The various Rebel Starfighters

[Tormahto]

I'd like to hear the latest on what's out there. If I have the names right, I'm aware of Rebel Starfighter Prime Beef, Rebel Starfighter VT16, and Rebel Starfighter Prime Heart (no antho).

I also have grown out Rebel Starfighter Prime F6 (Heart), which had antho, for me.

[Toomanymatoes]

These are the ones I know of:
Rebel Alliance
Rebel Starfighter Prime
Rebel Starfighter VT16
Marsha's Starfighter Beefsteak
Marsha's Starfighter Heart

No idea if the Rebel Starfighter Heart and Marsha's Starfighter Heart are the same or not.

Russ Crowe and Marsha Eisenberg are the breeders. Marsha works with Karen Olivier on the KARMA project as well.

Muddy Bucket Farms grew out F5 Rebel Alliance to select for another tomato called Rebel Brother.

edit: I am finding conflicting info on Rebel Alliance - some say the breeder is Russ Aceto, others Russ Crowe...unless it's the same person. I don't know. I am just an armchair cowboy armed with Google.

[patihum]

Russ Aceto/Russ Crowe are one and the same.

Russ was the sole breeder. Marsha found her Starfighter Beefsteak while helping Russ with the growout.

Rebel Starfighter Prime is a heart that should have antho!

While I haven't grown Marsha's selection I can tell you both Prime and VT16 are excellent with Prime edging the other out in the wow factor for flavor.

[Toomanymatoes]

Someone posted a few more on a FB group earlier. It looks like Russ Crowe has an Etsy site and sells seeds.

These were listed:
Rebel Starfighter: Penny Lane (Dwarf)
Rebel Starfighter: Kayleigh Anne
Rebel Starfighter: Blane's Moonlight
Rebel Starfighter: Prime
Rebel Starfighter: Dipper's Delight (Dwarf)
Rebel Starfighter: VT16

[JosephineRose]

Does anyone know where to get seeds for Marsha's two selections?

[Tormahto]

The Rebel Stsrfighters will continue to confuse me. I have Rebel Starfighter Prime (now F7), which in my garden the F6 produced an antho heart. But, I've heard that R S Prime is not supposed to be an antho.

Also, I just received VT16 seed, which may collect dust without a request for it.

[Mark_Thompson]

@Tormato I have no firsthand knowledge of these, but it appears that everyone who sells RS Prime has it as an antho heart.

76577630-CF6B-4BE9-9DB2-B4877F52E91B.jpeg

[LindaJean]

The Starfighters are intriguing - photos of V16 are pretty bizarre . I'm hoping to plant mine next year , I'm a sucker for strange tomatoes.
https://www.carmelbellafarm.com/product ... -prime-v16
Here's a good video for anyone that hasn't already seen it

[AKgardener]

I just bought those seeds from Etsy the other day when I was looking for more micro

[Old chef]

great looking. How do they taste? Are they prolific?

Old Chef

[Old chef]

Started a few seeds. very thin and wispy plants. I understand Hearts are often wispy, but These are going to be the last ones to be set outside. they were beat up a little by the oscillating fan. No other plants were effected by the fans. I grew 302 total plants, 56 varieties FYI

Old Chef

[Old chef]

So, The rebel Starfighter Prime did not make the cut for a spot in my garden. While i do grow a lot of Plants and Varieties, Most are for giving away to friends ( a list that gets longer each year). My garden I only grow 48. 37 varieties. I double and triple up on a few favorites.

I would love to hear about anyone else's experiences

Old Chef

[Frosti]

Most of the tomatoes I started at the end of February had to cope with bad conditions (too dark and too much humidity). Rebel Star Fighter VT16 was one of two plants to die from a fungus. It was the first one to get sick as well. I'll try again next year, but this time I'll sow a few weeks later.

[LindaJean]

This year all the plant seeds got their start outside last month - it was against my nature to wait but I stuck to it . Some were planted in trays, some in the ground when the weather reached 50 at night. They didn't get even one minute in the house. To my amazement the plant starts did fantastic out in the direct Spring sunshine - super healthy stocky deep green little plants.
Last year the indoor grow operation was a disaster, I dropped the whole tray of my son's Rebel Starfighters upside down on their heads. The tomato growing process was stinky, messy ,costly and time consuming , and after months of work all 140 tomato seedlings molded and went in the compost.
There is no question in my mind how to start my seeds from now on. I was so tempted but didn't plant any Starfighters this year. Now that I've got it down, I'm hopefully taking up the challenge to plant the Rebel Prime and VT16 next Spring outside .

[JenniferBella]

Anyone have a source for Rebel Starfighter: Dipper's Delight (Dwarf)?

[PNW_D]

Lucky Garden interview with Russ Crowe ...... Russ talks about his crosses 12:39
https://youtu.be/hBr94gfBQT0

[Tim DH]

I'd be interested in anybody's end of season assessment of these toms.

[DriftlessRoots]

I not grew RS Prime. I prune to one to three stems and got only a few fruits. Fine, actually delicious, for the occasional salad burst, but not a producer for other applications, IMHO. Lovely to look at. And there are worse things.

[PNW_D]

a few new introductions ....... Dwarf Rebel Starfighter Grandpa's Heart, Rebel Starfighter Blane's Moonlight, Dwarf Rebel Starfighter Penny Lane and Dwarf Rebel Starfighter Dipper's Delight

https://youtu.be/6KlKZsISufY?si=TVytI5LBEU1UmP1Q

anyone have any VT-16 for trade to Canada?

[JosephineRose]

Someone posted a few more on a FB group earlier. It looks like Russ Crowe has an Etsy site and sells seeds.

These were listed:
Rebel Starfighter: Penny Lane (Dwarf)
Rebel Starfighter: Kayleigh Anne
Rebel Starfighter: Blane's Moonlight
Rebel Starfighter: Prime
Rebel Starfighter: Dipper's Delight (Dwarf)
Rebel Starfighter: VT16

Anyone know where his etsy site is? I am trying to locate Kayleigh Anne seeds.