Dr. Carolyn Cherry Question

10 years ago

Got my seeds from Tatiana's Seed Catalog. This is the ivory version of Dr. Carolyn, not the pink.

Very robust grower but tomatoes are mealy without flavor. I've read that the pink variety is unstable, but the ivory is stable and gives the tastiest fruit. It's been rainy this year so maybe that's partly to blame.

Has anyone else had this experience with the ivory version of Dr. Carolyn? Maybe it's just the first fruit and taste will improve as more ripen, but I was really looking forward to this tomato. It is certainly very vigorous.

smithmal

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Comments (4)

carolyn137
10 years ago
I'm sorry you find them mealy without flavor. I guess not too many peopled do b/c there are what, 11 sources for seed noted in the link below and that's a lot for a single variety.

Since it has Galina genes in it, the taste is very good. And note that I did not name this variety, didn't even know Steve Draper did until I opened the SSE YEarbok when he first listed it.

The pink version sent to me is unstable only with regard to the size of the fruits. Some prefer the smaller size, which is the same as the original, and some prefer the larger sized cherry.

The exciting issue to me is that Dr. Carolyn, the tomato, led to Green Doctors and Green Doctors Frosted, as you can see from the link below.

I don't know wny yours are mealy, and tasteless, based on the link as well as the many listings in the SSE Yearbooks, so I can't be of help with that. Although MD has had their share of torrential rains just as I have here in upstate NY.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr. Carolyn
digdirt2
10 years ago
Any variety can go mealy and flavorless. It is caused by environmental conditions, not the variety itself. Too much water/rain, lack of sun/warmth, very inconsistent soil moisture levels (excessively dry followed by excessively wet), nutrient levels, etc..

It would probably be more apparent in the cherry sized fruit.

Dave
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daisydawnny
10 years ago
I have grown the pink for 3 or more years and love it....awesome ! It is a must have for me,
smithmal
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the responses. Agree that all tomato flavors can differ from year to year. I just wanted to make sure that I understood this variety's "temperaments" within the growing season as well as from year to year. My research indicates that between the pink version and ivory version, the ivory is the most consistent between the two in regards to color and flavor.

This growing year has noted certain varieties in my garden having low flowering vs. others as well as slowed ripening. I do know that the Dr. C variety takes longer to ripen than a typical cherry variety (75 days) and was thinking maybe the first ones off the plant are milder in flavor than the later ones.

In my garden this variety has flowered and produced fruit well and the plant is very vigorous so I'm hoping that it's flavor will improve as it seems to do well in my garden and I'd like to keep it in my rotation.

smithmal