Is malformed/fused fruit OK for seed?

ArcherB · May 17, 2011

As so many of the early fruits are, I picked an ugly, catfaced and deformed BrandyWine Sudduth. This thing is too ugly to eat, but I hate to just compost it. Other fruit from the same plant looks fine. Is it OK to take seed from this fruit for next year?

It's the red one in the back.

tam91 · May 17, 2011

I don't know about the seeds, but I would just cut it up into chunks and eat it.

Daylilyfanatic4 · May 17, 2011

The seeds are viable but I'm not sure if fused blossoms are a genetic trait so you may not want to harvest seeds from a fused blossom fruit if you don't want that in the future.

**nctomatoman** · May 17, 2011

All seeds from all tomatoes on a particular plant have essentially equal genetic material unless the fruit came from a bee-caused cross. So it doesn't matter what fruit from a plant you take - catfaced, cracked, blossom end rot, perfect, early, late, trainwreck - the seed saved will produce "the variety" - fruit shape is affected by weather or other conditions......if a particular variety has a trait for catfacing, it doesn't matter if you save seeds from a perfect fruit- it will still have the trait for catfacing.

Now....if you plant a large number of a variety and notice that a particular plant produces tomatoes that are distinctly smoother/less catfacing, then seed saved from fruit from that plant - from any tomato on the plant - could have different genetics......that is called single plant selection, and is how Alexander Livingston revolutionized the production of new tomatoes.

cleo88 · May 19, 2011

TOO UGLY TO EAT?

no such thing

ContainerTed · May 19, 2011

Yeah, after they're chewed and you're ready to swallow, the ugly ones taste just like the pretty ones.

Now, here's ugly. Purple Calabash looking "UGLY".

Ted

b54red · May 20, 2011

Ted that is one ugly beautiful tomato.

ArcherB · May 20, 2011

I certainly draw the line well before that Purple Calabash.

For the record, I ate the tomato that I was asking about and saved seed. It was a Brandywine Sudduth. I was asking because I have only gotten one Brandywine in at least three years trying to grow them. This one seems to be putting out fruit pretty well, so I wanted to make sure I got seed off of it and still have pretty fruit I could cut up for family and friends without having to suck the seeds off their plates after they were done.

mjc · May 20, 2011

The only caveat about using seeds from fused blossoms, is there is a slightly greater chance of crossing...but if there isn't a lot of other tomatoes, nearby, blooming or the plant is somewhat isolated, then there isn't that much greater chance.

It is the structure of the fused flower that makes it more likely to pick up stray pollen.

But because of that chance, that is why it is often recommended NOT to save seeds from fused blossom fruits.

May 17, 2011	#2
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	I don't know about the seeds, but I would just cut it up into chunks and eat it. __________________ Tracy

May 17, 2011	#3
Daylilyfanatic4 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Zone 6 SE NY Posts: 64	The seeds are viable but I'm not sure if fused blossoms are a genetic trait so you may not want to harvest seeds from a fused blossom fruit if you don't want that in the future. __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DLF

May 17, 2011	#4
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	All seeds from all tomatoes on a particular plant have essentially equal genetic material unless the fruit came from a bee-caused cross. So it doesn't matter what fruit from a plant you take - catfaced, cracked, blossom end rot, perfect, early, late, trainwreck - the seed saved will produce "the variety" - fruit shape is affected by weather or other conditions......if a particular variety has a trait for catfacing, it doesn't matter if you save seeds from a perfect fruit- it will still have the trait for catfacing. Now....if you plant a large number of a variety and notice that a particular plant produces tomatoes that are distinctly smoother/less catfacing, then seed saved from fruit from that plant - from any tomato on the plant - could have different genetics......that is called single plant selection, and is how Alexander Livingston revolutionized the production of new tomatoes. __________________ Craig

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May 19, 2011	#5
cleo88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sharon, MA Zone 6 Posts: 225	TOO UGLY TO EAT? no such thing

May 20, 2011	#7
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Ted that is one ugly beautiful tomato.

May 20, 2011	#8
ArcherB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Austin TX Posts: 200	I certainly draw the line well before that Purple Calabash. For the record, I ate the tomato that I was asking about and saved seed. It was a Brandywine Sudduth. I was asking because I have only gotten one Brandywine in at least three years trying to grow them. This one seems to be putting out fruit pretty well, so I wanted to make sure I got seed off of it and still have pretty fruit I could cut up for family and friends without having to suck the seeds off their plates after they were done.

May 20, 2011	#9
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	The only caveat about using seeds from fused blossoms, is there is a slightly greater chance of crossing...but if there isn't a lot of other tomatoes, nearby, blooming or the plant is somewhat isolated, then there isn't that much greater chance. It is the structure of the fused flower that makes it more likely to pick up stray pollen. But because of that chance, that is why it is often recommended NOT to save seeds from fused blossom fruits.