Something New in the Tomato Patch

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

Often, I have allowed a volunteer tomato to grow each year. I have never, ever gained a proper reward from this.

There is just too good a chance that they are a hybrid's offspring. Only once, was ripening anywhere close to those transplants that I set out each year as well. I have hardly had a chance to taste ripe tomatoes from these volunteers but understand that this was just one thing I'd have to accept from the effort, messing around with F2 offspring.

This year, I will continue the deliberate dehybridizing of a friend's saved seed from a LB. I dislike the name, not wanting my yellow beefsteak tomatoes to taste like citrus. But, there is also that patent thing that the government went along with several years ago where I'm feeling like an outlaw if'n I allow a volunteer plant to grow in my garden.

I'm calling this one General Mischief and the 2 plants I started in the greenhouse and set out last year performed really well! It was a terrible tomato season and those plants came through!

There are a number of open-pollinated varieties in my tomato patch each year. Do you have success with those? Have you seen them change from accidental cross-pollination. Do you grow some that are hybrid offspring, hoping for a worthwhile "something new?"

Steve ツ

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Comments (4)

david52 Zone 6
11 years ago
Not so much with tomatoes, Steve, the few volunteers I've let grow have come true to the parents. Your Casey's Yellow came back two years in a row.

I did have some very interesting inadvertent F3 pepper hybrids going, but had to throw all that out with the mild mottled virus. F1 Winter squash, not so good either. The fruit looks wonderful but tasted Gawd-awful.
Golden David
11 years ago
My tomato volunteers I usually leave alone and usually can pull 1-4 ripe fruits and a dozen or so green off them by October. I have chalked this up to them getting late starts, but maybe there's more to it.
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digit (ID/WA, border)
Original Author
11 years ago
I had several real good years with the Casey's. The last two, the weather just blew them apart!

I'd like to continue to have them and I'm not pleased about going with a "tougher" yellow variety if it comes down to that. Dr. Wyches would be fine and they seemed to be tuff enuf when I grew them ... just not early enuf.

I'm wondering if I'm gonna continue to be happy with Gary O Sena or if the health of those plants are just a result of a continuing hybrid vigour from the cross, several years ago. I guess I'm more of a believer in vigor than acclamation ...

Steve
digit (ID/WA, border)
Original Author
11 years ago
goldenz5: "My tomato volunteers I usually leave alone and usually can pull 1-4 ripe fruits and a dozen or so green off them by October. I have chalked this up to them getting late starts, but maybe there's more to it."

I don't know that there is anything beyond that late start. I do wonder, at times, how that seed happens to be left in the previous year.

I'm resentful of any plant that can't ripen fruit, if it comes down to that. I don't feel it's holding up its end of the bargain ...

Steve