ZPT x GDZ F1s

I got a couple of ZPT x GDZ F1 fruit, which were interesting as they combined traits of either parent.  The fruits were not as weirdly fasciated as GDZ; however, the larger of the two fruits was pretty funky shaped.  Still it did not have any lobes that were totally separate, like GDZ and RT usually have. In other words the fruit was one unified body.   The smaller fruit was very similar in apperance to Costoluto Genovese, in having the ribbed appearance of ZPT and CG but flat like CG.  In addition, the seed blobs inside the locules were not very juicy and there was an air cavity separating the seeds from the outer rim of the locule, which is just like the ZPT parent.  This trait is seen in "stuffer" variety tomatoes, which are not very popular.  I have seen this trait in one other heirloom I have grown several years ago, Gogoshari Stiped.   It seems to be a dominant trait.

After consideration I think it's still possible that these plants could be from ZPT self-fertilization, i.e. the cross did not work as planned.  Wish I had more than 2 fruits on which to base the phenotype.  But my gut feeling is that they are not quite shaped like the ZPT parent - the first one seems to have the asymmetry of GDZ and the second fruit was too "flat". 

More 55a7 x pBTD F1s

Another 55a7 x pBTD F1 fruit.   I now see the stripe allele is not fully recessive - you can see striping, just barely, but not nearly as strong as in the pBTD parent.
Below is an example of pBTD (Pink Berkeley Tie Dye); image is copied from the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds website.   

Follow-up on the y gene

y =  yellow epidermis.  This year I grew two F5 plants for 46A2.3. Turns out one is "pink", i.e. clearly y/y, but the other is not "pink", i.e. normal reddish skin.  Therefore the F4 parent (46A2.3-F4) must have been y/+!  Saved seeds of 46A2.3 F5 y/y.  (see fruit on the right, below.)

46A2.3 F5 fruit:   y/y "pink" is on the right.

2019 notes, continued

• Remember to disinfect all buckets.  A few plants had wilt, etc.  Mostly late onset except for that RT/GDZ F1.

More pics of tomatoes:
• RTxGDZ F1, ripe.
• White Beauty heirloom.  Good taste.  Very pale yellow inside.
• 55a7 x pBTD F1.  This is clearly an F1, lacking the strong purple of 55a7 and lacking the striping of pBTD.   Note inside the fruit is gf/gf and, I think maybe has the bicolor phenotype - see how dark red the center is (the columella). !  I think Berkeley Tie Dye has this gene based on various web pictures, though it is not evident in the various Pink Berkeley Tie Dye pictures I can find.

WB, Flamme, and a red cherry for comparison (28d3)

Notes on the 2019 tomato season

Welp, it was not a banner year for backyard production.   Sometimes you have to learn things by making mistakes.

The late start had a definite impact on productivity.    There was no ripe fruit until about the 2nd week in July; meanwhile, the heat-induced blossom drop took a toll when the plants were getting going.  The big disappointment for me though, was that the high-calcium fertilizer did not help reduce end rot.  In fact, it might have been worse than last year.   So next year I'll try ordinary fertilizer and just try supplementing with calcium.

I think my soil mix does not hold water very well, so I had to tweak my new timer drip-watering setup to water like every 6 hours or so.

Next year:  put a brick or 2 in the bottom of each bucket for stability.
Also, put posts in place while filling with soil - NOT after planting!  You need to get them in deep and stable. 

end rot on Flamme.