Merced x ?, 20 times!!!

dhrtx · April 27, 2009

I was looking for information on Merced, and Tom Wagner ended up saying he had some old seed he would send me to grow out. I was amazed when he sent an e-mail saying he had sent 20 lines in the mail, all different crosses involving Merced. I am a little overwhelmed and nervous, but I have 14 of the lines growing in the garden. They might be just a little bit late, particularly after the biggest ones were killed in a late freeze here. They will be tested in regards to heat tolerance, and that is one of my biggest interests.
The lines I have are numbered 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, and 20. That is all I know, making this a surprise growout. Interestingly, some are fuzzy, one so much it looks like a plant made of velvet. I cannot wait to see what the different lines produce in fruit!

I hope to take pictures and keep everyone updated on this big to me little growout. Thanks again Tom!
Drew

travis · April 29, 2009

Drew, that's great that you have all those crossed lines of Merced to trial. Keep us posted on what develops.

Did you happen to receive any open pollinated lines derived solely from Merced and not crossed with something else?

I think Merced is a great tomato and there are loads of people hoping someone has a stabilized replica of that well loved hybrid.

dhrtx · April 30, 2009

We'll have to see what comes out. I am really looking for something similar that might be a little better. I plan on making selections until something(s) I like stabilizes.
Planting in fall looks attractive to get 2 generations a year, but I also want to select for heat tolerance, and am not sure the temps would be high enough when they are flowering. If these plants escaped my neighbor's spraying of weed killer, as it seems, and produce fruit, it should be interesting. A fall growout in Austin might be better, since it is often 5-10 degrees hotter there. If you have interest, travis, let me know.
Drew

dhrtx · May 2, 2009

I am more hopeful now that my plants will survive. I was thinking I might have to rely on the four people I gave plants to for any seeds. The line I think is stable germinated 2 out of about 30-40, and I had completely given up on them before they came up. Both are planted in my garden and were just a few feet from liquid death. Maybe they will be alright.

Hope to try to post pictures later.

dhrtx · May 18, 2009

Plants are growing well, some flowering and setting fruit. I have only bagged blossoms on a few, but if they are going to do well, I should have plenty of opportunity. I should be able to post pictures this week.

dhrtx · June 9, 2009

I have some pictures, but cannot seem to post them. Merced # 1, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 all are growing well. Almost all have set fruit, some setting many. 1 and 20 have quite large tomatoes, full size for a Merced type. I am hoping to see color any day now.

There is great variation in foliage. 6 is slightly fuzzy, 8 is very fuzzy, and 18 is completely furry. 16 has noticably darker foliage.

Maybe someday I will be able to share those pictures

dhrtx · July 14, 2009

What fun to see the variation in fruit!
-1 is a slightly flattened round red tomato that is very meaty and soft with a mild flavor
-6 is a medium red with yellow stripes with peach type fuzz, and I have not tasted it yet. It has been a vigorous plant with many tomatoes, but a disease seems to be attacking.
-8 is a small fuzzy red with yellow stripes, and the interior is similar to 1, but probably firmer. This quite fuzzy plant is pretty productive.
-12 is a pretty red beefsteak, one was the largest tomato I have grown, about 5" by 4.25", and was soft, fleshy, and delicious.
-13 is also a pretty red beefsteak, one of the most impressive growers, could be quite productive if many of the flowers had not come too late (the heat).
-14 seems to be an orangish red beefsteak
-15 a med red with variable shape from elongated round to flattened round. Nice tomato, productive plant.
-16 is a small, salad type yellow, some basically round, some elongated with a pointed end. Nice flavor, very nice, vigorous, productive plant with dark almost bluish green foliage.
-17 was late, almost died, but recovered and set some fruit in quite hot weather. Still some time until it ripens.
-18 is that most furry plant and it has striped fuzzy heart shaped fruit that have not yet ripened.
-19 was similar to 17, though it came around earlier. It is a med to med-large beefsteak that has a beautiful striping, and I cannot help but think it will be GWR, though none are ripe yet.
-20 is a deepened or elongated globe, pretty productive and nice.

I hope to have more info on some of these soon. I am also growing the hybrid some are replacing Merced with to compare. Crista is slightly larger, firmer, less meaty and less round than Merced. It is pretty nice and has been comparable to 1, 20 and 15 in production.

