Rutgers & Marglobe pollination

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by parah

Thank you, that is really helpful. My Marglobe must be a runt, I guess it can happen with any tomato plant. I'll start more seedlings because I really want to see what Marglobe can do.

I think you are wise -- that should give you a good idea what your Marglobe seed does naturally.

Something to consider is that both Marglobe and Rutgers are widely reported to have determinate and semi-determinate or indeterminate forms. My Marglobe had always been pretty good size, even here, where the growing season is short enough that many tomatoes don't express their natural full size. Then a couple of years ago that the Marglobes I'd grown that year were surprisingly short -- perhaps 30" tall. They produced pretty well, but stayed short and it was about the time they were frost killed that it dawned on me that they were probably just determinate Marglobes -- which seem to be what most commercial listings are, these days.

So possibly you have a determinate Marglobe and an indeterminate Rutgers. Still seems like a dramatic size difference for two plants that young, planted at the same time, though.

[parah]

Originally Posted by JLJ_

Then a couple of years ago that the Marglobes I'd grown that year were surprisingly short -- perhaps 30" tall.

That is fascinating. I tend to think of Tomato Seeds in a packet as perfect clones of each other. But, you have given a great example of why it is important try a Tomato variety several times before giving up on it. There are so many variables, even with old battle hardened veterans like Rutgers and Marglobe. The never ending tomato journey, always more to learn.

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by parah

That is fascinating. I tend to think of Tomato Seeds in a packet as perfect clones of each other. But, you have given a great example of why it is important try a Tomato variety several times before giving up on it. There are so many variables, even with old battle hardened veterans like Rutgers and Marglobe. The never ending tomato journey, always more to learn.

I suspect that the contents of most commercial packets would be pretty consistent, other than some seeds possibly producing smaller, weaker versions of the same plant, but I have found surprising differences in Marglobes from various sources.

I don't have anything enlightened to say about specific sources as yet, as I didn't expect real differences between packets of "plain ol'" Marglobe [as opposed to strains like "Marglobe Select" or "Marglobe Supreme" which I personally have not found to be as good as "Marglobe" (plain ol' original)].

I believe that Redbaron, who posted above in this thread has found considerable variation in Rutgers, in his quest to find a Rutgers like the one his father grew in north central Indiana many years ago. I keep an eye on anything he says about his Rutgers quest as if he sometime says "AHA!" or even "AHA!" I suspect that he will have found a Rutgers that will do better than most have for me -- though for me Rutgers will always be just one of several pretty good relatives of Marglobe -- other children of Marglobe like Pritchard's Scarlet Topper, Pan America and Break O Day, or Marglobe's "sibling" Glovel -- same tomato parents, Marvel and Globe, but switching which was Mama and which was Papa.

Best of luck with your comparison, it's a great idea! It will undoubtedly yield valuable information . . . but probably not conclusions . . . only the beginning of the whole Marglobe/Rutgers story.