Tamayo R tomatillos

gdaddybill · June 16, 2015

This is reported to be the first hybrid tomatillo. I have four plants and they are rather productive. Photo from Bill's Blog at arborgate.com

Bipetual · June 16, 2015

Wow, those are beautiful. Do you have to plant more than one plant, or are tomatillos self-fertile?

I'll bet those would make some great salsa or green sauce!

Darren Abbey · June 16, 2015

Tomatillos generally seem to be considered self-incompatible. I've read research about self-compatible plants that have been found and last year I grew one plant that produced just fine all on its own, so I don't really know what to think of the consensus view on the plants sexual habits.

NarnianGarden · June 17, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darren Abbey

Tomatillos generally seem to be considered self-incompatible. I've read research about self-compatible plants that have been found and last year I grew one plant that produced just fine all on its own, so I don't really know what to think of the consensus view on the plants sexual habits.

My purple tomatillo managed to grow one fruit last year, so it can be done - but this season I am having two plants, in hope that I shall see more than just one baby...

Bipetual · June 17, 2015

Mine had ground cherry size fruit all over it that were white, waxy, and had no taste. On the bright side, it attracted lots of bees.

Darren Abbey · June 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

My purple tomatillo managed to grow one fruit last year, so it can be done - but this season I am having two plants, in hope that I shall see more than just one baby...

Most things in biology are a bit fuzzy. Self-incompatible doesn't mean it can't produce a fruit all on its own, just that it is unlikely to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bipetual

Mine had ground cherry size fruit all over it that were white, waxy, and had no taste. On the bright side, it attracted lots of bees.

That definitely sounds like the effect of self-incompatibility. No effective pollination and so no real fruit development.

Bipetual · June 16, 2015

Good to know. I tried it unsuccessfully, but it's nice to know it can be done!

Darren Abbey · June 17, 2015

This year I'm growing several plants from seed. Some from a medium-sized and very dark-purple fruit I saved from a CSA basket. Some others from a very large green fruit I saved from the grocer. I have mild delusions of breeding up a large dark-purple fruited variety. We shall see.

jmsieglaff · June 18, 2015

Those tomatillos are huge! I grow Toma Verde, which are definitely smaller. Bigger fruits would be nice from a harvesting and peeling perspective. How's the flavor?

PA_Julia · June 18, 2015

This year I have two Verde tomatillo plants going. I have many fruits currently growing. None of course approaching the size of this hybrid however. Both are planted close together so pollination can occur.

Ken B · June 19, 2015

Interesting, will have to try it some year, curious to see how it'd compare to OP varieties and see how much breeding work actually went into it.

There's already several large OP varieties available (Everona Large Green and Cisineros Grande are up to 2.5 inches, Plaza Latina Giant is up to 3 inches). Tamayo R is described as being 2.5-3 inches in diameter, so it's not like it's just unique for its size. (Looking up the different companies carrying it, most are good about noting something like "One of the largest tomatillos," but Stokes just has it totally wrong, they say "fruit are 2-3 times the size of O/P's.")

Darren Abbey · June 20, 2015

Unlike tomatoes, with ~6 genes involved in the production of large fruit, tomatillo fruit size seems to be driven mostly by a single gene: http://www.ibcas.ac.cn/News/201407/W...7540071951.pdf

This makes my idea of breeding up a large and purple tomatillo much more feasible.

Ken B · June 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darren Abbey

Unlike tomatoes, with ~6 genes involved in the production of large fruit, tomatillo fruit size seems to be driven mostly by a single gene: http://www.ibcas.ac.cn/News/201407/W...7540071951.pdf

This makes my idea of breeding up a large and purple tomatillo much more feasible.

Interesting! I'll guess that the colors involve more than one gene, since varieties like Dr. Wyche's and De Milpa are more variable with their colors.

cherokee · June 25, 2015

how much per pound dose tomatillos sale for @farmers markets?

pauldavid · June 26, 2015

Those look great. Would make some good salsa verde.

June 16, 2015	#3
Darren Abbey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 586	Tomatillos generally seem to be considered self-incompatible. I've read research about self-compatible plants that have been found and last year I grew one plant that produced just fine all on its own, so I don't really know what to think of the consensus view on the plants sexual habits. __________________ http://the-biologist-is-in.blogspot.com

June 17, 2015	#8
Darren Abbey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 586	This year I'm growing several plants from seed. Some from a medium-sized and very dark-purple fruit I saved from a CSA basket. Some others from a very large green fruit I saved from the grocer. I have mild delusions of breeding up a large dark-purple fruited variety. We shall see. __________________ http://the-biologist-is-in.blogspot.com

June 18, 2015	#10
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	This year I have two Verde tomatillo plants going. I have many fruits currently growing. None of course approaching the size of this hybrid however. Both are planted close together so pollination can occur. __________________ Personal Best- 4.46 LB Big Zac 2013

June 20, 2015	#12
Darren Abbey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 586	Unlike tomatoes, with ~6 genes involved in the production of large fruit, tomatillo fruit size seems to be driven mostly by a single gene: http://www.ibcas.ac.cn/News/201407/W...7540071951.pdf This makes my idea of breeding up a large and purple tomatillo much more feasible. __________________ http://the-biologist-is-in.blogspot.com

June 16, 2015	#2
Bipetual Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Illinois, zone 5a Posts: 579	Wow, those are beautiful. Do you have to plant more than one plant, or are tomatillos self-fertile? I'll bet those would make some great salsa or green sauce!

June 18, 2015	#9
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	Those tomatillos are huge! I grow Toma Verde, which are definitely smaller. Bigger fruits would be nice from a harvesting and peeling perspective. How's the flavor?

June 19, 2015	#11
Ken B Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: central Virginia Posts: 243	Interesting, will have to try it some year, curious to see how it'd compare to OP varieties and see how much breeding work actually went into it. There's already several large OP varieties available (Everona Large Green and Cisineros Grande are up to 2.5 inches, Plaza Latina Giant is up to 3 inches). Tamayo R is described as being 2.5-3 inches in diameter, so it's not like it's just unique for its size. (Looking up the different companies carrying it, most are good about noting something like "One of the largest tomatillos," but Stokes just has it totally wrong, they say "fruit are 2-3 times the size of O/P's.")

June 25, 2015	#14
cherokee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: north west Alabama @ Wheeler Dam Posts: 49	how much per pound dose tomatillos sale for @farmers markets?

June 26, 2015	#15
pauldavid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NE Louisiana, Zone 8A Posts: 1,179	Those look great. Would make some good salsa verde.