I have Mat-Su Express at F9 and 10 now, but still am segregating for flavor the most. The F8 generation, in the early category, has threw me some super old fashioned tomato tasting fruit, which I selected seed from, while a selection of F9's threw some Brandywine tasting gems. Decisions, decisions. LOL So now I have some F9 and 10 which are far apart in taste, but both are delicious. I grew about a 1000 plants to get to this point. haha

I have also been working on a Bloody Butcher x Chapman cross. I selected a small red tomato in the F2's on RL to replace BB, and it has, but I got a cherry on PL from those that is rather good. I think I just started another project. The decisions us tomato growers face in life?

AKMark - I may have missed your other posts, but so glad to see you back this year.

How is the garden doing overall? Any broad scope pictures?

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;738521]AKMark - I may have missed your other posts, but so glad to see you back this year.

How is the garden doing overall? Any broad scope pictures?[/QUOTE]

All is well, we are cranking out lots of fruit, and also expanded the whole operation on a few fronts. I bought a huge gutter connect Greenhouse and have a section up with a bigger section laying all over the farm. We expanded the garden area outside also. I plan on producing on a much larger scale soon.

I have not been able to post much until now, I worked 85 days in a row with no day off most were 12 or more per day.

As for the plant projects we are still working on several crosses, most I am happy with. I am now using Mat-Su as breeding stock back over my favorite beefsteaks. My MSE X Rebel Yell is fantastic, it is early and productive, red, and taste like a good Brandywine. I will cross Crnkovic Yugoslavian, Mariannes Peace, Elgin Pink, and a few others over MSE this year. These will be farmers market tomatoes, if they follow suite after the RY cross, they will produce more than the heirlooms, they are 10-15 days earlier, they are red, others cannot steal my work. LOL I will just redo these crosses yearly or as needed.
Take care Barb, will catch up a bit now, Mark

[QUOTE=AKmark;738503]I have Mat-Su Express at F9 and 10 now, but still am segregating for flavor the most. The F8 generation, in the early category, has threw me some super old fashioned tomato tasting fruit, which I selected seed from, while a selection of F9's threw some Brandywine tasting gems. Decisions, decisions. LOL So now I have some F9 and 10 which are far apart in taste, but both are delicious. I grew about a 1000 plants to get to this point. haha

I have also been working on a Bloody Butcher x Chapman cross. I selected a small red tomato in the F2's on RL to replace BB, and it has, but I got a cherry on PL from those that is rather good. I think I just started another project. The decisions us tomato growers face in life?[/QUOTE]


Hey Mark. :) Funny isn't it, you make one cross looking for one fruit, but still you end up with siblings that are as cool or cooler than the one you intended... And who can resist to grow out the whole tree instead of one branch. :lol: I'm sure KarenO and Ginger will agree. 8-) Life is full of good things....