True North Tomatoes

[KarenO]

40 per truss! amazing! that's a multiflora for sure. am still looking for hearts yes. I am saving seed from all the good ones though. I need a tomato farm
KarenO

[KarenO]

A personal best, one of my F3 Tundras. The biggest tomato I have ever grown. Not huge by competition standards but darn big for up here. 1 pound 14.4 oz of yummy black gorgeousness. (Not even a mega bloom) and lots of 1lb+ siblings
Yay!
KarenO

[RobinB]

Whoa! That is so cool Karen! Congratulations! That's definitely larger than anything I've ever grown!

[bower]

Whoa!!... it's as vast as the tundra itself!
You'll have to call some friends and neighbours in to eat that one in one sitting. It's a tundra party tom. You could feed Franklin's expedition!

[ginger2778]

Karen, you have earned bragging rights. It is beautiful!

[efisakov]

Oo, KarenO! That is a big one.

[salix]

Just guessing the pride you must feel as you hold that wonderful tomato (and it's siblings) and feel the heft of them. How is the flavour? Can't imagine it would be anything but wonderful.

[Linda10]

I've never had one that big, but I'm amazed that it has such a great shape for being so large.

[sjamesNorway]

Hi Karen. I just want to say I'm still following this thread, and hope someday to grow your wonderful varieties in this northern "land of the midnight sun". (Hmm: "Midnight Sun" - great name for a tomato...)

Steve

[PhilaGardener]

KarenO, these all are fabulous looking! Great Northern season!

[KarenO]

https://www.facebook.com/NorthernGardenerCanada?ref=hl

Still coming on strong. plants remain healthy Tons of fruit still green on the vine.
Especially happy with the Midnight sun which seems the most stable so far with only one plant of 20 not showing the right form and colour .(that was the pretty tricolour shown earlier) These big blunt ones are my favourite going forward. Minimal or no cracking and nice small stems/tight blossom scar. many over a pound
KarenO

[bower]

They look lovely...
So tell me about your selection process, now supposing you have nineteen individuals with similar traits conforming to the Midnight Sun agenda.

How are you going about choosing which one (or ones) of the nineteen to save seed and grow onward?
I'm assuming you will choose one line to grow forward, but will also save (several?) backup lines in case anything goes south. Or is that just me, pack rat of the 'just in case' seeds.

[jmsieglaff]

Karen,

Are you getting snow? (Not sure where in Alberta you are.) I saw Calgary was getting snow already!

[KarenO]

No snow or frost here yet. Although Calgary is about 3 hours south of me, the city of Calgary is much closer to the mountains and so are more likely to get weird weather coming over the Rockies than we do here, Chinook winds, big thunderstorms, hail etc. I would say it's harder to be a gardener in Calgary than in the Edmonton area overall.
There was a lot of frost in outlying areas up here too on Friday night but not in the city.
KarenO

[KarenO]

I have seeds from all the plants except the ones that were the latest to produce. Those are the only clear duds in my project. They are all good tomatoes but I am specifically looking for early. I do have seeds from all the good ones but there is usually a plant that is my favourite overall for early, productive, shape etc. I really like that broad "blunter" heart shape rather than the pointed hearts and I also like the big ones in general. hate cracking so that's a consideration as some plants seem more prone with some plants basically having zero radial cracking on the fruit. I also like a small stem, smoother shoulders , tight blossom scar. Basically it comes down to my favourite overall in each group as I want something new and different that people will be interested in trying. ALL of them taste good so that helps make it easy to select more for habit and shape/size without sacrificing flavour. I am having fun with it and I enjoy getting others to try them and tell me which they prefer too. Seems fairly consistent answer " I like them all but this one is sweeter or this one has more tang... etc. Nobody dislikes any of them so far, that's reassuring to not have a spitter in the group since taste is subjective. The bicolour tastes like orange Russian 117 quite sweet. The blacks taste like any of the well known good blacks as far as I'm concerned. A couple of the black plants have had exceptional flavour IMO and all else being equal, flavour wins the "best of the bunch to carry forward"
I can't wait for you to try them Bower. I think I might send a few folks some F5 seed next fall to have a trial and let me know what they think. I hope you will be one of them as you have been here from the start encouraging me along and I really appreciate it
KarenO

Originally Posted by bower

They look lovely...
So tell me about your selection process, now supposing you have nineteen individuals with similar traits conforming to the Midnight Sun agenda.

How are you going about choosing which one (or ones) of the nineteen to save seed and grow onward?
I'm assuming you will choose one line to grow forward, but will also save (several?) backup lines in case anything goes south. Or is that just me, pack rat of the 'just in case' seeds.