Some obervations on the odd and unusual I am growing

[nctomatoman]

Here are some leaf shape and appearance observations on some of my experimental varieties.

Grub's Mystery Green RL - predominantly regular leaf, but a few potato leaf - so obviously not stable.
Grub's Mystery Green PL - all Potato Leaf
Brandywine F3 selection 05-74, regular leaf in the F2 - 18 regular leaf, 3 potato leaf
Brandywine F3 selection 05-69, potato leaf in the F2 - 10 potato leaf, 1 regular leaf, 8 with the odd wiry, twisty foliage that has occasionally shown up in my Lucky Cross seed.
Brandywine F3 selection 05-67, potato leaf in the F2 - 16 potato leaf, 4 wiry, twisty foliaged.
Brandywine F3 selection 05-63, potato leaf in the F2 - 8 potato leaf, 1 regular leaf
Mountaineer Mystery - regular leaf seedling
Possible Black Heart - wispy, regular leaf seedling
Mr. Fumo - only one seed came up, seed head stuck, likely will not make it, so will try again next year
Grandpa Ludolph Red - regular leaf seedling
Lucky Cross F1, cross from Keith - 3 regular leaf seedlings
Indeterminate Green Grape from Jen - spindly regular leaf seedlings, hoping that it is indeed indeterminate!
Mutant Stick from Bully - seedlings all the same, look very much like wide potato leaf
Kellogg's Breakfast Potato leaf from Martha - all potato leaf seedlings
Farmer's Market pink fruit #1, collected in 1999 - all regular leaf
Farmers' market pink fruit #2 - collected in 1999 - all potato leaf
Farmer's market pink fruit #3 - collected in 1999 - all regular leaf
(the above three were seed saved from fruit purchased on one of our Farmer's Market trips - flavor of all was excellent, all labeled as German Johnson, two were large and oblate, one was more round and smooth).
All Nine Dwarf F1s - all indeterminate (not at all showing Dwarf growth), all regular leaf.
Yugoslavian Heart, from Neil L - one seedling finally popped up, but has its seed coat stuck - here's hoping.

[Tomstrees]

Craig,

I would def. be interested in
finding out how the Kelloggs Breakfast PL
goes. Love those PL's and Oranges !!!

~ Tom

[JerryL]

Caig,

I’m growing two of those you have listed.

Mountaineer Mystery – Only 2 out of 10 germinated but both look healthy and both are regular leaf.

Kellogg's Breakfast Potato leaf from Martha (seed borrowed while at Tomatopalozza III) 9 out of 10 germinated – all PL – potted the best looking three.

[Dunkel]

Hmmm Grandpa Ludolph was supposed to be PL. My Mountaineer Mystery are showing RL not fused like Barbs were.

[sandman619]

Interesting info Craig. Will be interesting to see what comes of some of them!

I ended up with 2 anomalies this year. A RL semi-wispy Aunt Gerties Gold (All others came out PL, growing 4 PL and the strange RL), and a random dwarf showed up from my Neves Azorean Red plants. Also growing 4 of those, all came out normal sized and RL.

The random dwarf NAR is about 10 inches or so with rugose looking foliage. Looks nothing at all like its siblings which are 3 feet and growing strong daily.

Seeds all came from a very reliable source who has had no troubles with crossing, and im 100% sure a seed mix didnt occur (not even growing any dwarves or compacts this year). They both have blossoms, cant wait to see what turns up.

[nctomatoman]

Keith, I've seen this behavior before. The plant gets very wiry, twisted growth and typically does not even set fruit. One person I know did manage to get fruit from a reg. leaf wiry selection, and it was very lumpy/convoluted (like a cluster of fused cherry tomatoes...she did not save seed!)

Once the seedlings get some size, I will post some pics

[Dunkel]

My freaks this year are a Super Beefsteak that is a PL. I also planted some called "Unknown Red PL" I got from Spudleaf Willie (Who got them from someone else) that appear to be a RL Dwarf! I'm going to name it Fidget from the old Our Gang or Little Rascals episode where Stymie is accused of stealing. There were midgets dressed like babies that were stealing. He said "It wasn't me, it was the fidgets!" LOL I laughed so hard the last time I saw that episode.

