Saving Seed...from a large fruit?

[murihikukid]

Hi...I have a simple question and I would be very grateful for any information....
I have a Tomato plant and on a cluster that are coming ripe is ONE unusually large fruit..

Will I be wise in over ripening this fruit and saving its seeds...?

Reason being fruit on this seasons plants are too small and maybe the seeds from this one fruit will create new plants with large fruit next season....or is this not correct..or at least a try...Thanks Ron

[rhines81]

I wouldn't necessarily let it over ripen ... try it to see if you like the taste and texture, etc... before you decide to save the seed.

Is it a hybrid??

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by murihikukid

Hi...I have a simple question and I would be very grateful for any information....
I have a Tomato plant and on a cluster that are coming ripe is ONE unusually large fruit..

Will I be wise in over ripening this fruit and saving its seeds...?

Reason being fruit on this seasons plants are too small and maybe the seeds from this one fruit will create new plants with large fruit next season....or is this not correct..or at least a try...Thanks Ron

If it's only ONE large fruit on a truss, and it looks like the other small ones as to color, etc, I would assume it was the result of a somatic mutation,those are permanent and heritable, as opposed to seed mutations, so let it ripen up at least 1/2 to 3/4 up towards the stem end, and then save those seeds and process them.

Carolyn

[murihikukid]

Hi...Yes it is a Tasty Tom which is a Hybrid and the plant itself is from a cutting...Yes it has all the colour/shape etc of others....including one I have just picked but 1/2 its size..and its from one of the plants I grew from seed from last seasons Tasty Toms purchased from a garden centre ..and its got a great taste....The largest Garden centre is now growing Tasty Toms under anther name and I purchased mature plants and they are looking pretty good .....
Hopefully I can get my own seed bank from this seasons crop...I have no faith in seed suppliers here...IE I never knew Midnights were a small globe fruit and thats what mine are producing ??

Thanks for your advice ..its really appreciated...Regards Ron

[zipcode]

The first reason for a bigger fruit is a fused bloom, which one can recognize by out of ordinary shape. Saving seed from that will not help you with your goal.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by zipcode

The first reason for a bigger fruit is a fused bloom, which one can recognize by out of ordinary shape. Saving seed from that will not help you with your goal.

Please reread Ron's post #4 since I already asked him what this larger one looked like and, well, he agreed,it was the same as the other fruits although much bigger,

I wouldn't say that the 1'st reason for a bigger fruit is a fused,aka megabloom,I think I also mentioned the difference between a somatic and a seed mutation in my answer as well.

Carolyn

[BigVanVader]

I always save seeds from the biggest fruit as long as the other traits are all agreeable. I'm convinced it works.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Murihikukid, you say the plant is a Tasty Tom, and is a hybrid. You won't get Tasty Tom seeds from a hybrid plant. You will get F2 seeds and F2 plants that may not resemble Tasty Toms at all. With hybrid plants, you need to buy the F1 seeds or buy the plants.

Nan

[murihikukid]

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

Murihikukid, you say the plant is a Tasty Tom, and is a hybrid. You won't get Tasty Tom seeds from a hybrid plant. You will get F2 seeds and F2 plants that may not resemble Tasty Toms at all. With hybrid plants, you need to buy the F1 seeds or buy the plants.

Nan

Hi..Yes I understand this (at least sort of)....Thats why I saved seed from last season ?? Just to try out and see what happens .....
Unfortunately it seems I cannot rely on anybody here and have explained this in a follow up post ...Regards Ron

[murihikukid]

Hi...Well heres my story..I will try to make it short....Just over a year ago (early Jan 2017) I purchased 5 Tasty Tom (Mature) plants from a local (A) gardening centre ...They were great so I asked the growing Company in an email if these would be available this season....Answer_YES...So I contacted the same local gardening centre and told them that I required the same Tasty Tom Mature plants again ...that I had contacted the growing company and they hoped they would become available aprox the end of October....
I said please do not let me down as my whole growing season is based around getting these Mature Tasty Tom Plants ...
So I waited til the gardening centre contacted me (while I reminded them when visiting) ....

Meantime I had made a telephone enquiry re a fertilizer from another (B) Garden Centre and during this I was asked by the lady if there was anything else.....I just happened to ask "do you get mature Tomato Plants in IE Tasty Toms" ....Yes was the reply do you want us to ring you when we get them... to which I replied yes but I could not guarantee a sale as there were factors like quality and price that I needed to be aware of.....

Subsequently about 3 - 4 weeks later I received a phone call from the same lady telling me "MY" mature Tasty toms were there ....The "my" surprised me ? However I asked about growth and price....but immediately when I was told $29.99 per plant was the price I declined..
I thought that if they had them the other Gardening centre (A) would to as both were supplied by the same grower......
Well I kept making enquiries to (A) even explaining to the manager that (B) had mature plants
so basicly what was going on ??

Well subsequently their inaction to my concerns and because I needed plants led me to discuss my situation with (C) ...a complete garden centre who grew their own plants ....YES we can supply you with Mature Tasty Toms @ $15 each but we no longer call them Tasty Toms but by another name....they will be ready in aprox 3 weeks....Now I sought clarification on the change of name and was assured I was buying Tasty Toms ....
So I made a final effort to get clarification from gardening centre (A) re my getting Tasty Toms from them and realised I was wasting my time so I advised them I was no longer interested and ordered 6 plants from (C) and these duly arrived about 3 weeks later and photos were put up of them in a post on tomatoville ...I was concerned about the green and hardness of the plants...

