Muddy Bucket Farm - 2018 update

[Goodloe]

Hey Ted, as you are from TN, I wondered if you've ever grown Cleota Pink? I got some seeds recently from Chiefbeaz, also from TN, also retired USAF.... Chief tells me that Cleota is an old TN heirloom that makes big fruit and basically has no core.

On a side note, it's my understanding that Cleota is PL, but of the 6 seeds I planted (all 6 germinated), only 1 looks to be PL. Any thoughts?

Regards,
Jon

[clara]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

Well, Hey, Lady Friend. Haven't heard from you "in a month of Sundays". Yeah, I've got some work ahead. The danged rain and other weather weirdnesses have put my schedule way behind. Good to see you out of the danger zones - you know what I mean. What's happening in your part of the tomato world?

Crazy weather in Germany, you may have seen it on TV. First a rather long, strong winter, almost no spring, and now hot, almost tropical summer with heavy rainfall, floods and mudslides in many parts of the country, but we we spared so far. A few seedlings were killed by the storms, but that was all, fortunately. The seedlings which have survived, like the hot temps very much; many of them have exploded when the heat began. We are remodeling a part of the garden, so I could not plant all the seedlings yet - they have to be satisfied with small pots before they can move into their final containers. But 28 varieties are still waiting for their final home...

Good luck to you and yours, Ted!

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by Salsacharley

Your crop looks great! Maw Maw's Treat is looking very good for me at this early stage.

Hey, good to hear that Mammaw's Treat is doing well for you. It's named in honor of my mother. Everyone called her "Mammaw". Pick and eat when they are well ripened and you'll get the full sweetness.

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by Goodloe

Hey Ted, as you are from TN, I wondered if you've ever grown Cleota Pink? I got some seeds recently from Chiefbeaz, also from TN, also retired USAF.... Chief tells me that Cleota is an old TN heirloom that makes big fruit and basically has no core.

On a side note, it's my understanding that Cleota is PL, but of the 6 seeds I planted (all 6 germinated), only 1 looks to be PL. Any thoughts?

Regards,
Jon

I just recently got a few seeds for it. I have not grown it yet. But, it's on my list to grow next year. I'm looking forward to checking it out. My source listed it as being a potato leaf for foliage.

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by clara

Crazy weather in Germany, you may have seen it on TV. First a rather long, strong winter, almost no spring, and now hot, almost tropical summer with heavy rainfall, floods and mudslides in many parts of the country, but we we spared so far. A few seedlings were killed by the storms, but that was all, fortunately. The seedlings which have survived, like the hot temps very much; many of them have exploded when the heat began. We are remodeling a part of the garden, so I could not plant all the seedlings yet - they have to be satisfied with small pots before they can move into their final containers. But 28 varieties are still waiting for their final home...

Good luck to you and yours, Ted!

Thank you. I think the entire northern hemisphere has been weird. I got my Blue Lake beans in and had to water them. Then after they popped thru, I couldn't get back into the MUD HOLE my garden had become for two weeks. Yesterday, I took my riding mower in there and "Buzz-cut" the weeds. I'll till everything again two days from now. This year has definitely been a struggle.

[oldman]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

Yes, that is the normal foliage color for that variety. It is the only thing I'm sure is stabilized about this one. Maybe a couple more generations will wrap this one up. Hope the taste stays with it (8.5/10 and complex).

Does it have Honor Bright in its ancestory, or was the color a complete surprise, or both I suppose :-?

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by oldman

Does it have Honor Bright in its ancestory, or was the color a complete surprise, or both I suppose :-?

No, we're not allowed to give the ancestry of this one, but it is definitely not that old. I can say that the fruit are dark red with lighter stripes.. I am not the breeder, but am helping with the growouts that will establish stability. You might take a bit of time and look at the current programs that are producing DWARF plants with larger fruits. Here, the Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Project is nearing the 100 mark for number of new varieties released to the public and to commercial sales of the seeds. There are two other programs producing lots of DWARFS and the plant foliage in question is from one of those. However, chartreuse and multi-colored foliage is more common than you might know about.

I think my focus has been on taste. A new variety must first have great taste.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

And I'm growing my second generation of Matsu Express this year. It's a very vigorous variety. I read your post about it being early and the only thing you had for a while this year.

Hi Ted, I am still seeing a bit of diversity in the line with earliness. I had about 40-50 percent that were early, a good portion of them are mid season. The taste is pretty consistent, they run from good to excellent, yields are very good on most.
Take care, and good luck this season.

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by AKmark

Hi Ted, I am still seeing a bit of diversity in the line with earliness. I had about 40-50 percent that were early, a good portion of them are mid season. The taste is pretty consistent, they run from good to excellent, yields are very good on most.
Take care, and good luck this season.

Thanks, Mark. Besides being totally jealous of your setup and capabilities, I know that at my age, you may be doing more work than this old body can muster up. But, I'm still green-eyed like most folks here.

My flavor on Matsu has been great. I'll have another two plants this time out. What I received was seeds from plants A-8 and A-11. My A-8 plant was great and produced the seeds I saved. My A-11 plants were cropped down by deer and did not survive. ( I guess the foliage tasted better.) Anyhow, that should let you know where I am. If you want some of the seeds I saved, just let me know. I still have your addy in my database.

BTW, I can see Sherry's touch in that plant numbering system.