Tom's Yellow Wonder

[gssgarden]

Here's a couple..

Greg

[ScottinAtlanta]

Originally Posted by gssgarden

I have a HUGE taste test this weekend with the family... KBX v. TYW v. Sweet Ozark Orange!!

Greg

We are agog!

[AdrianaG]

Resurrecting this thread, what was the outcome of that TYW vs. KBX vs Sweet Ozark Orange taste test?

Has anybody done a side by side taste test of TYW vs. Aunt Gerties Gold?

Where can I get some TYW seed? I see that Glecklers has gone out of business.

[ddsack]

No side by side test, but I found TYW much milder tasting than what my AG's are. I grew TYW for two or three years when they first appeared on the scene but not since. If you can't find someone with newer seed, I still have plenty from 2007 if you want to try it, PM me. It is a longer season tomato, don't think it likes cooler weather much. Our summers are hotter now up here, so I might even give it one more try one of these years.

[travis]

I think the time to maturity probably varies widely depending on where you grow and which segregating line you are growing.

Tom's Yellow Wonder was let out at a young filial generation, so one line may vary substantially in days to maturity from another line. I grew some that were the first to set fruit, and among the first to ripen fruit, but my seeds were F2s and F3s, and we must remember that one of the parents is an early season Russian variety.

There also seems to be variations with regard to fruit shapes varying from beefsteak shapes to elongated, blunt hearts and some with a slightly pointed blossom end.

I'd say that seeds from 2007 would be early generation seeds, probably F3 or so.

[Reelcharacter]

Glad this thread was resurrected, might not have come across it otherwise. Definitely an interesting stage even with seed variability thrown in. Thanks for the additional info Travis, will have to do a little looking around for it or its more "finished" offspring.

[carolyn137]

Also noting the following.

Tania does not list this variety/

The 2015 SSE Yearbook for members has the following listers>

From IL, 90 days, indet, RL, very good flavor, 8-14 oz yellow beefsteak fruit, fair yield, seeds from TX AN S in 08

OH, 88 days, indet, RL, large yellow beefsteaks, 10-16 oz, very good flavor, seeds from (the person above) who is one of my best seed producers for my seed offer, and very good taste is not high up on his taste adjectives, that I know.

From Quebec, 85-90 days, indet, RL, large pale yellow beefsteaks, 10-15 oz, good flavor from TX AN S 08

WI, 80-85 days, possible cross of Wonder Light X Pineapple, indet, RL, 12-14 oz fruit, pale yellow beefsteaks with pink starburst at blossom end, originally from Union Beach, NJ (Tom did live there, cjm) from IL 09 via TX An S. ( Bill made no comment about taste)

Carolyn

[Worth1]

Tom sent me some seeds when he first discovered it.
They may have been F2 at the most.
They had a great flavor but they didn't produce well for me at all here in Texas.
They were yellow with a slight heart shape yellow with a pinkish blush on all plants I grew.
I think it was two plants for two years two plants each year.
Maybe 4 to 6 tomatoes per plant and that was it.
Gave up after that.

Worth

[travis]

These are photos of some of the TYWs I grew in 2007, and which Tom posted after I sent them to him at another tomato discussion board (PV = Papa Vic).

Originally Posted by Tomstrees

This is fun !

Whats going on Mark & Earl ??!!!

PV's getting some hearts ...

PapaVics 2007 "TYW":








Also, some have blush some don't. Maybe level of ripeness ?

~ Tom

[travis]

Here I have bumped up a post of several variations of color combos, some caused by the temperatures under which TYW matured, and others due to the color of the epidermis (whether clear or yellow epidermis).

The ones I grew had clear epidermis, so appeared more "clear yellow" as in this photo, which are tomatoes I picked August 3, 2007:

Originally Posted by Tomstrees

... and here are the many variations of which I was speaking, as grown by several other gardeners back then:

Originally Posted by Tomstrees

For background purposes to show where we are at with
Toms Yellow Wonder, I'll provide some history and photos of whats what.

