Aunt Gertie's Gold leaf stability

[sic transit gloria]

I am getting about 60% PL and 40% RL in my AGG seedlings this year. Is there a known instability with this variety, or did I somehow screw up when I saved seeds?

I suppose there could be a cross, as well. The seeds that were started came from at least two different fruits. I'm interested to grow them out and see what they are.

[nctomatoman]

Any given true variety should be stable as to leaf type - so you have some surprise hybrids in there, I suspect!

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by sic transit gloria

I am getting about 60% PL and 40% RL in my AGG seedlings this year. Is there a known instability with this variety, or did I somehow screw up when I saved seeds?

I suppose there could be a cross, as well. The seeds that were started came from at least two different fruits. I'm interested to grow them out and see what they are.

I was one of the first to grow it when Chuck Wyatt, who discovered it, sent me seeds. And I've grown it many times and it's been completely stable. I did have one Xpollination but I don't bag seeds and ASAP dumped those seeds.

I don't think you messed up when saving seeds, I do think that some pollinators were messing with the blossoms on you plants such that what you have are crossed seeds with the RL seedlings.

The PL seedlings should be OK, lets hope, unless you were also growing some other PL varieties at the same time and the X pollination was between two PL varieties.

Time will tell.

[matereater]

I started 4 plants this year from seeds I received in a trade. 3 are PL the 4th is RL. Gonna let the RL grow out anyway and see what it turns in to.

[sic transit gloria]

I think you're right, Carolyn. Like I said, I sowed seeds from at least two different fruits, and one of them was probably crossed. I guess it will be interesting to see what this plant throws off. I will check last year's map to see what varieties were next to the AGG plant, although I suppose it could be from any of the tomato plants in the garden, in theory.

[nctomatoman]

What typically happens is that the F1 seed (the RL of what you are growing, more than likely) can produce really ordinary fruit - it will show the various dominant traits...so if Aunt Gertie crossed with a red variety, you will probably get medium red fruit. the really good stuff shows up from the seeds saved from the hybrid - it is in the F2 and beyond that combinations of dominant and recessive traits start to show up..so if what you get is ordinary, save some seeds and try again next year (you will get a mix of PL and RL - save room for one or more of each!)

[sic transit gloria]

Craig,

Thanks for the advice! I didn't know that the successive generations is where the good stuff shows up. Maybe I should have saved seed from the Jefferson Giant x Gregori's Altai cross that I grew out two years ago. It was a very average tomato, and I realized it was a cross so I just didn't save seed.

[Tomstrees]

AGG was one of our fav. tasting tomatoes of 2007 -
You def. have x-ed seed.

Like Craig said, you should have a very interesting "hybrid".
I'd grow em all out = RL & PL.

Here is a pic of my AGG:









what a flavor !!!

~ Tom