Question for Keith and Co.

[Mantis]

Some of you may know that I crossed Nepal and Tommy Toe last year. The F1's gave my pretty much what I thought they would except for the fruit shape which was like Russian Reds or Polish Dwarfs with 3 or 4 slight ribs, where I thought crossing two round tomatoes should give a round tomato.
Now I have 10 or so seedlings of the F2 up and it gets curiouser. All of them look very much like they will be small even dwarfs with possible rugose foliage. What do you folk think. All 10 seedlings are identical.


My main question is, can you get a dwarf in the F2s from a cross of two indeterminates. I guess some might be dwarf if any of the two originals parents were dwarf, but 10 out of 10 seedlings
They are very strong little fellas with thick stems that is another indication that they could be dwarfs.

[Mantis]

Thanks Keith. I wouldn't call these runts as they are very strong. They just look like they have a dwarf type habit. Another couple of weeks should tell more.
Your avatar is looking even worst today. Hard night eh.

[Patrina_Pepperina]

Will look forward to a later update Mantis - that looks kinda similar to dwarf seedlings at the moment, but time will tell, eh?

PP

[Mantis]

It will be interesting for sure Patrina. I have potted on the 6 strongest and will grow them out to see what gives.

[Mantis]

I sowed a few more of these just to be sure I didn't muck up with the seed packets.

[Mantis]

Thanks John. We will have to wait and see how these turn out. These ones are the F2's and I was expecting a range of different types not all the same. Another two months and things shoud be clearer

[Patrina_Pepperina]

So the initial 10 are still looking like dwarfs eh?

I'll be interested to know what you get in your second sowing. Even on the offchance that there are some dwarf genetics in the parents somewhere, there shouldn't be 10/10 dwarf F2 seedlings, considering that even a dwarf X non-dwarf cross gives only 25% approx. dwarf F2s.

PP

[Mantis]

Yes PP they are still looking very dwarf like and growing strongly. I potted them on into bigger pots today. If I haven't stuffed up the seed saving or sowing (I usually don't ) , then what could have happened to give up all dwarves?

[Patrina_Pepperina]

I think you'll be the only one who can solve the mystery

[Mantis]

All the new sown have come up the same. I am thinking that maybe I saved seeds from a Polish Dwarf thinking it to be an F1 DOH. Gonna grow one out anyway.
Mantis *off to crawl under a log*

[Patrina_Pepperina]

Hehe, I just sowed some of your Polish Dwarf seeds today. What size and colour is the fruit expected to be?

PP

[Mantis]

The plant is more vigourous and taller than Russian Red but the fruit were almost identical for me. Some were a bit bigger than RR's. The Nepal X TT's were the same, hence the muckup.

[Grub]

The Tommy Toes x Nepal seeds you sent me are definitely indeterminates. Even at a few weeks old they have that rampant TT growth habit . Thanks mate.

[Mantis]

They have the same growth habit and are just as proliific as Tommy Toe. Made a great salad , then later oven drying tom. If you could send me some seeds of the F2. I would appecitate it big time , as I seem to have stuffed up.

Mantis *Tomato breeder extraordinaire *

[Grub]

No worries Mantis.

I'm at work but seem to recal getting about 3/5 to germinate this far. Two I think are TT-like, one a lot shorter. Will save seeds.