Quote:
Originally Posted by travis
I think "adaptation" of a line of tomatoes to a particular garden has a lot to do with selection of superior examples by the individual grower over extended periods of time. Well, I know it happens that way with me anyhow, because I never save seeds from an inferior example of a variety. Instead I always save seeds from the superior example(s).
As to "adaptation" that appears to have occurred in cases where "it didn't do well the first year, but the second year it performed much better," I attribute to variable soil and weather conditions one summer to the next.
I would love to see good data indicating acclimation of a tomato variety over an extended run of years, but I have not seen anything other than casual anecdotal evidence, and even that came without any data relative to weather and soil conditions.
|
Bill, I agree with most of what you say, but with only three varieties out of the thousands I've grown doing that I do wonder if it was due to variable soil and weather conditions. And I don't thinkI grew any of those in the same seasons, but I lost a lot of my data books when I moved here since there was a rush to move before they started putting in a new bridge at the bottom of my road over which the heavy moving van would have to go. And in the rush those data books went AWOL,
Which amuses me a bit since to get to my home one has to drive over a stone bridge put up in the late 1800's that's still fine as far as I know. When i was still able to drive backing up over that narrow bridge was a bit of an initial challenge and my brother was worried that i'd back up into Buttermilk Falls Brook, over which that bridge spanned.
And I agree with your last paragaph completely.
Carolyn