BTW The unknown red PL from spudleak Willie turned out to be a short statured semi determinate red. I got a Dwarf from SWeet Thing that I named Fidget. Sorry if there was any confusion.

[gardenmama]

Craig and Jerry-

I'm glad KBX (my abbreviation for Kellogg's Breakfast Potato Leaf) is showing 100% PL germination. I found it also to be much more vigorous than RL Kellogg's Breakfast showing no signs of CRUD. It also was a fairly heavy and early producer for such large fruits.


(photo from 2003, approx 6 weeks after starting)

Jerry, if you "borrowed" seeds from Tomatopalooza your plants will be the most recent grow-out line available (3rd season since discovery) as the one's I sent Craig I believe were saved from one of the very first fruits set in 2003 when I discovered it was indeed an orange fruited PL variety. I'm growing out more of the original saved seeds as well.

I'm looking forward to hearing how they do for both of you as well as Carolyn (she's getting a plant from the original seeds as well).

[nctomatoman]

Keith, I don't think that it is a virus, since the only variety that gets it is growouts from advanced generations of the Brandywine cross that led to Lucky Cross - and it appears in the Lucky Cross, not Little Lucky, line.

I've never seen it on any of the other thousands of seedlings of hundreds of varieties I've grown.

[lumierefrere]

I love Martha's KBX--great germination and all vigorous PL.
I think I have about 8 coming along. (Sorry for the wind today.)

[Sorellina]

Ciao all,

Interesting thread. So far the only aberrent leaf shape I'm seeing is 1 RL Aunt Gertie's Gold. I got 2/3 germination and the other one is PL. I'm going to grow them together and take notes on what I observe with the fruit. I'll only save seed from the PL and bag the blossoms definitely.

Bully, FYI when you get back from your trip, the AGG seed was from you, so if you're growing it this year, watch for the RL.

I had a RL Stump of the World last year but I donated it because I didn't have enough room to grow it out. I've now changed my philosophy to "ain't no such thing as not enough room" especially when it comes to interesting non-conforming leaf shapes. It's a Forrest Gump box of chocolates thing.

[carolyn137]

Martha,

I think you forgot that you sent me seeds for KBX right after you found it and I grew it and loved it.

But where those seeds went I don't know. I can't even remember if I saved seeds from it. But when I saw it on your long list of varieties available I just knew it had to be one of the 12 you offered to raise for me and ship up here.

So I'm looking forward to seeing/experiencing it again.

As for Grandpa Ludolphs German Red, All I've seen are folks reporting it was RL. Joe wasn't that sure in the first place b'c he's not been a long time tomato grower.

Joe had sent me two fruits late last year and I saved seeds from 1/2 each of both, so I haven't grown it myself, but did send seeds to a few others who asked for them.

As most of you know, I'm not raising my own seedlings this year, but I have farmed out six new varieties, two of which I grew two years ago but didn't get enough seeds to list at SSE or share with others, three that I got up last Spring but they died under the lights, b'c it was just too difficult for me to tend to plants being chained to my walker, and one new red oxheart from Scott in Germany who represents it as being a Russian family heirloom and it sounds just great.

All three folks helping me out, Tree in ME, Shoe in NC and BC Day in NY, have been just great about doing this and we'll see what happens over the summer.

So Tree, Shoe and BC can consider themselves as adoptive moms in two cases and a dad in one case.

[coronabarb]

doug,

The Mountaineer Mystery definitely came up as a regular leaf. It wasn't until it was much bigger that the leaves broadened out, so to speak.

[Catntree]

Craig, I got a plant with the wiry leaves....actually came out that way at the new growth once the plant was 3-4 feet tall. I pulled the plant and sent a sample to the coop ex. who promptly tested it for fungus and discarded the sample. In the meantime I had disposed of the plant through the landfill as I was a bit 'freaked out' by it.....so never found out what the cause was.....if another displays the wispy leaves I'll send another test to the state.....

Heh.

[Catntree]

hmm....subject line doesn't go through....?

Subject line of above said I had a Lucky Cross anomaly of 'shoestringing'. Interesting it might be a variety issue....not a seed-borne virus?