Beist B1-15 F3
May as well start with a mistake. I misjudged the flower color; I thought cold sensitivity - purpling of both seedlings one in the cup and the other in the less optimal soil of the container - was a sign that the plants were crossed. I forgot to consider:
(a) that this cold sensitivity might be within the genetics of the cross and
(b) that cold treatment of seedlings, which is to activate gene expression for cold tolerance, was also omitted.
Jury is still out, is this line now cold intolerant??? or a fluke of environment.
The fruit as shown below, black. No sign of traits from any other plant, in all ways similar to the F2 Beist B1 except for cold sensitivity and potassium deficiency in the fruit.
Since a friend was growing out more Beist F2's this season, my excuse for adding a couple of Beist F3's to the guest list was to check/ confirm my expectation that the 'early flowering' trait would be fixed after selecting in the F2 (only one of six), and that this part of earliness would behave as a simple recessive, like PL or black.
Wrong.
As you can see in the data, there is a big spread between the two seedlings days to flower, which can't be accounted by vigor or environmental causes.
Last comment on the Beist, I was truly surprised to find it was tastier than the early F2 fruit, and sweeter in spite of the K-related uneven ripening. (see blotches on small fruit - which eventually ripened but took much longer than unaffected parts).
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