What Would be the Ideal Micro?

[dfollett]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I just noticed today that in a flat of multiflora micros, I have three that look exactly like my Tumbling Tom plants. I believe they have the cascading foliage gene. I am excited about these plants, as they may be "the ideal micro" for a hanging basket, as well as a chance for me to contribute something back to Dan's breeding efforts.

Cole,

Do you have any interest in working with some that look to me like they may have the 'tumbling' characteristics you mentioned? I've got two lines of carroty-leaf micros that look to me like they would do well as tumbling plants. These don't really have much of a 'main' stem. instead, then send out several relatively slender stems closely grouped from very small area. None of them are thick enough to stand upright without support. I was about to get rid of them when I realized them might 'tumble' nicely from a hanging plant.

I'm not set up to grow them out and already have too many others to work with. I'm going to save seed from these two when they ripen in a few weeks.

Any interest in playing with them - you or anyone else?

[Greatgardens]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I just noticed today that in a flat of multiflora micros, I have three that look exactly like my Tumbling Tom plants. I believe they have the cascading foliage gene. I am excited about these plants, as they may be "the ideal micro" for a hanging basket, as well as a chance for me to contribute something back to Dan's breeding efforts.

Since you mentioned the cascading characteristic, did you end up planting Red Profusion F1? That has the most pronounced cascading, branching characteristics I've seen. Fruit is good, but for me, fairly small. Seems like it would be very useful breeding material.

[dfollett]

Originally Posted by Greatgardens

Since you mentioned the cascading characteristic, did you end up planting Red Profusion F1? That has the most pronounced cascading, branching characteristics I've seen. Fruit is good, but for me, fairly small. Seems like it would be very useful breeding material.

Actually, it is something I have never grown or looked for. I looked it up and it appears quite interesting. However, I have much more on my plate than I can possibly follow up on. I can't even think about going there. Thanks, though.

[greenthumbomaha]

Jumping in as a participant for winter growing. I'm in Dan, for cascading, upright, any color as long as it has sweetness. I grew about a dozen of your early experiments in one gallon pots on a sunny windowsill but never got to taste a ripe cherry. All my micros succumbed to spider mites when I brought them outside for some early season warm sunshine. (This was the same outdoor plant shelf where pineapple sage was brought down last year and spread to most all the herbs). So much anticipation gone, sad! I should start more micros, and earlier.

I'm about a third of the way through the outdoor growing season, but I will follow the thread until we can all catch up. I think I have your address on an envelope somewhere. I'll PM once I take inventory of remaining seed stock. Also got some in the MMMM swap so could use some advice on what to grow for a good overview.

Thanks for your sharing. -Lisa

[BettyC-5]

I started 4 different micros on Feb. 7th.
33 X- F4-1-4
51 X- F3-1
51 X-F4-1-3
53 X-F3-2
The 51 X- F3s had some of the biggest seedlings and I pulled out 6 of them to grow for an outdoor summer project. I figured they would be too big for micros.
1st picture

A few weeks later I selected 12 of each variety to grow some more.
That's the tray on the left. All the extras I gave to family or friends and some to the
local thrift shop.
2nd picture

Since there were 51 X-F4s that I figured were from the 51X-F3s I didn't keep any of them from the 12. I do have one plant from the first 6 51 X -F3s.
March 23rd I potted up 4 of each, the most compact, stocky ones, into 3" pots.
May 18th I put them in their final pots. 1 each in 2 1/2 quart plastic pots.
3rd picture- 33 X is in the middle, 51 X-F4 is in the yellow pot and 53 X in lavender.

Two of each went into about 3 quart pouches that are outside. One of each went together into a large pot outside.

The 33 X has slightly larger fruits and wispy leaves. It is also putting out little suckers that have flowers open, so looks like it will really keep producing. The 51s and 53s have the most flowers. I will be selecting for taste over production since they are all putting on a lot of fruit, well, at least they have a lot of flowers. What fruit are there are getting really heavy and I have been adding stakes to keep them upright.
When I find something really tasty I will have to bag buds as there have been a few bumblebees on the blooms. Hopefully there will be a lot of fruits soon.

I wanted to put photos between text, but I haven't figured out how

[oakley]

Nice looking plants Betty.
Looking forward to your ripe fruit...color and taste.

I have many as well, in various heights and leaf type.

6 plants are the perfect size I've been hunting for. 3 of each of a small
dark cherry and a large dark cherry. The small cherry is multiflora.
Both under 10inches and do not need support. (one might have a chopstick)

I'll get some good plant pics soon. Been harvesting fruit for a while now but
not saving those seeds...taller plants that I just let go to fruit.

This pic is one of the plants I'm saving seed. excellent flavor.

[oakley]

Here is one I spotted just this morning....(I have sooo many micros growing)
Surprised to get a dark grape with a nipple end.

I tended to each one, one the deck table, away from their perch. Had to clip some
troubled lower leaves and found this under the canopy...

So I have three varieties to carry forward from this line. (if the taste is there)

[oakley]

The other of the three this morning. Tiny dark cherry mutiflora at 11 inches. Just gave
it a chopstick support as it is starting to lean from the fruit weight.

[oakley]

And the third plant,...the one we have tasted from harvested fruit above.
Now needs support with heavy large cherries.
I'll find a long skinny bamboo. Probably 8-9 inches upright.

[dfollett]

I’m starting to find the colors I wanted. Now to find the flavor and stabilize them. These are all from plants that stayed under 15" - most under 12".

[maxjohnson]

Nothing special. Just growing the 63X antho multiflora given by Dan, 5th gen.

[hl2601]

Here are results from my micros- I happily got a yellow cherry from 1 of the 51 f3s and another yellow from one 51 F4. Good taste and still unstable but this is promising. I didn't like the red cherries from 51 quite as much as the yellow. Interestingly, the F3s were much sweeter than the F4s.

[hl2601]

The last two, 46 and 33, both produced red cherries that my family found tasty. Both had plants between 11-15".

One of the four 46 plants was sweeter and overall better-plant C- so those seeds I have fermenting right now. I like the small nipple on 46. Also, back in March I reported half the 46 seedlings went quite chartreuse. We decided to follow those to see if any produced yellow cherries. None of them did, and the cherries all the 46 plants produced were similar in size and shape.

The 33 was the carroty leafed plant. I especially enjoyed growing this one. Anyone who saw it remarked on how different it is. All 3 33 plants produced tart, nicely acidic red cherries.

Overall impressions were-especially for those limited to small gardens or containers, both of these are viable.

Dan, should I send you seeds from these four? If so, about how many per variety so I can plan? I also would love seeds to grow some of the purple or bicolor cherries. Your pictures look fantastic! This micro stuff is addictive.

[dfollett]

How large of a fruit can a tiny plant support? These are a couple of F3s that sparked the question.

The first plant is 5 1/2" tall and the larger fruit is 1 3/4" in diameter. The second plant is a fine (carrot) leaf that is 5" tall (but a larger plant) and its larger fruit is 2" in diameter. It will be interesting to see where they end up.

[akgardengirl]

What lines are they from? It would be great to get that size on some of the lines I am growing out but right now it is just cherry sized.
Sue