Brandywine, Southern Night, German Red Tomatoes

[cookiesdaddy]

So this year is my first serious attempt at gardening. Been having chicken and composting for 2 years so that helped. My tomatoes grow really decent, most are just Home Depot varieties, but I did pick up 3 heirloom plants from a local garden club:

- Brandywine Red: more flavorful than Ace (Home Depot), but not that much more special.

- Southern Night: Oh this tomato is out of this world!!! I'm going to save seeds on this - hopefully I can. They're pretty close together.

- German Red Strawberry: Plant grows fine, with lots of flowers, but not a single fruit! Why? Could it be the seed came from a fruit that had been cross pollinated?

Anyhow, can't wait for them to get ripe!!! I'm in Northern Cal and they're just barely turning red. Is this normal?

 

[digitS']

Daddy, tomatoes don't usually cross. The exception may be the "potato-leaf" varieties which should be isolated . . . I guess.

Somewhere on TEG, Pat talks about "isolating" by bagging the flowers. I believe that this should be done well before the flowers open. So, you are bagging a cluster of buds. Then, after the fruit begins to form, you can take the bag off . . . wait for that fruit to mature . . . then collect the seed.

Lots of people mix a little water in the pulp so that fermentation occurs and the seeds separate from the mix. I have saved tomato seed many times by just squeezing the seed and pulp onto a paper towel, setting that in the sun to dry, and storing for the winter. The paper often comes off with the seed but a tiny bit of paper doesn't seem to interfere with the seed germinating and growing the following spring. It's worked for me for 20 years, or so.

I'm going to send you a link to a unique Bay Area source for tomatoes: TomatoFest. They don't say anything about German Red Strawberry being an especially late variety but it may be. Some tomatoes are considered as 90 & 100 days-to-maturity.

Folks on TEG may have heard me rant about the whole days-to-maturity thing! It has everything to do with days AND adequate growing conditions - NOT days alone. The weather service provides information about growing degree days. Horticulturalists make good use of that info. I wish the seed companies would too.

Steve

 

[Texan]

TEG, what is TEG?

 

[cookiesdaddy]

TEG = The Easy Garden - this forum.

DigitS: Sorry I don't understand - if tomatoes don't cross then why bother bagging the flowers to prevent pollination from another plant? I ask because I really like to save seed from this Southern Night plant. I could move it (it's in a 5 gallon pot) but most convenient if I don't have to move it. The drip irrigation is already set up for it. THANKS.

 

[digitS']

Dad, I have only grown a few potato-leafed varieties and have not saved the seed from them. The ones that I do save seed from - never change. And, I usually grow all my tomatoes in the same place.

Take a look at your Southern Night plants and see if the foliage looks more like potatoes than tomatoes. I don't really know, it could be an issue with those guys but, generally, tomatoes are thought to be self-pollinators. By me, anyway . . .

Steve

edited to add: here's a Sunset article talking about saving tomato seed, potato-leaf (& currant) varieties, and self-pollination.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

TEG = The Easy Garden - this forum.

DigitS: Sorry I don't understand - if tomatoes don't cross then why bother bagging the flowers to prevent pollination from another plant? I ask because I really like to save seed from this Southern Night plant. I could move it (it's in a 5 gallon pot) but most convenient if I don't have to move it. The drip irrigation is already set up for it. THANKS.

From what I understood, tomato plants with vegetation that looks like potato vegetation can cross pollinate but apparently only that type of tomato. I think my Brandywine's have leaves that look like potatoes which could be why your Brandywine's were lack-luster - mine are uber-sweet and EVERY person I have had try them swear they are the best tasting tomato ever. I did not "bag" my brandywine's tho and they are all in the same area with all my other tomatoes....