Sungold X CP: Any Interested

[frogsleap farm]

Vince - I have five healthy F2 plants and two F1s. Unfortunately it's still winter here, so it will be early July before I can report much on the fruit.

[hasshoes]

One of my F1s is potato leaf. . . is that right? I don't have any potato leaf plants in that tray. . . :0P

[Vince]

Hasshoes

If you have a potato leaf F1, I think something is wrong since. If you cross a open pollinated RL with any other leaf type you should get all RL in the F1. If the plant in question was F2 I would say it may be possible, since NCTomato mentioned getting PLs in his efforts to create an open pollinated sungold . More likely, is that a stray seed got in their some how, maybe my fault. However, I have heard of PL spontaneously appearing through mutation, so I really think it would be worth growing the plant out if you have room. The fall when I made the cross, the only PL varieties I was growing were stupice(didn't save any seeds that fall), Brandyboy F2, and brandywine sudduth. So it should be really easy to tell if you got a stray seed from one of these plants(all large pink PL, oblate). If your pl leaf seedling came out of the SungoldXCP cross you will likely get red or orange cherries.

[hasshoes]

It's also possible that I slung a seed or something on my end.

I'll grow it out though just in case!

[Vince]

Fruit set noted on the first flower cluster on 1 orange b (F2) plant.

[Vince]

Still just the one fruit set, but it looks to be a mini(for the moment) beefsteak. ribbed, and somewhat oblate. My landlord at my new place is totally cool with putting potted plants all over the property, and I just found out my neighbor in the unit next to me doesn't care if I take over the space behind her place. So of course I can't resist to expand. A couple of days ago I started about 20 more seeds of orange b as well as several other varieties. It is a little early for a fall planting here, but hopefully these will start setting in late july-early august(weather permitting). The 15 or so red F2's at my mom's place are apparently, from a phone conversation, doing great. I will get a chance to check these out in a couple weeks. Any news on the other ends?

[hasshoes]

My guys are growing strong. . . should be in their new home outdoors in a few weeks.

[Vince]

Things are setting better now. Lots on both of my Orange B F2s. One plant is definitely beefsteak and the other is cherry, isn't segregation great! I only have one plant from the new batch of 20 f2 seeds I started, even though all the seeds looked plump and healthy!? Strange. I started 50 more today, hopefully to get a couple more as I intended. On another interesting note the few immature fruits I saved from the other F2 orange A plant I over wintered, are pink! Red pink to be exact, but I scraped the skin and it looks colorless???Strange coming from an orange bicolor....This is a complicated cross and we have a lot of suprises to look forward to. Good luck all lets hope they taste awesome!

[frogsleap farm]

Vince - I have 4 Orange A F2 plants in 10 gallon pots. No significant variation in leaf shape, some variation in flowering date - two of the four have just started flowering. I also had some problem with germination, though the seed looked excellent. My two F1 plants look great, both of which are also in large pots and starting to flower. Still cool here in MN, so I may be a few weeks from fruit set.

[goodwin]

hi Vince -
I've pulled the wall-of-water on my F1 plant. Lots of blossoms, interesting foliage - I should take a photo.

[Vince]

I rember there being some variation in leaf shape for the 5 F1s I grew out. I think 4 had sungold looking leaves but more broad, and the 5th(orange b) had some what rounded leaves and with more sparse foliage. If I saw a good picture I could tell you if what you are seeing resembles the original F1s.

[goodwin]

Have you seen this shape of leaf before? The plant appears healthy - I suppose it could be a response to temperature changes. The nights are finally staying in the 40's and low 50's, so things should begin to take off.

[Vince]

I actually can't recall if the F1's had leaves very similar to that(my memory is failing this is were pics come in handy). I do remember they were more broad than sun gold. What I CAN say is that I just walked out side and looked carefully at the F2s I am growing and the foliage looks VERY similar to yours, but maybe more sparse. I got a chance to look at some more f2s I threw in the ground 1 month ago(12 plants) at my mom's place and there is a tremendous amount of leaf variation....some look like a small rugose RL/PL hybrid......?

[Vince]

Here are some pics



Orange b plant 1 (mini beefsteek, look like it is ripening to orange)



A truss of Orange b plant 1



Orange b plant 2 (large round cherries)



Orange b plant 1 and 2 together in 15 gallon.



red a plant 1 (slightly elongated cherries with a nipple)



red a plant 2 (more round cherries than plant 1, less nippled)



both red a plants in a 15 gallon pot. (note the vigor of these compared to the orange b plants, this is what I observed for their parents also).

[Vince]

I harvested the fruit from Orange b F2 plant 1 today. It weighed 2.9 ozs (the parent produced a fruit of max 1.4 ozs). Definately beffsteak inside, not much gell and seeds. Color-Orange outside bicolor inside(like its parent, but with a more solid pink color than radiating red). Flavor very good, maybe 7.5 out of 10. A little bit tart around the seed locules for my taste, but the flesh was somewhat sweet and pleasant. I am hoping that this segrate behaves as sun gold with respect to flavor.....with sungold if you pick the fruit a little early when they are not perfectly deep orange, you don't get the intense burst of flavor. This fruit was a little under ripe, so I am hopeing the flavor will improve, and at dead ripenes we get a boost in sugar. Also, texture 10 out of 10, meaty juicy and firm. Sorry no pics, I was borowwing the digital camera for the last pics I posted.... got to buy one soon.