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Old January 8, 2017   #36
bower
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,793
Default Black Nipper F4 - growth habit segregation

I grew four plants this season, and unfortunately they didn't all get the same treatment so I can't draw any firm conclusions about genetics vs. environment.
The first pic is of the four young plants before they were separated. Plants #1 and #3 in the data sheet are the two taller ones in the middle. Plants 2 and 4 had more compact growth habit, so I kept them in the greenhouse and put the other two out in the hotel lobby aka spruce rail tomato bus shelter. After awhile I also moved the inside greenhouse pair back against the wall to shelter them from blistering sun as they got close to the glass. They were not pleased with the shady situation. They dropped many blossoms, and started to make three leaves between clusters on the side shoots, instead of one or two - an obvious effect of environment. Plant 4 got moved after another while to the wood stacker extension outside, where it set somewhat better. However the fruit on both of these plants were somewhat smaller and also sour. Plants 1 and 3 also suffered for their outdoor environment, alternately drenched and baked, dessicated by high winds, and subjected to frosty nights. They both had a fair share of foliage disease, but continued to set nice clusters of fruit which were large cherries, and tasty and sweet. In the end I saved seed from plant 3 to carry forward, as the earliest and the better of the two outdoors, although I had hoped to stabilize the more compact plants I can't accept a compromise of fruit quality.

Growth habit as documented at 90 days is shown in the graphics- top to bottom plants # 1,2,3,4... the leaf cluster pattern at F4 is not stable, really.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg BlkNip-heightshabitsJune2016.JPG (241.7 KB, 27 views)
File Type: png 2016-BLKNIPdata.png (32.4 KB, 26 views)
File Type: jpg BlkNipF4-1-pattern.jpg (60.6 KB, 27 views)
File Type: jpg BlkNipF4-2-pattern.jpg (51.3 KB, 26 views)
File Type: jpg BlkNipF4-3-pattern.jpg (56.0 KB, 27 views)
File Type: jpg BlkNipF4-4-pattern.jpg (40.6 KB, 26 views)
File Type: jpg BlkNip3-ripening-outdoors.JPG (268.2 KB, 26 views)
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