Rodney F5 - it was interesting to see the different responses to the heat in this generation. One plant - Rodney #3 - was more compact than the others, and did not drop many blossoms at all. Count of fruit at topping time was 51, compared with #2 at 45 fruit and #1 only 28. The larger first fruit on #1 was set alone with the rest of the cluster dropped. Fruit size from plant to plant is varied and not consistent, except that overall the fruit this year are noticeably smaller than normal.
You can see when cut, the smaller fruit are very dense and they are missing a locule or two. So this is one type of response to heat which I have seen in other plants - parthenocarpic or few-seeded fruit often with reduced size, firm flesh, in weather that's too hot for normal setting.
They are sweet and good however - except for that larger #1 fruit was not sweet at all and still waiting on a second ripe to see if that's for all.
Rodney #3 had some distinct advantages in the heat context, so I am taking that one forward. Will be back to starting early in the cold next year, so hopefully all will be normal sized, about 40 g fruit.
Last edited by bower; September 21, 2019 at 03:36 PM.
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