Quick background. I am a gardener in USDA Zone 5a. A prairie garden. I have been converting my lawn to garden and love to experiment. I try to grow all of the things. Fruit, flowers and veggies.
DHM and I are a part of the HPRM tomato breeding project. The seeds are F2 (refers to generation), collected in 2014. I have at least four germinated, I know DHM has had germination on these seeds as well. Not too shabby for older seeds.
The HPRM tomatoes are yet unnamed. Naming comes after a few generations, if the plants produce a stellar tomato. My preference will be for a balanced or sweet heart shaped tomato, size 8oz or larger. Flavor is top criteria, then “meaty”, then disease resistance. If those three requirements are met, I will select for size and prolific plants. Time will reveal all.
Seeds want to grow. Unless they are onion seeds. Other seeds? Plant them and see, even if they are very old. Luke at MI Gardener now sells tomato seeds he started from a packet of seeds that were 85 years old. His germination rate was poor, but all he needed to revive that variety was one sprouted seed, one plant. The tomato variety is Giant Crimson.
Link to Giant Crimson seeds
Growing time is also killing time. For tomatoes and peppers, I plant double the seeds for the number of plants I want. Generally, that means two seeds. More for herbs and flowers. The extra sprouts will need to be clipped. I break the “rules” and just pull up extra seedlings, but one is supposed to clip the extra sprouts with a pair of clean clippers or scissors, to not disturb roots. I commit plant murder around week 2-3 after germination, before the roots get too entangled.
Later today, I kill some artichokes.
Half will not survive The Culling.
My greenhouse is in my living room. Because where else would one grow living things during a northern winter? It’s filled with babies. I am a bit partial to the basil seedlings.
Sorry, but some of these cuties will die today too.
I am part of a tomato growing contest, largest wins. I have yet to grow a tomato over 24 ounces. My largest last year was 18 ounces.
Biggest tomato of 2023. It is as delicious as it is beautiful.
Hoping I can win a contest and finally get an XL tomato!
Domingo Tomato as of March 8th. Wish me luck!
I started pepper, eggplant and some flower seeds last Sunday. Next weekend I will be starting my tomatoes. I am planning on 100 mater plants (again), over 80 varieties. Will do the taste tests again too. Below is a short video of the cherry type tomatoes I will be growing. Two minutes on the dot.