Nature's Perfect Shape

[Rockoe10]

I had a tomato last season that had straight sides. The majority of them were hexagons, though the one i took a picture of had closer to seven sides. Would anyone know what causes this to happen? Or maybe if this is a particular varieties trait? It was supposed to be a money maker, but the packet of seeds i purchased had several off types, this being one of them.

This is the one from my garden

20200812_190017.jpg

This one is a really good hexagon shaped tomato i found online in my searching for answers.

iR2q8Xf-uUNX7U-tMMMwRzeReSBL96v2BhtVt0X7_4w.jpg

[bower]

Cool!
Shape genetics are really complex. It's often hard to know how they will interact with one another.
There are at least two major genes that increase locule number, my guess your hexagon tomato has one but not the other.
Some other genes or qtls governing the extension of skin and filling of the space between seed locules has given the flat sides.
Nice looking mater!

[Growing Coastal]

I recall someone telling me way back in the '70's that breeders were trying to come up with a square tomato to make for less wasted space in packing and shipping. I guess this is the result!

[Nan6b]

Did these maters grow in clusters? The others pressing on it could account for some of the shape.

[Amateurinawe]

Wow, so interesting. Hexagonal, everyone gets an even slice and it sits on the plate nicely- well, i suppose if there are six in the dinner party but you know what i mean. Other than the obvious shapes does anyone else know anything more about this ?

[Rockoe10]

Interesting [mention]Growing Coastal[/mention], this could be a result of some industry's experiment. Thankyou to whomever put in the work, i enjoyed this surprise.

[mention]Nan6b[/mention], yes they were in trusses, but not too the point that they would cause each other to be shaped like this. And nearly all of them were like this. If anything, id go as far as to say this one has an odd 7th side due to possible bunching . The hexagonal shape was definitely due to heredity. Though I'm not sure what role the environment played with this particular variety. That is to say, temperature and water could have caused this particular plant to produce this shape. However, it was only this one plant that did it. Which sparked my interest in the plant.

[Tormato]

A nice shape. But when like that, the flavor is almost always off, in my garden. I get that shape along with the issue of internal white tissue.

For me, the perfect shape is the Fibonanni fractal found in Romanesco broccoli. It's been perfectly impossible for me to get it to head.

[HenriSportif]

That is pretty cool, Rob - did they taste good, and did you save seeds? Very interesting that it was consistent on just that plant.

[Rockoe10]

[mention]Tormato[/mention] ,i just looked up that variety of broccoli. Is that for real?!? Very cool!

The taste was not abnormal, and was similar to the other Money Maker tomatoes I got off of different plants.

And I sure did [mention]HenriSportif[/mention] ! I labeled the seeds "Star" for now. Wasn't sure what it was, or if it was purely environmental.

Took me a while, but i finally got the joke Gary. Thankfully not as long as the sequence.....

[Tormato]

@Tormato ,i just looked up that variety of broccoli. Is that for real?!? Very cool!

The taste was not abnormal, and was similar to the other Money Maker tomatoes I got off of different plants.

And I sure did @HenriSportif ! I labeled the seeds "Star" for now. Wasn't sure what it was, or if it was purely environmental.

Took me a while, but i finally got the joke Gary. Thankfully not as long as the sequence.....

The broccoli is real. But, I've never heard of a home gardener having success with it. I haven't seen it in a supermarket in about a decade. Last time was a 5 lb head @ about 2.99 a pound, $15 total and worth every penny for that flavor.

[rdback]

I had a tomato last season that had straight sides. The majority of them were hexagons, though the one i took a picture of had closer to seven sides. Would anyone know what causes this to happen? Or maybe if this is a particular varieties trait? It was supposed to be a money maker, but the packet of seeds i purchased had several off types, this being one of them.

This is the one from my garden
20200812_190017.jpg

This one is a really good hexagon shaped tomato i found online in my searching for answers.
iR2q8Xf-uUNX7U-tMMMwRzeReSBL96v2BhtVt0X7_4w.jpg

[mention]Rockoe10[/mention]. I have grown Moneymaker as well, and also experienced the flat-sided fruit. I purchased the original seed from Trade Winds in 2019. I saved seeds and grew it again from those saved seeds in 2020 and the flat-sided trait repeated. Just an fyi.

[Rockoe10]

Thank you [mention]rdback[/mention] . So it's looking more and more like this is a trait that i could keep and play with if i would choose to.

[Amateurinawe]

I've grown romanesco a few years ago. I have seen it for sale at our local grocers regularly so there must be a local farmer around here, it is a pretty head.