Anyway I transplanted them and fed them with Miracle Gro and then Phostrogen and was quite happy til 2 days ago a few fruit turned ripe....for me to taste
I might be old but I still have taste and this fruit was bland and nothing like a Tasty Tom.
So I feel devastated cause i have worked so hard on my Tomatoes .....Just to make sure I am correct I have a friend who is growing Tasty toms bought from (A) and he will do a taste test for me as against my so called Tasty Toms....When I have some to give him...

So I am now hoping I can grow some cuttings from two Tasty Tom plants that I purchased from (A) back in September that are Tasty toms....

I feel that I have been up front and done nothing wrong yet have ended up in a situation I do not like ....It appears here in New Zealand I have no safe guard against these people...

So heres a photo of the Tomato I will save seed from as long as the other smaller one on the truss tastes right ...My friend says his Tasty Toms are quite Big...So I might have to do some trading with him..as well....

Regards Ron.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Wow, Ron, I'm sorry to hear that! Yes, your best bet would be to grow cuttings from plants from "A".

Now if your tomatoes (from C) and your friend's tomatoes (from A) all taste alike, it could be the weather. Weather can do horrible things to the taste of a tomato.

I feel for you... so much time, effort, & $$ but so little reward.

Nan

[murihikukid]

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

Wow, Ron, I'm sorry to hear that! Yes, your best bet would be to grow cuttings from plants from "A".

Now if your tomatoes (from C) and your friend's tomatoes (from A) all taste alike, it could be the weather. Weather can do horrible things to the taste of a tomato.

I feel for you... so much time, effort, & $$ but so little reward.

Nan

Hi..Yes the weather has been "tropical" ...I even blame it for my feeling unwell..Now I bought 2 Tasty Toms ..from (A) as soon as they arrived in..the date I have was Sept 4th 2017....They are now well grown but I feel they had problems as well when purchased ...One in particular had a leaf curl right from when I got it and thats why I asked if leaf curl could be a virus ...So its producing ripe fruit although they are small and that is what really alerted me...the difference in taste from the fruit on (C) plants which I have just been able to taste.......
Tasty tom has the exact shape of Campari which I believe can be bought in the USA...but my friend and myself both agree at a taste last season Tasty Tom although very similar to Campari has an extra tomato bite taste......I would at a guess say the ??? from (C) have a lot less bite than campari...

I have completely lost faith in these people and thats why I am going to cut them out of the loop completely hopefully by growing late cuttings inside and using cuttings from them for next seasons greenhouse...
Regards Ron...

I wonder if any viewers have ever grown "Midnight"...If so could they tell me and I could put a photo up of my "Midnight" fruit...

[zipcode]

Well, wait until second truss to judge taste. Often the first fruits are not at their best mostly I think due to total leaf surface vs fruit amount.

As for naming, I assume one needs a certain license to sell these as Tasty Tom, so they could indeed be the same seeds but cheaper without the license.

[Cole_Robbie]

I have to wonder if the plants you are growing are Tasty Tom F2 - as in somebody got tired of paying for seed and saved seed from a hybrid.

What is the problem in getting seeds mailed to you? I'm sure it's technically illegal, but that is the same almost everywhere. The worst that I have ever seen happen is that the seeds get confiscated by customs. But there are many people on this site successfully mailing seeds across international borders. It works. I will send you some seed myself if you like.

[murihikukid]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I have to wonder if the plants you are growing are Tasty Tom F2 - as in somebody got tired of paying for seed and saved seed from a hybrid.

What is the problem in getting seeds mailed to you? I'm sure it's technically illegal, but that is the same almost everywhere. The worst that I have ever seen happen is that the seeds get confiscated by customs. But there are many people on this site successfully mailing seeds across international borders. It works. I will send you some seed myself if you like.

Hi..Thanks for your kind offer ... They nearly hang people here for smuggling seeds in....A Korean tourist got caught (on Arrival) with Tomato seeds not long ago and was immediately sent back to Korea..She probably never knew she was breaking the law by having them ?...I know its to protect the country but surely there has to be consideration applied to intent and I felt this penalty was really extreme..

My problem is finding a tomato that I actually like and I especially like Tasty Tom . (I wonder what I describe as bite is actually acidic )..I do not like fleshy fruit like Moneymaker which is popular here although its probably more by tradition than by their taste..
Hopefully there is a variety in this seasons crop that will make me happy although from now on I will concentrate on planning on how to get next years crop from cuttings ....Now Tasty Toms..I was told by somebody that the grower here pays $1 a seed but where do they come from? The Netherlands??...Its beyond me how they can patent and control a seed ...I know its a hybrid but I am growing some Tasty Toms from last seasons seeds and some are looking pretty good ..
Zipcode could be right and maybe I should wait before passing a final judgement...The plants I bought from (C) as Tasty toms but under another name are simply laden with fruit and it would be a disaster if I had to give them away especially as this season with its weather is the best growing season I have had in my four seasons ...apart from a curly leaf problem which still puzzles me and I wondering if its coming from rain water that I collect in plastic barrels from the house and greenhouse roofs......These barrels were bought ,the lids cut off and I thoroughly washed them with detergent etc because they had originally some farmers chemicals in them...I wonder if its possible for the plastic to get impregnated with the chemical and even with all the washing I did the rain water is being infected somehow.....My idea of using rainwater instead of from the city tap supply may not have been so wise after all..

Regards Ron