I planted a couple of Tomato plants in the Garden,close(24"-30") together. They are Rostova and Mortgage Lifter. The Mortgage lifter has what I consider normal flatter type of fruit. The fruits are all green except for one and that has ripened and is a larger Heart Shaped fruit similar to the Rostova. The tomatoes on the Rostova's are still green.

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If two varieties cross pollinate in this season you won't see the results of that until saved seeds are used next year.

So, no, at this point the heart looking ML is not the result of X pollination.

And while you say that the Rostova has heart shaped fruits, true Rostova doesn't. Tomatofest has been selling the wrong Rostova,( renamed Sunset Red Horizon by Gary) in a nutshell. And I'm sending some true Rostova to TGS for Linda to work with.

Environmental conditions can also cause fruits to appear heart shaped so if I were you I think I'd wait until you see more fruits on the ML being all pink, I presume.

There's an outside chance that the one fruit could be a result of what's called a somatic mutation, but that's a very remote possibility, so wait and see how the others on that plant turn out.

What was the source of your seeds for ML and Rostova?

I hope this helps.

Carolyn

Carolyn
I purchased the SRH seeds fron Tomatofest 2 years ago. I call it Rostova because you convinced me to stick with the name. The Mortgage Lifter seeds were gotten from a local PNWer.
Jim

Jim, that explains why you're getting heart shaped fruits from the TF Rostova, which I do call it b'c that's what it is. LOL

I think it was only the first year or two that the seeds sent out from TF were correct. Someone sent me the leftover seeds in a commercial pack from that time period and it was correct for Rostova and it's those seeds I'm sending to Linda at TGS and there are very few seeds left. Sigh

Prior to TF selling the seeds the correct Rostova was sold from the place where Gary got the seeds from but apparently even now they have few seeds and have to work up seed production from what I've read.

So watch the fruits on that ML and please do report back.

Carolyn

I'm wondering if you are referring to the RED Mortgage Lifter. I think I sent you a few seeds of that one last year.
I started saving the seeds each year from that variety, probably 8 yrs. ago or so, from a particularly vigorous, heavy bearing plant I bought at a local greenhouse. They have done very well for me each year since then.

Here is a picture of my largest Red Mortgage Lifter tomato this summer, and this has been the worst growing year I can ever remember.

Your right Owen it was you who sent me the Mortgage Lifter. After reading the your post I looked over an old notebook. My green ones look,shapewise, likeyour ML.The seeds I got from PNWers were Giant Belgium and Persimmon. The Persimmons are starting to ripen and they are Huge. I enclosed them in a large plastic covered cage about 4 weeks ago.