Good Volunteer?

b54red · November 3, 2009

I may be doing something stupid, but it won't be the first time or the last. I let a fair number of volunteers grow out every year just to see what they are and 90% of the time they are cherries or small toms with disease or taste problems. However this year I had a volunteer pop up in late March that is still producing tomatoes and they are very good. It is a medium size indeterminate, reg. leaf, producing good numbers of juicy well balanced 8 to 16oz fruits. It was surrounded by hybrids known for their disease resistance an production (not necessarily their taste) and it produced almost as well as the best of them but the remarkable thing is it did much better against all of the diseases that hit this year.
I am saving the seed to see if this thing can be for real because if it is I have found my main crop tomato.
What I want to know is if there is a way to go about determining if it is true? Do you start a set number and check to see how they do? Do you get several people to grow it out? Any suggestions or advice would be helpful.
I'm really excited about this tomato. I've always found it hard to pull a really pretty voluteer tomato and after 30 yrs of letting a dozen or so grow each year I was amazed at the overall quality of this tom.
Hope I'm not setting myself up for a major disappointment next year when I plant some of the seed.

mjc · November 3, 2009

Yes, the more you grow the better, but you should do at least a dozen...a couple of dozen would be best (a hundred would be even better). Remove/rouge any off types and only save seed from the ones that are exhibiting most/all your desired traits.

b54red · November 3, 2009

Thanks mjc. I don't know if I have room to plant that many. Will give some to friends to try and see what happens.

cottonpicker · November 3, 2009

b54red.....not a stupid thing at all!!! I encourage you to PLEASE continue to grow your saved seed from this volunteer & determine IF it is stable for the characteristics you liked. IF so..PLEASE keep us informed. You may be onto something very good.
LarryD

mcsee · November 3, 2009

I agree, not a silly thing at all to do - I'm growing some here this year that came from a volunteer from last season. Last year when I spotted it I thought "Why Not" and I managed some nice sized red fruit from a strong RL plant. This season I have kept 3 PL seedlings which I hope will do well for me and any improvements will be most welcome.
The volunteer came from a tub that grew Casey's Pure Yellow in the previous season, so I have my plant with an unknown pollen donor from a Yellow fruit plant which originates from Green Giant.

Surely something nice to come. Photo of last season fruit in my avatar.

b54red · November 4, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by cottonpicker

b54red.....not a stupid thing at all!!! I encourage you to PLEASE continue to grow your saved seed from this volunteer & determine IF it is stable for the characteristics you liked. IF so..PLEASE keep us informed. You may be onto something very good.
LarryD

I picked 3 more almost ripe toms off of it today. Making it one of the longest producing tomatoes I've ever grown. Edible fruit from late June into November is very difficult to do down here. I have a couple of others that have produced for almost that long, a Steak Sandwich, 2 Marianna's Peace, a 1st Prize, and 2 Big Beef. This one tops them all in the taste department except the Marianna's Peace which has a much different but equally good taste.
We'll see what happens next year. If the seed are true then this will be a tomato I can set out all summer as spaces open up.

November 3, 2009	#1
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Good Volunteer? I may be doing something stupid, but it won't be the first time or the last. I let a fair number of volunteers grow out every year just to see what they are and 90% of the time they are cherries or small toms with disease or taste problems. However this year I had a volunteer pop up in late March that is still producing tomatoes and they are very good. It is a medium size indeterminate, reg. leaf, producing good numbers of juicy well balanced 8 to 16oz fruits. It was surrounded by hybrids known for their disease resistance an production (not necessarily their taste) and it produced almost as well as the best of them but the remarkable thing is it did much better against all of the diseases that hit this year. I am saving the seed to see if this thing can be for real because if it is I have found my main crop tomato. What I want to know is if there is a way to go about determining if it is true? Do you start a set number and check to see how they do? Do you get several people to grow it out? Any suggestions or advice would be helpful. I'm really excited about this tomato. I've always found it hard to pull a really pretty voluteer tomato and after 30 yrs of letting a dozen or so grow each year I was amazed at the overall quality of this tom. Hope I'm not setting myself up for a major disappointment next year when I plant some of the seed.

November 3, 2009	#4
cottonpicker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SE PA..near Valley Forge Posts: 839	b54red.....not a stupid thing at all!!! I encourage you to PLEASE continue to grow your saved seed from this volunteer & determine IF it is stable for the characteristics you liked. IF so..PLEASE keep us informed. You may be onto something very good. LarryD __________________ "Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause". Victor Hugo

November 3, 2009	#2
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	Yes, the more you grow the better, but you should do at least a dozen...a couple of dozen would be best (a hundred would be even better). Remove/rouge any off types and only save seed from the ones that are exhibiting most/all your desired traits.

November 3, 2009	#5
mcsee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Victoria. Australia Posts: 543	I agree, not a silly thing at all to do - I'm growing some here this year that came from a volunteer from last season. Last year when I spotted it I thought "Why Not" and I managed some nice sized red fruit from a strong RL plant. This season I have kept 3 PL seedlings which I hope will do well for me and any improvements will be most welcome. The volunteer came from a tub that grew Casey's Pure Yellow in the previous season, so I have my plant with an unknown pollen donor from a Yellow fruit plant which originates from Green Giant. Surely something nice to come. Photo of last season fruit in my avatar.