't worth seed saving.

FY 1-5 very early

FY 1-1 very early, taste 8, smaller

L 4-1, 4-5, 4-3

L 4-3

PaddyMc · October 12, 2016

Here's the rest of the Lunar Eclipse seg's for 2016 --

FY 1-1. Super dark, black antho. bicolor inerior, great taste - 8/10

FY 1-3 DARK, bicolor, not as good as 1-1, 2nd choice

LI L-M. good flavor, lousy texture

FY 1-9

FY 4-1

FY 4-3 super pretty bicolor w/antho, weak taste.

L 4-13, 4-12, 4-18, 4-14. 4-13 bicolor, light antho, better taste. 4-12 early, no save.
4-14 very early, good taste. 4-18 no save.

4-19

L 4-16, 4-15, 4-3. 4-15 - acid+sweet taste! nice. 4-16 - sweeter.

FY 4-7 better flavor

L 4-3

L 4-14, 4-26. 4-26 had dark antho and too soft a texture.

L 4-17, T 2-4 (2), 4-13. 4-17 was productive with good taste, but all the fruit were small. T2-4 bicolor, productive, good plus taste, but small, maybe better than 4-17?

Allisa · October 13, 2016

Beautiful name and colors!!! I'm following this thread for it's unusual beauty! Thank you!

October 12, 2014	#1
PaddyMc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 241	Lunar Eclipse - Lithium Sunset x Indigo Rose I'm calling this line Lunar Eclipse, a name inspired by the eclipse we had a couple weeks ago. The red moon in the black sky reminded me of this line. Long-term, I'm hoping for a very dark antho-shouldered fruit, with stripes on the bottom and a bicolor interior. Flavor is, obviously, a must. Here's the parents: Lithium Sunset. A more complete description is here Indigo Rose - The popular antho saladette released by OSU. Good fruit and stem antho. Here's the F2's From top to bottom, left to right: JL1, JL3, JL4, JL5, FY 1-1, FY 1-2, FY1-3, FY 1-4, FY 1-5, FY1-6, FY 1-7 FY1-2 is the main one I'm carrying forward. It has the size, and while being probably the darkest antho tomato I've grown, it lacks the inky-antho taste. It's a great tasting fruit in general; in fact, earlier this season, I gave a chef buddy of mine a big bag of assorted tomatoes and he came back specifically for more of these. It's pink (rather than red) on the underside, which somewhat confirms for me the theory that antho+clear epidermis tastes better than antho+yellow epidermis. JL3, The other one I'm going forward with. It's small, and has the antho taste, but it also has the stripes+antho combination I'm looking for. We'll just have to see what comes of it. FY1-1, FY1-2, FY1-3 FY1-4, FY 1-5, FY1-6, FY1-7. I'll probably do a couple F3's from 1-4 because I like the subtle striping, and several from 1-5 because it had the second best taste, and I like the antho "tiger stripes". If anybody's interested I'd love some co-growers for 1-4 and 1-5 (or any of the others). I think they could be great, I just don't have room.

October 12, 2014	#2
Dutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b Posts: 1,831	Hi Mc. You do have my attention and I am thinking this over. I like want you are doing. Next year in a ways off yet and I just don't want to over commit myself right now. Thanks for the pictures too. I'll have to get back to you later. Thanks! Dutch __________________ "Discretion is the better part of valor" Charles Churchill The intuitive mind is a gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. But we have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. (paraphrased) Albert Einstein I come from a long line of sod busters, spanning back several centuries. Last edited by Dutch; October 14, 2014 at 09:20 AM. Reason: Added info

September 18, 2015	#8
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	Already saved they are drying as we speak. I have a couple pics of the other lines you sent me i will post in the appropriate area soon. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

February 24, 2016	#10
PaddyMc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 241	L 3-21. Taste winner so far for sure. Could be the "one" out of this line. Along with L 3-21, The other two I'm carrying forward for sure at FY 1-1 and FY 4-1 https://youtu.be/nO_afJCgVgc The FY 1-1 is the most perfectly BLACK tomato I've ever grown (check out the video above,incredibly intense antho, combined with great, tangy taste. Far, far, better than most of the rest of the "Lunar Eclipse" (dark) types, which were largely tasteless this year (or worse, soft and tasteless). Plus the wild interior colors were a sweet suprise. FY 4-1 Also very tasty, nicely balanced, and the looks are just about exactly what I was looking for. It was, however, very late to mature (as was FY 1-1) and it was a tiny plant, buried between two huge plants, so it produced exactly two fruit. But I'm carrying it on anyway. Last edited by PaddyMc; February 24, 2016 at 10:38 PM.

February 26, 2016	#11
Darren Abbey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 586	I'm really liking the internal deposition of anthocyanins in some of these plants. It hints at anthocyanin expression without the sunlight trigger, which is what we'd need to eventually breed up a tomato with anthocyanins through and through. __________________ http://the-biologist-is-in.blogspot.com

September 8, 2015	#3
PaddyMc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 241	Some of my coolest tomatoes so far this year have come out of the Lunar Eclipse line. Taste is all over the place from pretty good to pretty awful. but they're all PRETTY. I'll post a lot more taste reports at a later date L 3-21. Taste winner so far for sure. Could be the "one" out of this line. L 3-7 and L 3-4 FY 1-7 FY 1-9 FY 1-10 L 3-1 L 3-5

September 9, 2015	#4
LindyAdele Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 323	Wow! These are just beautiful! It's clear you have a passion for this, I just wanted to comment that you are doing good work, and I look forward to seeing one or more of these beautiful varieties 'out there' for sale one day.

September 9, 2015	#5
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I love the first one, L3-21, for a real 'eclipse in progress' look with the antho. Cool!

October 12, 2016	#13
PaddyMc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 241	Had a really mixed bag out of this cross this year. Taste was all over the place. It was either really good, or lousy. And the lousy ones mostly also had too soft a texture for my taste. The exception to the above was the FYM sub-line, which were some of my best tomatoes this year. They were also really early, which is great for my climate. here's the FYM line fruit - FY 2-1 cool purple/red stripes, bicolor, EXCELLENT taste. FY 2-6 taste 8/10, quite good FY 2-8, taste was too bland to save FY 2-7, FY 2-5. FY 2-7 was very early, with good citrus taste. 2-5 yell/red bicolor, also very early, but taste wasn't worth seed saving. FY 1-5 very early FY 1-1 very early, taste 8, smaller L 4-1, 4-5, 4-3 L 4-3

October 13, 2016	#15
Allisa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Oregon Posts: 176	Beautiful name and colors!!! I'm following this thread for it's unusual beauty! Thank you!