Interested in Growing a Multiflora Dwarf?

[gardeninglee]

3 of my 4 seeds have sprouted as of last night. I have never sprouted tomatoes this quickly before.

[jmsieglaff]

We've got a few cooler days ahead so I thought it was good time to plant a baby 19xF1 into its (admittedly undersized) pot. I'll keep the other two babies around for a week or so just in case. I'll trim this to a single stem with hopefully enough production before frost for some tasting and lots of F2 seed saving. I'll mulch with straw tonight.

[charline]

does anyone have a 13x F3 1 dwarf? how is it?
I have two that are real duds. Almost no flowers and the few they have are gnarly and often dont open at all. Otherways the plant is healthy and green and beautiful.
how were the fruits of this cross? would it be worth to wait for fruits?

[dfollett]

Originally Posted by charline

does anyone have a 13x F3 1 dwarf? how is it?
I have two that are real duds. Almost no flowers and the few they have are gnarly and often dont open at all. Otherways the plant is healthy and green and beautiful.
how were the fruits of this cross? would it be worth to wait for fruits?

Too bad. Since I don't know how true these crosses are going to come, I always plant lots and leave them in the 4"cups until I see they are healthy and multiflora, then cull most and put a few in their final spot.

I hope others have more success with this cross. That was one I had high hopes for.

I can give you history of the F2 parent of those, answer your third question and give you information so you can answer the last question yourself.

The F2 (13X-F2-1) was extremely prolific Dwarf with large red/striped cherry fruits. As to it being worth the wait, no from the standpoint of growth habit and production. The F2s were among the best tasting cherries I have ever tasted, so that's your call.

[mashermike]

I have a couple of interesting (to me) 13X-F3-2 regular leaf. My 13X plants were last to bloom. The second plant has slightly larger than average fruit size which I think Dan is looking for. I have some plants with very gnarly leaf structure as you describe. I probably should cull them out.

[gardeninglee]

How can you tell that they are multifloral early on? Or will it be obvious?

[jmsieglaff]

Originally Posted by mashermike

I have a couple of interesting (to me) 13X-F3-2 regular leaf. My 13X plants were last to bloom. The second plant has slightly larger than average fruit size which I think Dan is looking for. I have some plants with very gnarly leaf structure as you describe. I probably should cull them out.

The 13xF3, plant 2RL looks pretty neat, what are the approximate sizes of those fruits? Please share a taste test once they're ready!

[ddsack]

I had to check to see if I had F3 13-1, but don't.

I have F3 13-2 and 13-7 and both are doing very well, they have all set fruit and look good. I need to get current pictures as soon as possible, but here are some very early leaf shots of when they were babies.

General shot of all project selections to show variety of leaf types.



Closeups of 13 - 1 and 13 -7, as seedlings.





The 13-7 have always been the tallest of all selections, though I would still call them micros at this point, but who knows how tall they may end up.

Will try to get current pics and update of all six F3's . I have numbers 11-1, 11/12, 13-2, 13-7, 14-2, and 15-3. From 4 to 6 plants of each number. All are have fruit set and many multi-flora, all are looking good! They are the cutest plants I have ever seen, thanks for sharing the seeds. (sorry about taking your X's out of my numbers, but I simplify for record keeping brevity and since they all are X's anyway ... ... will add them back in when returning seeds to you)

[clkingtx]

Originally Posted by gardeninglee

How can you tell that they are multifloral early on? Or will it be obvious?

You will be able to tell by the sheer number of flower buds. On my plants the first sets of buds were mostly as you describe, barely any actually opened, and of those who did, most didn't set fruit. The later flushes of flowers were much better developed, and most opened. They more than made up for the bad flower buds.
I planted out between 6 and 9 plants of 13x-F3-7, and approximately 20 other micro-multiflora of different crosses. Of those one of the 13x is so good it makes it worth messing with all the others to find it(the taste is sweet and delicious, best tomato I have ever tasted, and the fruit is beautiful, red with purplish shoulders). I was going to destroy this plant, until I tasted a ripe fruit. Also I found that the later formed flower clusters were better formed, and most opened. Fruit set also seems much better on this one now than earlier in the season when the weather was cooler.

Hope that helps!

[Allisa]

Originally Posted by mashermike

I have a couple of interesting (to me) 13X-F3-2 regular leaf. My 13X plants were last to bloom.

WOW! It took my breath away! Mine nothing like that, but they starting to bloom and I'm getting excited.

My plants get a lot of comments at my community garden.

I am growing 12X F3-7, 13X F3-1, 2 and 6, 21X F2-1 and 37X F2-1

Several have very hairy flower clusters, and as there are so many flowers, those plants look like a cloud.

13X F3-6 plants would be perfect for hanging baskets, as the plants are very short and their fruiting stems bend down.

[dfollett]

Originally Posted by gardeninglee

How can you tell that they are multifloral early on? Or will it be obvious?

Most of the time you can tell with the first flower cluster when they are very tiny. Occasionally, however, the multiflora does not show much until the second or third cluster of flowers.

I have seen reports on a different forum from a couple of people who say they can sometimes identify multiflora before they flower by watching for some sort of leaf curl on the seedling. I have not been able to see any indication of that myself with any of these. It would be great if we could find an early 'tell' for the trait.

Please watch and see if anything shows up. If you see something that might be a 'tell' make the rest of us aware and we can all watch for it. It would make working with the F2s much easier if we could find the multiflora trait earlier.

[Allisa]

Originally Posted by LDiane

My plants get a lot of comments at my community garden.

I am growing 12X F3-7, 13X F3-1, 2 and 6, 21X F2-1 and 37X F2-1

Several have very hairy flower clusters, and as there are so many flowers, those plants look like a cloud.

13X F3-6 plants would be perfect for hanging baskets, as the plants are very short and their fruiting stems bend down.

Hi! Maybe they are blooming that crazy because they are in the raise bed? My micros are in the pots (bigger and smaller), only one plant is in the raise bed but it looks like a dwarf (kind of tall for a micro) and the flower clusters do not have many flowers. I just wonder if I would put a micro in the raise bed how would it behave?

[Gardeneer]

I am growing a Tumbling Tom plants ( bought from nursery). It is now flowering.
Is TT considered "multiflora " ? Just curious.

Gardeneer

[mashermike]

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

The 13xF3, plant 2RL looks pretty neat, what are the approximate sizes of those fruits? Please share a taste test once they're ready!

Maybe this picture will show better. I think this plant is dwarf and not multiflora. I think it's about 14" give or take. Will do on taste test.