[eyolf]

A long time ago now, I experimented with dehybridizing an early hybrid. Well, actually two, that supposedly shared a parent.

My goal was to try to recreate that parent, or at least come very close. I'd like to think I was successful. Unfortunately, while the ultimate result seemed to match the description, it turned out to be yet another "heirloom adjacent" variety with nothing to truly recommend it 75 years later.

But I learned a few things: I identified various segregates, some of which were quite similar to the F1's. The F2's of one of my experiments was actually very similar, and segregation was more evident in F3 and F4.

I'm sure the seeds out there now, offered by small sellers, even Ebay and Etsy, are similar dehybridizing experiments. We can't easily find existing F1 seeds to compare a grow out.

I do grow a couple of these types every year, planting them in hanging baskets where they endure my depredation early in the season: they get started early and come inside if cool temps threaten. It's great fun to have a tomato a week or two earlier than reasonable or normal.

But eventually the regular ones on the garden start and they are ignored. These are likely no better or worse than any of the better-knowns.

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