A Seed Saver's Garden

[heirloomgal]

At this point, all of the first flush of Spoon tomatoes are inside (though not all totally ripe; after the birds took some, I started bringing them in as soon as they started to change color and let them finish up inside where they are protected.) There's a tiny start of one one plant, but, other than that, I currently see no new flowers of a second flush (and the plants are beginning to crinkle up by now anyway.)

The first and largest of the Phil's Two tomatoes has ALSO started to color up, but, since Phil's Two is an aggregate tomato (like Riesentraube) it turns out the different lobes ripen at different rates, so I can't bring it in until ALL of them have started to change color. I just have to hope the birds don't start attacking the ripe side while I'm waiting on the unripe side.

There are six other fruits on those plants, but all are much smaller than the first one, and, based on their rate of growth over the last few weeks, I'm not sure any will get any bigger

The aggregate nature of Reisotomate and that uneven ripening is feature I do not appreciate. Some bits are green while much is red, and while you wait for green parts to turn red, the already red parts turn mushy!

I also have seen nothing but unflattering taste reviews about Lutescent over the years. Curioisty got the better of me this year and I finally grew it, mostly to see what it looks like. The foliage was definitely sickly looking, the fruits went through that true creamy white stage. But I ate my first tomato today and I was SHOCKED. It was actually incredibly delicious, right up there with the best beefsteaks this year. This leads me to wonder if it really needs certain conditions to develop it's sugars? We had a really ideal summer, even the rain fell reasonably and well spaced out for most veggies. I also grew the plant in a container which always makes them taste better. I can't believe they didn't taste awful!

 

[heirloomgal]

It is so interesting to read about these unique varieties of tomato-- especially that Phil's Two aggregate tomato. The photos of it that I found online are absolutely crazy looking. And I had never heard of the teensy weensy Spoon tomatoes, but do they ever sound fantastic too.

I think they're super yummy! But I think @Pulsegleaner is so right about the spoon idea! They're so little! I admit I'm biased though, I'm crazy for all currant tomatoes.

 

[heirloomgal]

One, it has another flower (I thought it was a sucking insect at first, but no it's a flower).

Whoa!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

The aggregate nature of Reisotomate and that uneven ripening is feature I do not appreciate. Some bits are green while much is red, and while you wait for green parts to turn red, the already red parts turn mushy!

The only thing I could think would be a bigger problem would be an aggregate that was also a "deceptor", my nickname for any green when ripe tomato that has a clear skin and NO secondary yellows pinks etc. in it, so you have to go by touch to determine ripeness, not sight.

Put that together with one where the different bits could have different levels of ripeness and you'd have a true nightmare.

I also have seen nothing but unflattering taste reviews about Lutescent over the years. Curioisty got the better of me this year and I finally grew it, mostly to see what it looks like. The foliage was definitely sickly looking, the fruits went through that true creamy white stage. But I ate my first tomato today and I was SHOCKED. It was actually incredibly delicious, right up there with the best beefsteaks this year. This leads me to wonder if it really needs certain conditions to develop it's sugars? We had a really ideal summer, even the rain fell reasonably and well spaced out for most veggies. I also grew the plant in a container which always makes them taste better. I can't believe they didn't taste awful!

I suppose that could be possible. The FIRST time I grew out watermelons, I was INCREDIBLY disappointed with how they tuned out. Not only were most of them fairly small, (There was one maybe small basketball sized, but baseball was more the norm, and I think I only got three from the whole patch (less one the ants dug into and ate out), but when I finally took a bite, I couldn't taste ANYTHING. Their brix was so low it was literally like eating solid water! I ended up having to juice them just to get the flavor to the point where I could taste it. I know that white fleshed watermelons can have a problem with sweetness, but I thought they do better than that! I couldn't even try again (I'd grown two kinds side by side, so the seed was now crossed and unpredictable.)

 

[heirloomgal]

Interesting berry infographic.

https://packaged-media.redd.it/xmogpawlcvaa1/pb/m2-res_720p.mp4?m=DASHPlaylist.mpd&v=1&e=1692680400&s=658776c8752248de169d5b9737f365e83036a79b#t=0

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Interesting berry infographic.

https://packaged-media.redd.it/xmog...=658776c8752248de169d5b9737f365e83036a79b#t=0

Must only cover natural ranges, as I have seen the odd thimbleberry around me over my life, and I'm on the East Coast (Thimbleberry is pretty hard to confuse with any other bramble, since it's leaves look more like maple leaves than bramble leaves.)

 

[ducks4you]

I am Still clearing out blackberry vines and MINE have thorns! Not so sure I will grow berries again, since they..."wander".

 

[heirloomgal]

Must only cover natural ranges, as I have seen the odd thimbleberry around me over my life, and I'm on the East Coast (Thimbleberry is pretty hard to confuse with any other bramble, since it's leaves look more like maple leaves than bramble leaves.)

I think so too; I picked blackberries this weekend, which according to the map isn't native to here, but I think that even though it was in the bush they probably arrived there by birds eating from someone's imported bushes. I thought how widely distributed snowberries are was interesting, as well as how limited other berries are to specific locations. Many berries on that graphic are totally unknown to me!

 

[Branching Out]

Most people here have a love/hate relationship with the Himalayan blackberries that pop up. They love them when they are in the wild and the berries are ripe for the picking-- and hate them when they are in their own yard, weedy and prickly. They are an August tradition for us, and the syrup we call Black Gold.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I think so too; I picked blackberries this weekend, which according to the map isn't native to here, but I think that even though it was in the bush they probably arrived there by birds eating from someone's imported bushes.

Well, that's how the wineberries spread here (which are so common they're considered an invasive species that it's illegal to now plant on purpose)

I thought how widely distributed snowberries are was interesting, as well as how limited other berries are to specific locations. Many berries on that graphic are totally unknown to me!

I actually noticed one MISSING. Despite the fact they are covering Canada, I didn't see crowberries. Possibly because, while they ARE edible, and both Canadian/Alaskan and Northern European native peoples collect and eat them, a lot of strains have berries too small to be considered worth the effort, and are best left for the game (they stay on the plants all winter under the snow, so they are a major winter foodstuff for them.)

Most people here have a love/hate relationship with the Himalayan blackberries that pop up. They love them when they are in the wild and the berries are ripe for the picking-- and hate them when they are in their own yard, weedy and prickly. They are an August tradition for us, and the syrup we call Black Gold.

We an in a mostly hate/hate relationship with blackberries of the various species. We spent a long time getting rid of the ones we planted (since they made a lot of brambles but no actual fruit.)

As for the wild local ones, our main problem has always been sort of similar, trying to find any that make fruit worth picking. The patch across the street (which is now gone, thank goodness) was useless, it made tiny berries with no flesh at all (basically, just seeds and skin). The tiny one in the back only appeared one year, and only made one berry (big one though). I think there maybe some up near the hospital, but who knows what kinds of things have been dumped over there over the years. And the only other patch I know is basically nose to cheek with a heavily pesticided lawn and an active train track with no real safety shoulder, so I've never even TRIED to pick from it.