From

Location

Message

Date Posted

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Interesting that four out of six of LaRue's big tomatoes including the 9.44 were all grown from Marley's 9.65 tomato and Marley's wife's 5.71, Lambchop. These are all Domingo. Also the 9.44 was grown from the 5.71. My point is that all of these tomatoes are probably the same genetically. So, if growers have one of the seeds from this group you could say they have seeds to all.

3/2/2021 12:28:20 PM

Iowa

Most likely, but he also grew different varieties besides the two seeds you mentioned. Don't know his growing setup for how close together they were but since all of the tomatoes offered this year were open pollinations there's a chance that they could have different crosses instead of being selfed.

3/2/2021 8:15:59 PM

Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

;-D
self pollination is common for tomatoes, but crossing is really rare.
We have a lot of tomato-varity-collectors crowing dozends or hundreds of varities side by side without crossing...

3/7/2021 4:32:06 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Cross pollination can occur up to 3% of the time. There are many ovules in a tomato waiting to be pollinated. Each ovule requires one piece of pollen to become fertilized. Each ovule develops into one seed. Cross pollination with different pollen than that of the individual blossom is cross pollination. That is why we cover a blossom after we have hand pollinated it. Interesting to me is that in an ear of corn in order to become a kernel of corn each one had to be individually pollinated. When the pollination is successful each kernel will develop. This is also why we can get two differ looking tomatoes from one variety of plant. This happens when many of the ovules in one tomato blossom are cross pollinated. Having the plants too close together increase the possibility of this occurring. Things like bees moving from plant to plant also causes some of this as well.

3/7/2021 8:47:47 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

The year the seed is cross pollinated in each plant, it is that seed that makes the tomato plant and tomato look different after it has been planted the next year.

3/7/2021 9:02:01 AM

Gourd Zone, WA

With bumble bees active tomatoes might be 50% crossed. However, I dont think LaRue was plagued by bumblebees.
Unless he had the ends of his greenhouse open, and a lot of blossoms open at the same time? I wouldnt be afraid to use his seeds. My own are pretty well contaminated though.

3/7/2021 3:47:25 PM