Interested in Growing a Multiflora Dwarf?

[clkingtx]

I wondered if it was something along those lines, thanks! The plants are all doing really well, acclimating well to outside.

[jmsieglaff]

My 5 11xF3 are happily growing under the lights in my basement. I'll update after I plant them into their final containers.

[dfollett]

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

My 5 11xF3 are happily growing under the lights in my basement. I'll update after I plant them into their final containers.

I'm hoping we can get a black (maybe a large black) on a <18" plant. Its daddy is an F1 of Brandywine Cowlick's X Margaret Curtain. The potential for color, fruit size and flavor should be there.

[disneynut1977]

Heres what I am growing from seed you sent, 6 plants of each cross. I started all the seed, ended up with getting 2 indeterminates that a I pulled. The remaining are all dwarves, with maybe a few micros?

Photo taken a week ago. Pulled them from my lights and put in front of my windows. Should be be enough sun for them as my little cacti are starting to flower in front of this window.

[dfollett]

Originally Posted by disneynut1977

Heres what I am growing from seed you sent, 6 plants of each cross. I started all the seed, ended up with getting 2 indeterminates that a I pulled. The remaining are all dwarves, with maybe a few micros?

Photo taken a week ago. Pulled them from my lights and put in front of my windows. Should be be enough sun for them as my little cacti are starting to flower in front of this window.

Thanks for posting. I wish I knew more about the genes that influence these things. If I understand the genetics correctly, we should be able to learn something from these. We should learn if there are two recessive genes that control the size of their mother – micro multiflora plants from the Red Robin X Rose Quartz multiflora family I am growing out for ChrisK. They are all from one of those crossed with different papas.

They certainly carry the ‘Dwarf’ gene. If there is another recessive gene keeping them extra small, all those I sent you should be fixed for both of those genes. Everything I sent to you came from plants that were 20” or less in size and all were multiflora. I’m looking forward to what you get from them.

Are they going into pots, containers or into the ground somewhere?

[disneynut1977]

Originally Posted by dfollett

Are they going into pots, containers or into the ground somewhere?

Hi Dan
Since we are coming into my summer time, most I will put out into my garden beds. I will keep back 1 of each cross and put them in nursery standard 2 gallon pots, I think technically those are 1.66 gallon? I want to see what they will do for me being indoors. Thankfully, I have tons of sun at this window, so I'm positive those will do just as good as the inground ones, maybe just a little smaller, because they will be limited from the pot size.

I wish I hadn't culled as much though and kept 10 plants of each cross. I know 6 is good, but I keep thinking what if I culled that 1 perfect winner.

Other than the 2 rogue indeterminates, all the leaves types were right on except for the cross, 11xf3x1 pl. I got an even mix of rl and pl, I kept going with the pl though and it looks like 1 of those may be a micro compared to the siblings.

Half of the cross 14xf3x1 rl also seem to be noticeably shorter.

I check the trays each morning when rotating for equal sun exposure hoping for the start of flower clusters.

[dfollett]

Originally Posted by disneynut1977

Hi Dan
Since we are coming into my summer time, most I will put out into my garden beds. I will keep back 1 of each cross and put them in nursery standard 2 gallon pots, I think technically those are 1.66 gallon? I want to see what they will do for me being indoors. Thankfully, I have tons of sun at this window, so I'm positive those will do just as good as the inground ones, maybe just a little smaller, because they will be limited from the pot size.

I wish I hadn't culled as much though and kept 10 plants of each cross. I know 6 is good, but I keep thinking what if I culled that 1 perfect winner.

Other than the 2 rogue indeterminates, all the leaves types were right on except for the cross, 11xf3x1 pl. I got an even mix of rl and pl, I kept going with the pl though and it looks like 1 of those may be a micro compared to the siblings.

Half of the cross 14xf3x1 rl also seem to be noticeably shorter.

I check the trays each morning when rotating for equal sun exposure hoping for the start of flower clusters.

There was a tremendous amount of variability in the growth habit of the F2s of most of the crosses. I don't know how quickly that variability stabilizes. It will be interesting to see the F3s.

i'd be happy to send you more seed of these or others anytime you want.

[Barb_FL]

Here's the most current picture taken of the largest 13X-F3-1 and 13x-F3-2.

[OzoneNY]

I searched but I didnt find a description or much leading to a clue. Maybe I missed it, but can someone tell me... what exactly is a multiflora tomato plant?

[habitat_gardener]

So far the 21x seedlings germinated fastest and are the most vigorous. I started 6-12 seeds of each variety (6)...no true leaves yet. Now that they are growing, I'm thinking about where I can put a whole bunch of 1-2 gallon pots!

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by OzoneNY

I searched but I didnt find a description or much leading to a clue. Maybe I missed it, but can someone tell me... what exactly is a multiflora tomato plant?

Multi means many and flora means flowers, aka blossoms, and it refers to a variety that has many blossoms on a single stalk and there can be up to several 100's of blossoms on that stalk,but usually only about 40-100 set fruits.

Here's a picture of one of my favorite multifloras

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Zluta_Kytice

I've grown quite a few multiflora's and love them

This thread is all about finding dwarf ones,ones that are not indeterminate in nature,aka short, and that's why seeds were sent out to those who requested them and then those folks are making selections from the plants to get the best ones that they can,and I also assume ones that might do much better for container growing. And these days there is a large interest in containergrowing.

Hope that helps,

Carolyn

[OzoneNY]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Multi means many and flora means flowers, aka blossoms, and it refers to a variety that has many blossoms on a single stalk and there can be up to several 100's of blossoms on that stalk,but usually only about 40-100 set fruits.

Here's a picture of one of my favorite multifloras

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Zluta_Kytice

Hope that helps,

Carolyn

Most certainly does! Thanks

[clkingtx]

I had to transplant mine into larger pots, one per variety. The cups and small pots just didn't hold enough soil to keep them from drying out. It is getting hot enough here that if they dried out in the middle of the day, they would die. So I put all plants of each variety in my large planters. They are probably near 5 gallon size. There are 9 of one variety, 4 of another, 5 of another, and 6 of the last. The pots with 4, 5, and 6 I might leave together, unless they get too crowded. Any that get too crowded, along with the pot with 9 plants, will get transplanted to their own 1 gallon pot. The groupings are marked, I know which cross is which, I just don't remember which is which right now. You might be able to read the plant labels in the pictures. Every plant is doing well!

[jmsieglaff]

Originally Posted by dfollett

I'm hoping we can get a black (maybe a large black) on a <18" plant. Its daddy is an F1 of Brandywine Cowlick's X Margaret Curtain. The potential for color, fruit size and flavor should be there.

Dan, I'm excited for these. The plants continue to grow nicely under the lights. I'm thinking I'll grow these on my deck, with the high sun angle in late spring and early summer, I don't know if they'll get enough direct sunlight up by the patio door indoors. I have some 12" outdoor circular planters (tapered) so I they are about 0.50 cubic feet. I'm thinking I'll do 3 in one planter and 2 in another. 5 would be way too tight I think--both from a soil point of view and an airflow point of view.

Do you care if these are bagged or not? If you do I may rig up something to 'bag' the entire pot.

As far as plant supports I think I'll just do this on fly with garden support sticks and twine. (Especially since I think the amount of support needed will be directly related to the weight of fruit set, which seems to be a rather big unknown yet with these.)

[clkingtx]

My plants are also doing well, all are dark green and healthy. All are outside, acclimated to full sun, and seem to be thriving. I am starting to see flower buds, and one plant of the 11x cross looks like it will have its first fully open blossom tomorrow.

Carrie