Black and Brown Boar - It's Dense

[FILMNET]

I have been growing brads tomatos for a few years now, I have grown black and brown boar ever year, the plants grow the same as most. Sweet Carneros I grew 2 years ago, really great cute fruit, look at how there grow with fruit , just like some cherries

[Steve Magruder]

Originally Posted by tlintx

It really sounds like you guys got crossed seeds or just wrong ones! How did the fruit look? I haven't grown Blonde Boar but none of my WBF seedlings are bushy or wide or small. Determined, yes, determinate, no!

I have a Black and Brown Boar growing in a 16 oz cup in late evening sun and it's taller than anything I have in ground right now!

I got my BBB plant from one of my area's most reputable nurseries, and the fruits look the way they're supposed to look.

As I said before, the plant is growing vertically on one side now.

Because of the very high density lower in the "bush", some leaves have died off, apparently not because of fungus, but perhaps just basic rot due to lack of sun. The rest of the plant is seemingly unaffected, and the fruits look very healthy.

[tlintx]

Huh, weird. Is it possible the growing tip died at some point? The only plants I've had that were indeterminate but bushed out before going up was a direct result of the growing tip being yanked off.

Or maybe it's just one of those things! I had a Better Bush once that was stubbornly six inches tall until one day it shot up a foot on one side only.

[livinonfaith]

Those Sweet Carneros look so good! How's the flavor?

Having never seen any one else's Blonde Boar, I can't say that the fruit was normal, but it seemed to match the descriptions I've read, except mine were a little smaller than what others have noted. (I am not the best gardener, though, and my fruit are often smaller.)

Small, pale yellow with green stripes that fade to gold as it ripens. Mine also sometimes developed a tiny bit of pink blush at the end when it was really ripe. I've seen a few pics that look just like the fruit I had.

It does make me wonder though. Apparently, mine wasn't a normal growth pattern for the variety and Steve's didn't seem to be either. I don't know how many genetics these two "boar" tomatoes share, if any. But if they do have a parent or grandparent in common with an odd growth pattern, we may have just managed to each get one of the throwbacks to that genetic link.

Or either the combination of some of the parent plants used to produce the boar series has a tendency to throw some odd growth patterns into the mix.

Either way, this whole tomato genetics thing is really fascinating. You never know what kinds of crazy stuff you'll get.

I liked my throwback though, so I'll probably try it again.

[Steve Magruder]

Originally Posted by tlintx

Huh, weird. Is it possible the growing tip died at some point? The only plants I've had that were indeterminate but bushed out before going up was a direct result of the growing tip being yanked off.

Or maybe it's just one of those things! I had a Better Bush once that was stubbornly six inches tall until one day it shot up a foot on one side only.

I just checked, and the main stem is intact. In fact, it's mainly what's growing up that side, along with a major side branch. I guess you could say it's becoming a more normal plant as it gets taller.

[FILMNET]

Originally Posted by livinonfaith

Those Sweet Carneros look so good! How's the flavor?

Having never seen any one else's Blonde Boar, I can't say that the fruit was normal, but it seemed to match the descriptions I've read, except mine were a little smaller than what others have noted. (I am not the best gardener, though, and my fruit are often smaller.)

Small, pale yellow with green stripes that fade to gold as it ripens. Mine also sometimes developed a tiny bit of pink blush at the end when it was really ripe. I've seen a few pics that look just like the fruit I had.

It does make me wonder though. Apparently, mine wasn't a normal growth pattern for the variety and Steve's didn't seem to be either. I don't know how many genetics these two "boar" tomatoes share, if any. But if they do have a parent or grandparent in common with an odd growth pattern, we may have just managed to each get one of the throwbacks to that genetic link.

Or either the combination of some of the parent plants used to produce the boar series has a tendency to throw some odd growth patterns into the mix.

Either way, this whole tomato genetics thing is really fascinating. You never know what kinds of crazy stuff you'll get.

I liked my throwback though, so I'll probably try it again.

I dont remember the taste i grew them 2 years ago, but froze a bunch for sauce in winter.

[dice]

The cultivars with "Boar" in the name (Blonde Boar, Black and Brown
Boar, Black and Red Boar, etc) take the name from the name of the
farm where they were first found and grown out: Wild Boar Farms.

(They do not necessarily have parent cultivars in common, although
the stripes on the striped varieties might have originated with
Green Zebra. Wild Boar Farms grows many different cultivars
in a year, some their own developments like Berkeley Tie-Dye, some traditional OPs like Green Zebra, Black Krim, Cherokee Purple,
and so on. Seeds are not their only market. They sell a lot of fresh
fruit, and they grow whatever the customers in their area like.)

[Dewayne mater]

Always a productive plant that produces in all kinds of weather, this year it has blown me away! One plant in an earthtainer has produced between 50-100 tomatoes at least and still has many more on it. I normally keep count, but lost track along the way when I went on vacation. Staggering numbers from this guy, with the smallest at golf ball sized up to baseball size. It always succumbs to some leaf diseases, but is quite a vigorous grower, so it seems to be able to keep ahead of the disease and continue producing until temps like we are getting now. (close to or above 100, lows at night around 82, slightly elevated humidity, especially in the "cooler" mornings.) We really like the taste, though it is a bit soft and won't hold long. Every newer grower should try this guy because of its sure fire production.

Dewayne mater

[Vespertino]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

Vespertino - I know you posted somewhere reporting about the BER problems with Brandywine, but I can't find it. I know you said you tried Calmag and that didn't seem to fix it. One other thing, if your tainer gets any direct sunlight, that is a major problem. It will heat up the roots and I believe from earlier discussions in prior years that when that happens, it inhibits calcium uptake, and hence exacerbates BER. So, if they get sunlight, get some shade on them! I use cheap bamboo shades from H.D. Good luck.

Dewayne Mater

Thanks Dewayne! How are your tomatoes holding up in the heat?

I'm using a makeshift shade on the container and it seems to be helping The heat is really slowing the brandywines down but I haven't lost any more fruits. I still think the plant is very stressed by the heat and the sun, so I'm not optimistic that I'll get any flavorful tomatoes out of it before August when I swap them out for the BBB and SCP. Hopefully those two will make up for the cranky, poor-producing brandywine.