New Requests...

[Alan]

I know, I know, i've already got one thread so I'll keep this short.

What I am looking for is cherry, pear, and grape tomato diversity...........for mass crossing, selfing, and a genetically diverse gene bank to play with for next year.

What I would like to have:

Green Grape
Brown Berry
Any Currant types
Yellow cherry types
Gold/Orange Types

I would also like to get Lime Green Salad because I think it would market well with Mer De Noms and La Mer (Noir)

Let me know if you have anything like this, I am willing to trade or do SASE.
Thanks so much for your time guys,
Alan

[johno]

Alan, I had a strange volunteer pop up last spring. It had long trusses of red, bullet-shaped mini tomatoes. They tasted good, and the plant was potato leaf. I don't know how it could have arisen? It didn't make sense from the ones I had grown there before, and I don't recall buying grape tomatoes at the grocery store (which may have ended up in the compost.) It's really a total mystery to me. Anyway, it's still alive, and if it makes any more toms, I'll save you some seeds. Might be a good wild card for you...

[Alan]

I appreciate it Johno and will definetly be interested in growing out this "wild card" which sounds like a good name for future progeny of the tomato if it proves alluring- Johno's "Wild Card" Grape Tomato!

Keep me updated on that and the cheesemans friend, let me know when their headed this way so I can rush to the mailbox with giddy, childlike, seed-Joy!

[johno]

I believe Cheeseman's is on it's way.

I just went out to give Wild Card a closer examination (and round up its neighboring Fish peppers for my chickens...) There are new flowers, since we finally got some rain (accidentally leaving the hose on full blast in the underground watering system all night last week probably didn't hurt, either...) Maybe there will be fresh fruits soon? It hadn't been fruiting lately because of the environmental conditions, like most of the toms. But there were some 'cling-ons.'

I noticed most of the little dried fruits still clinging to the vine had blown out the bottoms to release the seed. So, there were very few that were still whole and (hopefully) contained seed. I gathered those - a small handfull - and put them in a cup with a little water. They should ferment, and I'll save whatever seeds are there. I don't expect it will be many.

I also looked all around the base of the plant for seedlings, which seem to be springing up all over elsewhere in the garden (especially under cherry types.) There were none. Perhaps a critter has been keeping this plant tidy for me? I'll keep watching.

There is, however, a branch in contact with the ground which is loaded with roots - should I take it as a clone and try growing it indoors? I don't expect a frost for another month, but you never know...

[johno]

Picture of 'Wild Card' from one of the first trusses.



I interplant heavily, so don't be confused by the Aconcagua pepper leaf in the left foreground and the Orca bean flower in the right background...

[downinmyback]

They do look like Elfin to me ( a OP version of a grape tomato with the roping of the fruits.) Are they thick skins or thin skin.

[Alan]

It's definetly a pretty little tomato and I'm definetly interested in growing it out, I really like the shape, it doesn't look exactly Grape. Keep me up to date friend.
-Alan

[johno]

I guess I'd say the skins are a little toward the thick end of the scale, but more somewhere in the middle. Elfin was the closest thing I could find that would have explained the mystery, except that we don't buy grape tomatoes, and I've never bought Elfin seeds. Is Elfin potato leaf?

My best guess is that it might have been a cross between Roma and Tommy Toe, which were both grown in that area, but that was at least TWO years ago. I would be very surprised if the seeds waited a year to germinate, much less survived that long at the soil's surface.

[johno]

Okay... On the first try, no seeds were yielded from the standard fermentation technique. Just now, I found two ripe fruits and decided to try again. Since there were just two, I opened and squished them by hand instead of smashing the whole mess together. I found zero seeds! Is this perhaps a result of present climate, or are there other seedless tomatoes?

[Alan]

I know Jim Meyers from Oregon State University is notorious for breeding plants which set fruit in cool weather and without pollination, thus no seeds, don't take my word for it but I think they call that particular trait parthenocarpic

Here is a link about some of those:
www.liseed.org/rambl_OSU_trials.html

Maybe you have a sport or cross of something like this, or the plant is just in a hurry to produce ripe fruit before frost and or is experiencing some kind of disease or malnutrition. Just a couple guesses.

Strange indeed.
-Alan

[redbrick]

John, I'd definitely root a clone or two of Wild Card! Sounds like you might lose it otherwise.

[johno]

So, what's the best way to root tomato cuttings? I've been experimenting, but disappointed... My best method so far is compost and perlite in the tall cell 6 packs.

[jeannine]

Johno, I also have had very dissappointing results with rooting the cuttings from the 'cherry' types. You mentioned that one of the branches was on the ground and putting out roots....I'd try to get that section in a pot or some such container asap. I would think that if the root system isn't too developed and you get a good dig on it, replant the pot until it stablizes some, later you could nip the branch with little shock to the new plant. Then bring it in for the winter and hopefully you can try again next year for seed. Best of Luck with this new project!
Jeannine

Alan, I have some of the Brown Berry seeds for ya! I only planted a single plant, and we had a dismal year for the garden this year but I'm sure I can set you up with enough to get some diversity. I can send some seed from the packet ( from Winter Sown ) and some from my garden. Over all I thought it was a nice tomato, didn't produce like I'm used to but then a very odd year with weather so next year it will get another chance to see how it does. If you'd like more precise info on what I thought of the fruit let me know. If you can spare some Mr. Stripeys in trade.....my DH would be ever so thrilled
Jeannine

[americangardener]

Wild card is probably the offspring from a hybrid. Quite often when seeds are saved from hybrids they will grow out to be some type of cherry tomaotes.

Now Alan, how's your search for Cherry types going? I have a few that i could trade you for something if you'd like.

Since you metioned currant types.. i have one variety that i grew in trials this season from Hungary called Csereznyealaku. Now i grew 7 plants from these seeds and 6 of the 7 were small currant type tomaotes... Long trusses of 20 or more and thousands of fruit on each plant. I harvested 300 in one day from one plant. These are fairly tall plants.. i'd say aprox. 9 ft and still growing and obviously indeterminate. They were also very early season.. one of the earliest of over 300 tomato types i trialed this season.

Now the 7th plant was different. This one is a slightly smaller plant... i'm guessing 6 ft. maybe 7. It has trusses of 7-14 fruits that are averaging about an inch in diameter and aprox 1/2 to 3/4 oz. in weight. Had heavy fruitset early on in the season and is now dying out. I'm assuming this would be a semi-determinate variety. This one is very sweet, one of the sweetest i've ever tried.

Ok.. i don't know why i would get two obviously different types of plants from one packet of seeds, but if you would like to try some i did save each type seperately.

I also have some Canary Island which is a very productive cherry type. And i have Siten Star from Hungary, which is also a very productive plant.

And since you mentioned Pear types I have one name D-P-R-O-S-Y which is aprox. 2 inches long, yellow, pear shaped and aprox 1-2 oz in weight. This one plant i had in trials was fairly light fruitset, but then again all my plants suffered with this severe drought this season.

If you are still looking i would be glad to trade for anything you could spare from your collection.

Dave

[Alan]

Youve got a new Private message friend! I'm definetly interested.
-alan