"Rusty Randy" F3

[travis]

Working name: "Rusty Randy"

This is one of several F3 lines from the same original F2 germplasm.

This one has a "rusty" sort of copper oxide finish with green-when-ripe flesh. Other lines are yellow, yellow with red bicolor streaks, far more red exterior staining across bottom 2/3 of fruit but green-when-ripe interior, etc. There seems to be potential for many variations of outside appearance with yellow bicolor and green-when-ripe interiors.

This is not one of my crosses. I'm using these lines for pollen, because the parentage, which includes Malachite Box and NC 1 CELBR, offers unique color combinations, strong crack resistance, combined with potential Early Blight and Late Blight resistance. The original material came from Dr. Randy Gardner via a tomato growing friend of mine.

If I understand Dr. Gardner correctly, he doesn't expect that I will get much Early Blight resistance, but there is a greater potential for Ph-2 and Ph-3 races of Late Blight resistance.

I will try to get pictures of some of the other color combinations showing up on other vines.

The vines are strong determinate and semi-determinate, most growing only to 4 feet tall, so far.