dwarf project at tomatoville

[johno]

Woohoo!
Looks like I'll be taking part in the dwarf tomato breeding experimants at tomatoville! They have some extra 'Doc' F2 seeds for me to grow out. I can't wait. ;D

Good thing I'm moving corn out to other people's gardens, or I wouldn't have had room... I will be growing mostly tomatoes this year...

[lavandulagirl]

Good luck! I wish I had the space for grow outs and hybridizations and all that. I have to feed my inner mad scientist in different ways... sigh.

[Alan]

Good luck Johno and most importantly have fun. I've been following the project pretty closely at tomatoville and I think it's a great thing that Patrina and Craig are working on with everyone. One of these days I sould like to grow out some of the stabalized stuff.
-Alan

[johno]

I got my "doc" F2 seeds today...

[johno]

So, about 1/4 of these Doc seedlings should be dwarfs. The remainder will be large indeterminates of variable characteristics, descended from Kellogs Breakfast, Akers W.V., and Budai (the dwarf parent.) I won't have room to grow the indeterminates, which will number around 30+. Any suggestions on what to do with them? I don't want to sell them, as they will be mixed-breed mystery plants. I guess I'll give them away... What would you do with them?

[downinmyback]

I would give them to my friend s with their understanding that they will be unstable but interesting plants. Since nobody is getting rich off of these new varieties but just fulfilling a need to create new varities. I think this project is fun to read about because of people not finding what was expected and finding new possibles.

[johno]

I finally got most of my current seedlings transplanted so as to free up a peat pellet flat for my 'doc's. I'll have them seeded tomorrow, after I re-sterilize the flats.

[downinmyback]

Keep us posted on them as they grow this season.

[johno]

I sowed 72 'Doc' seeds. Statistically, 18 of them will be dwarves, and 54 will be large, oddball indeterminates.

Maybe I can use them as a marketing initiative at The Heirloom Seed Shop? "Buy two plants at regular price, get one mystery tomato free!"

[johno]

Well, 40+ have germinated so far, and more every day. Out of the ones that are big enough to tell, at least 7 are dwarves. They are really dark green and look healthy.

[bluelacedredhead]

So Johno, What did you decide to do with the extra plants??

[johno]

I don't know... It occured to me that maybe unstable hybrid breeding experiments aren't the best thing to give away at the Heirloom Seed Shop... Maybe I'll cowbird them at my Dad's garden to keep an eye on any interesting ones. Wait, no, that area is already earmarked for my corn (I couldn't help myself!)

[bluelacedredhead]

It occured to me that maybe unstable hybrid breeding experiments aren't the best thing to give away at the Heirloom Seed Shop

Or, they might be a good way to show customers why you shouldn't :'(attempt to save seed from hybrids and steer them in the direction of OP seeds. Learning Tool, so to speak.

[landarc]

Johno, I would think growing them out would be interesting and you never know, some pretty interesting tomatoes have been popping up. I am not working on that project, but have followed it with interest. Blue, the idea is to grow out OP dwarf maters. They are all hybridized, generic plant term, from OP maters. The term hybrid as applies to general hort. resulting in a stable cross that comes true in future breedings and not the specific tomato term which indicates a forced cross that will generally not come true. Essentially, all the tomatoes we now grow are hybrids to some degree.

[johno]

Yeah, it would be interesting to see what pops up in the non-dwarves. I finally got a tractor lined up for the Heirloom Seed Shop today - maybe I'll just have to plant them out there where I can keep an eye on them...