A tomato story--of sorts.

Everything About Tomatoes
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TomHillbilly
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A tomato story--of sorts.

#1

Post: # 33016Unread post TomHillbilly
Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:59 pm

Last year when a construction crew was working on a vacated house beside me. I happened to be spraying some produce off with a water hose, which placed me close to their work. Some of the workers started asking me questions about a few varieties of tomatoes. I invited them over the fence. But only one of them came over. I gave him a tomato from each variety that interested him. I told him to take um back for a taste test among the crew. I also picked the guys a wheelbarrow half full of Butternut squash, and told them to empty it out among themselves. I was over-ran with squash at this point. One of the workers began telling me a wild tale of his. About special tomato, the variety can only be bought at one place. Some greenhouse that is 2 hours from our location. It is a family business. And the father of it, worked 40 years breeding a special tomato. The family patented the seed. Supposedly people drive from hours away, for this one special tomato plant. This guy claimed he made that trip once a year, because this special tomato always out produced his others. He called it "the 40 year tomato". I find nothing in my research on "the 40 year tomato." Unknowingly, I must have given him a look--like he was off his rocker. Because it was at that time his crew started laughing at him. I've been told by others, my face is easy to read. LOL.. The next morning before breakfast, I got a knock on the door from that guy. He presented me with one of those tomatoes. And said-- "See, I told you so." He began telling me off, for doubting his story.  It was a flatten smooth globe tomato, softball in size, and an odd color yellowish with pepper specks. In less than an hour, I was taking a bad tongue lashing from my wife, over the incident. She insisted that I serve her that tomato for breakfast. I denied her request, which is extremely rare at my house. I ate the tomato myself, picking the seeds out with a fork, and sliding them to the edge of the plate. I figured me telling her she could eat the tomato, only if she gave me the seeds-- wouldn't go over very good. I did find the variety above average, but I'm not sure I'll grow it again. The tomato was on the weak side in taste. The plant was only average in resistance.  PS--The entire affair was unusual, I got chewed out over one single tomato twice, before breakfast.  Below is what the fruit looks like from the collected seeds. I've no idea if I collected from a hybrid, or heirloom. If you live within 90 miles of Eastern TN, and have heard of this mater-- perhaps you know more than me ?
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Rockoe10
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Re: A tomato story--of sorts.

#2

Post: # 33026Unread post Rockoe10
Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:14 am

Very interesting. I haven't heard of this tomato, but I will be taking a trip to Tennessee this December for a family a wedding. Old child hood friends have moved there and I'll ask around. Maybe I'll get a rumour or two. Very exciting!
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Rob, ZONE 6A with 170 days between frost dates, Western Pennsylvania

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pondgardener
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Re: A tomato story--of sorts.

#3

Post: # 33034Unread post pondgardener
Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:09 am

[mention]Hillbillytom[/mention] what you grew doesn't seem to resemble the first tomato you described as being "softball sized". So maybe the original tomato is a hybrid or was a cross with something else?
It's not what you gather, but what you scatter, that tells what kind of life you have lived.

TomHillbilly
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Re: A tomato story--of sorts.

#4

Post: # 33093Unread post TomHillbilly
Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:14 pm

@ Pondgardner-- Very possible. I've had highly unstable hybrids morph, from collected F-2 seeds. And I've had 2 of my old heirloom varieties that has been with me for years, to get cross pollinated. Generally I only collect seed fruit from a plant that is surrounded by the same variety. I ran out of Black Krim, and Sun-ray seeds. It was time to re-collect them once again. My Black Krim came out golf ball sized fruit, but the same markings. The Sun-ray came out potato leaf. LOL. Both fruits got cross pollinated some way.

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