In my last blog, I created my laundry list of seeds planted. Below is a deeper dive into some of the more interesting things destined for my 2023 garden. In my next blog, I will provide a germination update on all of my tomato flats planted to date, including the older seeds - which continue to slowly emerge and surprise.

Indeterminate X Indeterminate new hybrids

I am growing a few new hybrids created by a few of my garden buddies. I also managed to miss a few, so will grow those next year. My UK friend Lance Turner (owner of Tomato Revolution, web site here ) crossed Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom with Zena’s Gift. This is tomato 7622 in my collection. Lance also crossed Rosella Purple with Brandywine - tomato 7621, and Rosella Purple with Green Giant - tomato 7623 - which I forgot to grow this year. My friend Alex in Virginia crossed Earl with Cherokee Green and sent me the hybrid seed, which is tomato 7788. To summarize, I am growing tomatoes 7622 and 7788 this year, and will grow 7621 and 7623 next year.

Indeterminate X Indeterminate F2 generation from new hybrids

A few years ago I had a blast creating some new hybrids. I explored but a few of them last year - Little Lucky X Blue’s Bling, Polish X Blue’s Bling and Cherokee Purple X Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom. This year I want to take a look at a few F2s from Ferris Wheel X Striped Sweetheart, Don’s Double Delight X Cancelmo Familly Heirloom, and Cherokee Green X Caitlin’s Lucky Stripe. In each case I will find 25% potato leaf and 75% regular leaf seedlings. I’ve not decided how many of each to grow. I thus planted T21-2, T21-8 and T21-11 in sufficient quantity to get a few potato leaf amongst the forest of regular leaf seedlings.

Indeterminate X Indeterminate F3 generation from new hybrids

Last year, me, and a few friends, started hunting through seeds saved from the hybrids to see what interesting new varieties appeared - and we all had some level of success. A few were named, a few will be named depending upon what we find this year. From Little Lucky X Blue’s Bling came two exciting finds in my garden - both variegated, one potato leaf, which produced large smooth tricolored tomatoes that were yellow mottled with red and green, and one regular leaf, more of a standard yellow/red swirled bicolor. Both were delicious, and I am growing them out this year. The Potato Leaf is tomato T22-16, the regular leaf T22-13. All should be variegated foliage; a few potato leaf will likely pop up in the regular leaf selection (it takes longer to breed that out). I also sent quite a few of this seed out to those expressing interest in this effort, so we will have quite a few results coming later in the season. I also found a nice purple from Blue’s Bling X Polish, with potato leaf variegated foliage - T22-17. Turning to Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom X Cherokee Purple. Quite a few F3 are being grown, one found by me, others sent to me by gardening friends. I named a selection Lillian Rose last year and am growing T22-15 this year - potato leaf, with large pink fruit with some yellow shading and outstanding flavor. My friend Justin sent me a large fruited potato leaf pink - tomato 7838. Lance Turner sent me 7808, a very large oblate yellow with some red. A friend Mary sent me 7785, which was for her regular leaf, large yellow with pink inside and delicious. I can’t wait to see what this set of tomato royalty offspring deliver this season! From Cherokee Chocolate X Stump of the World, my garden buddy Eddie sent me a slew of interesting finds - the one I chose to grow is 7795, large fruited regular leaf green flesh, yellow skin, with some red inside. Finally, my friend Alex sent me 7789, a selection from Green Giant X Cancelmo Family Heirloom - a large fruited delicious potato leaf purple.

The above represent the real R and D that will be in my 2003 garden. I will likely grow a few in my yard, and a lot in the Veterans Healing Farm greenhouse. Anyone local to me here in Hendersonville will have an opportunity to dip in to these mysteries as well.