Quote:
Originally Posted by MissS
Mega blooms are to some degree hereditary. They occur when the plants are young and the temperatures are cool. So, these are most times on a plants first few fruits. Some tomatoes varieties are more prone to having fruit with mega blooms than others. Fruits from mega blooms are what grow those giant tomatoes everyone loves.
Since these tomatoes are fused, it is possible for each section to have seeds from different pollen donors. It is also possible for a normal tomato to have seed from different donors in each of it's locales.
With that being said, I would think that it would be just fine to save seed from a fused tomato. Since these are early fruits, there is less chance of a bee cross pollinating the fruit. The bees are in short supply at this time of the year, so most pollination is done normally.
Some people choose to save seed from each tomato separately others like to mix several fruits seeds together. I myself like to mix them. That way, if there has been a cross it is more likely that the next seed out of the pack will be one that will grow true to form.
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I had to stop and think, and the couple of megabloom tomatoes I got were the first tomatoes made. I don't put my tomatoes out til May 1st usually. This year was a few days later as we had all those never ending storms and flooding. Temps back then were in the low 70's and 50's at night.
I do like you do. I take all the ones I bagged that the same and mix them all in same container when fermenting. Once I know I have enough bagged tomatoes for trying to get purer seed, then I let the rest of the plant do whatever it wants. You can see some later tomatoes are definitely crosses and those ones then I will do separately. Those for sure crosses, I don't share. Those I keep and maybe one day I'll see what they develop into.
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolyn137
I'm glad to see that you essentially agreed with what I posted in the second post here with a couple of links to confirm what I posted.
Again, I would never save seeds from a fruit that resulted from a megabloom, ever. Yes, individual blossoms can also be cross pollinated,that's for sure, and that also depends on what your x pollination is,and I used to keep track of that when I was listing so many varieties in the SSE Yearbooks.Mine was about 5 % which means that on average,of seeds saved from about 100 different varieties about 5 will be X pollinated and it's also kown that even with X pollination,not all ovules in the tomato ovary will be cross pollinated,but why take the chance say I.
I remember reading a study where it was shown that taking all seeds that were fertilized in the ovary,then taken from the following fruit,there could be up to 5 different ones,meaning 5 different pollen donors.
Carolyn
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Very interesting that study you read. I took a look around at the plants I know that have crossed and yep that about what I have 5% maybe a bit more as I probably did most of that pollinating when stringing branches up and being in and among the leaves and blossoms several times a day, plus with no bees other than the odd one, I shake my plants everyday and I know I have pollen all over me.
I got the cutiest Ernie's Plump that one of last tomatoes to develop and I can see where it crossed with Oaxacan Jewel.
I been most all day, destroying plants. My neighbor asked what I was doing. Told her because of hornworms I been picking anything that blushing and that been bagged and hopefully true to seed and destroying the rest few left on vines as most of them may be crossed all the way. I don't keep plants going during hot summer months and mass humidity for last two or three tomatoes on vine. Too much work and waste of water during drought season.
After keeping bagged ones for me for seed, the rest go to feed folks who hungry and are not seed savers. They just want fresh food and appreciate anything they get. One of my goals is to get more folks to try and grow some of the older type heirlooms. It can be done down here.
I'll keep one or two for eating, that I liked even if it crossed, but my season more or less done. I must say it been a pure joy to grow all these new to me heirlooms. Challenging at times but lots of learning lessons and I can't wait to start on next year. Lots more heirloom tomatoes to try and grow. More tomatoes to try than I probably got years left, but gonna give it my best shot.