Where did TYW come from?
I purchased a Wonderlight fruit from a roadside farmers market in west New York. (Later I came to find out my Aunt knows the lady who's market it was and she told her her Wonderlight plants are in between rows of Persimmon & Pineapple which are possible parents) Anyway, I liked the flavor, found out they were OP so I saved the seeds.

So the next season I started plants from the saved seed and when the fruits started to develop we could tell they weren't plums! They were big old yellow beefsteaks and hearts!

I saved seed from the biggest beefsteaks and heart shaped fruit from the healthiest plants, and asked some of our Aussie friends to help me out growing them. From there, I told our gardening friends everywhere about it and it has grown into a worldwide grow out!

We did come across a bump in the road with a "red" tomato popping up - but its not confirmed if this was a seed mix up or the genes just playing themselves out.
(of course my Dad LOVES the red because it was so productive for him in pots and has named it TY-15 because his 15th plant was crossed)

Its been a lot of fun for us to see pictures of it being grown in local and foreign lands, and even listed in the 2008 SSE Yearbook! Thanks guys!

My only request is to post your results of your grow out on this forum and post pictures when you can.

I want to thank everyone for all of your efforts in regards to this grow out, and I really mean it. It really is a thrill for us.

For the folks that are growing "Toms Yellow Wonder" for their first time -
I wanted to show some pictures of whats been growing on from gardens around the world!:






































Suze from TX got the most Bi-Color Fruit:



& My friend Keith from Kansas and myself got Red TYW's - may have been a seed mix up but should be noted. Here is my pic of the "evil red", lol

I think the prettiest ones I ever saw were grown by Susan Anderson, Elgin, TX, if you could still get those seeds from her or someone else who got some from her via SSE Yearbook.

[carolyn137]

And all from the depths of your computer.

I salute you Bill, I really do.

And it clears up for me what I wrote about Bill Minkey's comment above, he is the one from WI,

Does anyone know where Tom is now and what he's doing?

Carolyn, and don't I remember some wonderful pictures of when he got married with the sun setting on the horizon?

[Reelcharacter]

Travis you are right the TX Suzero Maters are a real splash of sunshine - but I wouldn't call yours evil - just a nice sunset variation.

[AdrianaG]

Originally Posted by ddsack

No side by side test, but I found TYW much milder tasting than what my AG's are.

Darn! I love the rich taste of AGG but hate the pathetically low yields, can somebody please cross AGG with a multiflora or Jaune Flammé?

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by AdrianaG

Darn! I love the rich taste of AGG but hate the pathetically low yields, can somebody please cross AGG with a multiflora?

I love AGG as well, but where I used to garden the yield was outstanding. I remember once loading up the trunk of my car with baskets if tomatoes to take home and set up for fermentation and I had just two plants and from each one i had a half bushel of fruits. But I also remember my friend Glenn Drowns who owns Sandhill Preservation that he got almost no fruits at all after I had sent him starter seeds.

It took him THREE years before he got enough seeds in one summer to list at his website/catalg, so maybe it's the weather in a seaon that influnences yield, maybe the soil, Glenn grows his tomatoes on sandy soil thus the name Sandhill Preservation.

I have a hard time envisioning an AGG multiflora due to the weight of the AGG fruits, but Ilex just showed a Colgar variety from Spain, a multiflora with very large fruits.

Carolyn

[AdrianaG]

"

I had just two plants and from each one i had a half bushel of fruits. But I also remember my friend Glenn Drowns who owns Sandhill Preservation that he got almost no fruits at all after I had sent him starter seeds.

I last grew AGG in great sunny conditions in Birminham, Al in heavily compost amended soil and was lucky to get 10 fruits per plant per season. Those Ilex multiflora were impressive! But seriously, a decent cross with just about anything would improve yield.

My current growing conditions are less than optimal with raised beds carved out of the forest so my yields are compromised already. I'll give AGG a try next year to see how she likes the North Georgia mountains.