PNW_D · July 15, 2009

Wow, good score ..... fuzzy, stripes and heart shapes!! Can you send attachments via email? I'd really like to try posting your pic of plant 18

April 27, 2009	#1
dhrtx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ranger, TX Posts: 49	Merced x ?, 20 times!!! I was looking for information on Merced, and Tom Wagner ended up saying he had some old seed he would send me to grow out. I was amazed when he sent an e-mail saying he had sent 20 lines in the mail, all different crosses involving Merced. I am a little overwhelmed and nervous, but I have 14 of the lines growing in the garden. They might be just a little bit late, particularly after the biggest ones were killed in a late freeze here. They will be tested in regards to heat tolerance, and that is one of my biggest interests. The lines I have are numbered 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, and 20. That is all I know, making this a surprise growout. Interestingly, some are fuzzy, one so much it looks like a plant made of velvet. I cannot wait to see what the different lines produce in fruit! I hope to take pictures and keep everyone updated on this big to me little growout. Thanks again Tom! Drew Last edited by dhrtx; April 27, 2009 at 10:26 AM. Reason: add name

July 15, 2009	#8
PNW_D Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Coast, Canada Posts: 961	Wow, good score ..... fuzzy, stripes and heart shapes!! Can you send attachments via email? I'd really like to try posting your pic of plant 18 __________________ D.

April 29, 2009	#2
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Drew, that's great that you have all those crossed lines of Merced to trial. Keep us posted on what develops. Did you happen to receive any open pollinated lines derived solely from Merced and not crossed with something else? I think Merced is a great tomato and there are loads of people hoping someone has a stabilized replica of that well loved hybrid.

April 30, 2009	#3
dhrtx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ranger, TX Posts: 49	We'll have to see what comes out. I am really looking for something similar that might be a little better. I plan on making selections until something(s) I like stabilizes. Planting in fall looks attractive to get 2 generations a year, but I also want to select for heat tolerance, and am not sure the temps would be high enough when they are flowering. If these plants escaped my neighbor's spraying of weed killer, as it seems, and produce fruit, it should be interesting. A fall growout in Austin might be better, since it is often 5-10 degrees hotter there. If you have interest, travis, let me know. Drew

May 2, 2009	#4
dhrtx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ranger, TX Posts: 49	I am more hopeful now that my plants will survive. I was thinking I might have to rely on the four people I gave plants to for any seeds. The line I think is stable germinated 2 out of about 30-40, and I had completely given up on them before they came up. Both are planted in my garden and were just a few feet from liquid death. Maybe they will be alright. Hope to try to post pictures later.

May 18, 2009	#5
dhrtx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ranger, TX Posts: 49	Plants are growing well, some flowering and setting fruit. I have only bagged blossoms on a few, but if they are going to do well, I should have plenty of opportunity. I should be able to post pictures this week.

June 9, 2009	#6
dhrtx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ranger, TX Posts: 49	I have some pictures, but cannot seem to post them. Merced # 1, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 all are growing well. Almost all have set fruit, some setting many. 1 and 20 have quite large tomatoes, full size for a Merced type. I am hoping to see color any day now. There is great variation in foliage. 6 is slightly fuzzy, 8 is very fuzzy, and 18 is completely furry. 16 has noticably darker foliage. Maybe someday I will be able to share those pictures

July 14, 2009	#7
dhrtx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ranger, TX Posts: 49	What fun to see the variation in fruit! -1 is a slightly flattened round red tomato that is very meaty and soft with a mild flavor -6 is a medium red with yellow stripes with peach type fuzz, and I have not tasted it yet. It has been a vigorous plant with many tomatoes, but a disease seems to be attacking. -8 is a small fuzzy red with yellow stripes, and the interior is similar to 1, but probably firmer. This quite fuzzy plant is pretty productive. -12 is a pretty red beefsteak, one was the largest tomato I have grown, about 5" by 4.25", and was soft, fleshy, and delicious. -13 is also a pretty red beefsteak, one of the most impressive growers, could be quite productive if many of the flowers had not come too late (the heat). -14 seems to be an orangish red beefsteak -15 a med red with variable shape from elongated round to flattened round. Nice tomato, productive plant. -16 is a small, salad type yellow, some basically round, some elongated with a pointed end. Nice flavor, very nice, vigorous, productive plant with dark almost bluish green foliage. -17 was late, almost died, but recovered and set some fruit in quite hot weather. Still some time until it ripens. -18 is that most furry plant and it has striped fuzzy heart shaped fruit that have not yet ripened. -19 was similar to 17, though it came around earlier. It is a med to med-large beefsteak that has a beautiful striping, and I cannot help but think it will be GWR, though none are ripe yet. -20 is a deepened or elongated globe, pretty productive and nice. I hope to have more info on some of these soon. I am also growing the hybrid some are replacing Merced with to compare. Crista is slightly larger, firmer, less meaty and less round than Merced. It is pretty nice and has been comparable to 1, 20 and 15 in production.