Chance crosses in the garden

drew51 · January 28, 2015

I don't have many years of growing tomatoes, just a few. I heard Craig LeHoullier on America's Home Gardening hour mention mutations, and just wondered if anybody has grown seeds from the year before to discover something different? I plan to grow sauce types and I guess if they cross, they may be as good or better, and I might as well keep them. I guess chances of a cross happening, and you happen to save it, then even happen to grow it, it's got to be rare! I suspect most saved seeds I will throw out once replaced. Only grow a few of them each year. Anyway if this has happened to you, i would like to hear about it.

Darren Abbey · January 28, 2015

A few years back I grew out a few seeds of "Tiny Tim", a miniature type, and had one plant grow to 5 ft while its siblings stayed under 8 inches. Last year I grew out about a dozen seeds from the next generation and found several that I really liked and so I'll be continuing the experiment this year.

drew51 · January 29, 2015

Wow, that's different! Yes you have something unique,

AlittleSalt · January 29, 2015

Drew, I've read so much about crosses happening. This will be my first year of growing a bunch of different types of tomatoes. I think it would be exciting to see crosses happening in my garden. But I have no clue as to how to encourage it.

I do know, as my tomato/vegetable growing knowledge increases in time - I've already chosen one parent tomato. Three years of growing the Porter tomato here in Texas has shown me that it can take the 100+ temps. Using Porter as parent one, I could chose other tomato varieties that I like as parent two. It would be nice being able to create a Filial 1 that can grow and produce in the Texas heat.

I'm not sure if that is what this thread is about, but it did spark my interest.

FarmerShawn · January 29, 2015

I have two chance crosses I am playing around with. One was supposed to be Dester, but produced very early pink mini beefsteak cherries two years ago. Growing out seeds from that, last year I got a small red cherry, and a nearly identical pink cherry. Both seem to have retained Dester's nice flavor. I'm curious to see what I get this year.
The other was supposed to be Kazachka, from Carolyn, but I grew three plants, and each was different. One was an unremarkable misshapen red cherry, one was a nice small red plum, and the third was a delightful small pink plum. Again, I will be curious to see what seeds from those two plums will produce.

Darren Abbey · January 29, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew51

Wow, that's different! Yes you have something unique,

That plant was just the F1, which I no longer have. The F2s are far more interesting.

January 28, 2015	#1
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	Chance crosses in the garden I don't have many years of growing tomatoes, just a few. I heard Craig LeHoullier on America's Home Gardening hour mention mutations, and just wondered if anybody has grown seeds from the year before to discover something different? I plan to grow sauce types and I guess if they cross, they may be as good or better, and I might as well keep them. I guess chances of a cross happening, and you happen to save it, then even happen to grow it, it's got to be rare! I suspect most saved seeds I will throw out once replaced. Only grow a few of them each year. Anyway if this has happened to you, i would like to hear about it.

January 28, 2015	#2
Darren Abbey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 586	A few years back I grew out a few seeds of "Tiny Tim", a miniature type, and had one plant grow to 5 ft while its siblings stayed under 8 inches. Last year I grew out about a dozen seeds from the next generation and found several that I really liked and so I'll be continuing the experiment this year. __________________ http://the-biologist-is-in.blogspot.com

January 29, 2015	#5
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	I have two chance crosses I am playing around with. One was supposed to be Dester, but produced very early pink mini beefsteak cherries two years ago. Growing out seeds from that, last year I got a small red cherry, and a nearly identical pink cherry. Both seem to have retained Dester's nice flavor. I'm curious to see what I get this year. The other was supposed to be Kazachka, from Carolyn, but I grew three plants, and each was different. One was an unremarkable misshapen red cherry, one was a nice small red plum, and the third was a delightful small pink plum. Again, I will be curious to see what seeds from those two plums will produce. __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

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January 29, 2015	#4
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Drew, I've read so much about crosses happening. This will be my first year of growing a bunch of different types of tomatoes. I think it would be exciting to see crosses happening in my garden. But I have no clue as to how to encourage it. I do know, as my tomato/vegetable growing knowledge increases in time - I've already chosen one parent tomato. Three years of growing the Porter tomato here in Texas has shown me that it can take the 100+ temps. Using Porter as parent one, I could chose other tomato varieties that I like as parent two. It would be nice being able to create a Filial 1 that can grow and produce in the Texas heat. I'm not sure if that is what this thread is about, but it did spark my interest.