Unusual growth habit

Boutique Tomatoes · August 9, 2016

Some of my striped antho lines I've been bringing forward have an unusual growth habit that I don't know how to classify, I'm curious if someone might have an idea as to what they might be.

The plants are between 2 and 3 feet, prostrate but incredibly productive. So much so that I don't believe the foliage can supply enough oomph to give great tasting fruit, but they put out so many with good fruit qualities for appearance, hang time, and a lack of cracking or checking that I've kept them going as a breeding line.

They share a common ancestor from one of Tom Wagner's early generation blue lines. My guess is that they may be a brachytic dwarf, but the leaves don't look like the Mountain Magic F2's that I believe have that gene and I know it is in the MM cherry parent.

My thoughts are that they may combine with some of the more aggressive indeterminate lines to make for good quality f1 lines, I've made a number of crosses this year to further test that theory.

Growing out crosses with them results in some of the F2 plants being a wild mess, like this 8 ft plus wide tangled monster at 60 days from transplant.

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PaddyMc · August 9, 2016

Productive is an understatement. How many crosses with this line do you have going?

Boutique Tomatoes · August 10, 2016

There are 4 current lines at f5 and some new crosses in the works.

These are some pictures from last season. All are red, salad size and hang on the vine while the entire cluster ripens. Up until late last year I'd thought they were just a compact determinate with a prostrate growth pattern but now I'm not so sure.

I've tried to get other colors in the new crosses, but this year I've also crossed them to several indeterminate red striped antho lines to see what kind of synergy they have.

Sent from the Tardis

bower · August 11, 2016

Those are VERY pretty.

scipio · October 26, 2016

Very interesting subject!

salix · October 29, 2016

They are gorgeous - and I like that growth pattern. How is the taste?

August 9, 2016	#1
Boutique Tomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Northeast Wisconsin, Zone 5a Posts: 1,109	Unusual growth habit Some of my striped antho lines I've been bringing forward have an unusual growth habit that I don't know how to classify, I'm curious if someone might have an idea as to what they might be. The plants are between 2 and 3 feet, prostrate but incredibly productive. So much so that I don't believe the foliage can supply enough oomph to give great tasting fruit, but they put out so many with good fruit qualities for appearance, hang time, and a lack of cracking or checking that I've kept them going as a breeding line. They share a common ancestor from one of Tom Wagner's early generation blue lines. My guess is that they may be a brachytic dwarf, but the leaves don't look like the Mountain Magic F2's that I believe have that gene and I know it is in the MM cherry parent. My thoughts are that they may combine with some of the more aggressive indeterminate lines to make for good quality f1 lines, I've made a number of crosses this year to further test that theory. Growing out crosses with them results in some of the F2 plants being a wild mess, like this 8 ft plus wide tangled monster at 60 days from transplant. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

August 10, 2016	#3
Boutique Tomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Northeast Wisconsin, Zone 5a Posts: 1,109	There are 4 current lines at f5 and some new crosses in the works. These are some pictures from last season. All are red, salad size and hang on the vine while the entire cluster ripens. Up until late last year I'd thought they were just a compact determinate with a prostrate growth pattern but now I'm not so sure. I've tried to get other colors in the new crosses, but this year I've also crossed them to several indeterminate red striped antho lines to see what kind of synergy they have. Sent from the Tardis Last edited by Boutique Tomatoes; August 10, 2016 at 10:40 AM.

October 29, 2016	#6
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	They are gorgeous - and I like that growth pattern. How is the taste? __________________ "He who has a library and a garden wants for nothing." -Cicero

August 9, 2016	#2
PaddyMc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 241	Productive is an understatement. How many crosses with this line do you have going?

August 11, 2016	#4
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	Those are VERY pretty.

October 26, 2016	#5
scipio Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Romania Posts: 8	Very interesting subject!