Unusual Volunteer Tomato - What is it?

Walrus · July 31, 2011

The attached photos are of a volunteer tomato on the periphery of my garden. Initially, I thought it was a Juliet, but now I don't think so. This year - for the FIRST time- I am growing Opalka; so, Opalka has never been in this garden before - so the volunteer could not be that, right? It does resemble the Opalka at this stage.

Your thoughts?
Thanks.
Walrus
Lexington, KY

DiggingDogFarm · July 31, 2011

Juliet F-2?

patty_b · July 31, 2011

Icicle...red, orange, yellow??

kygreg · July 31, 2011

Have you ever grown Wessel's Purple Pride aka Cherokee Sausage?

Walrus · July 31, 2011

No - but did grow Cherokee Purple last year, or year before.

Thanks!

Walrus · July 31, 2011

So, if the F-2 resembles the original parent plants (not the hybrid, i.e., not the Juliet F-1 hybrid), then this volunteer will be a Roma (assuming the Juliet Hybrid is a cross between a cherry and a Roma)? Is that correct?

Thank you!
Walrus

bcday · July 31, 2011

I don't think you could call it a Roma. There could be a Roma in Juliet's ancestry somewhere but assuming what was crossed with what to produce Juliet or any F1 of unknown parentage is an iffy proposition. The F2 generation doesn't have to resemble Juliet's parents all that closely. It's a potentially unstable mix of whatever genes it inherited from Juliet's parents, grandparents and any variety that may have been crossed with Juliet by a bee last year. The fruits of the F2 and beyond can vary wildly in their shape, color, flavor, and other characteristics. If this volunteer plant is from one of Juliet's fruits, it's a nameless genetic mishmash with some of Juliet's traits and some traits from Juliet's parent lines, plus some traits inherited from some other parent if a bee did some hybridizing with Juliet last year. If you like it, save seeds and see if you can stabilize it.

b54red · July 31, 2011

I agree with kygreg. It looks a lot like Wessel's Purple Pride.

mcsee · August 1, 2011

Could it be a yellow or orange fruit by the colour it's showing??

crbowers · August 1, 2011

It's from an alien world.
I saw them when I was abducted.
Actually, it's a Juliet cousin mutant.

Walrus · August 5, 2011

Is there any significance or clue to what variety tomato this is provided by the fact that it is in a cluster of 6?

Thank you!
Walrus

mcsee · August 5, 2011

How unusual - but still nice to have growing.

Firstcrush · August 6, 2011

It looks a lot like my Super Marzano that is also growing that way in clusters. Oh, wait never mind. Just realized what a silly comment that was, Super Marzano is a hybrid. ooops!
Donna

Walrus · August 6, 2011

Dear Firstcrush, I am confused. Would not this volunteer be a "hybrid", i.e., a cross between two tomato plants from last year's garden?

As it grows, it looks more and more like the San Marzano/Super Marzano.
Thanks!
Walrus

swamper · August 6, 2011

walrus, assume it is an f2 self pollinated from juliet f1 that you grew last year. also assume if you grew many of them you would get lots of variation in f2 due to heterosis. there is no direct connection to any of the parents of juliet, there is very low expecation that it will resemble juliets's parents.

July 31, 2011	#2
DiggingDogFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New York State Posts: 286	Juliet F-2? __________________ "The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can shoot and trap out of it!"

August 6, 2011	#13
Firstcrush Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA Posts: 20	It looks a lot like my Super Marzano that is also growing that way in clusters. Oh, wait never mind. Just realized what a silly comment that was, Super Marzano is a hybrid. ooops! Donna Last edited by Firstcrush; August 6, 2011 at 12:19 AM. Reason: mistake

July 31, 2011	#3
patty_b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 487	Icicle...red, orange, yellow??

July 31, 2011	#4
kygreg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,019	Have you ever grown Wessel's Purple Pride aka Cherokee Sausage?

July 31, 2011	#5
Walrus Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 7	No - but did grow Cherokee Purple last year, or year before. Thanks!

July 31, 2011	#7
bcday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY z5 Posts: 1,205	I don't think you could call it a Roma. There could be a Roma in Juliet's ancestry somewhere but assuming what was crossed with what to produce Juliet or any F1 of unknown parentage is an iffy proposition. The F2 generation doesn't have to resemble Juliet's parents all that closely. It's a potentially unstable mix of whatever genes it inherited from Juliet's parents, grandparents and any variety that may have been crossed with Juliet by a bee last year. The fruits of the F2 and beyond can vary wildly in their shape, color, flavor, and other characteristics. If this volunteer plant is from one of Juliet's fruits, it's a nameless genetic mishmash with some of Juliet's traits and some traits from Juliet's parent lines, plus some traits inherited from some other parent if a bee did some hybridizing with Juliet last year. If you like it, save seeds and see if you can stabilize it.

July 31, 2011	#8
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I agree with kygreg. It looks a lot like Wessel's Purple Pride.

August 1, 2011	#9
mcsee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Victoria. Australia Posts: 543	Could it be a yellow or orange fruit by the colour it's showing??

August 1, 2011	#10
crbowers Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: lexington, ky Posts: 3	It's from an alien world. I saw them when I was abducted. Actually, it's a Juliet cousin mutant.

August 5, 2011	#12
mcsee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Victoria. Australia Posts: 543	How unusual - but still nice to have growing.

August 6, 2011	#15
swamper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: CT Posts: 219	walrus, assume it is an f2 self pollinated from juliet f1 that you grew last year. also assume if you grew many of them you would get lots of variation in f2 due to heterosis. there is no direct connection to any of the parents of juliet, there is very low expecation that it will resemble juliets's parents.