Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Toronto
Posts: 89
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Hi all I was wondering if anyone knows if the purple galaxy tomato seeds can be saved and planted again for the next year? My neighbour gave me some of these purple cherry tomatoes and I was wondering if they are of heirloom variety or hybrid?
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Posts: 3,148
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Purple Galaxy is neither an heirloom or a hybrid. It is a genetically modified tomato. Can it be open pollinated in future generation? Probably so. It has had snap dragon flower DNA inserted into it. It most likely can grow just as well as Monsanto's GMO corn. The question is do you want to consume an experimental GMO tomato?
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~ Patti ~ |
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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They are not a hybrid. You can save seed.
KarenO |
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: Coastal CT, zone 7a
Posts: 173
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The GM purple tomato from Norfolk Healthy Produce is just called Purple. It is an inbred ("open pollinated") variety. You can buy them in shops in a few states (not mine) under the brand name "Empress Limited Edition Tomato". I bought seed directly from Norfolk on first release; $10 for 10 seeds. Under terms of the sale, you are allowed to save seed, and even use the seed in a breeding programme, but you may not sell the seed or fruit or offspring.
They are quite pretty, deep purple cherries, about an inch diameter, with generous yields early to mid season. Flavour is just OK. I saved seed (in fact just put away the dry processed seed today) as I don't want to spend the money again, but I'm not sure I'll grow these often. They are pretty in a mixed tomato plate though. The story behind "Purple Galaxy" was covered by NPR here: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-...ek-controversy Regarding GM plants, there is no scientific reason for them to be de facto "bad". All eukaryotes (which include animals and plants) have genes from various ancestral sources, including bacteria and viruses. Your own human genome is about 8% viral in origin. Your mitochondria were once endosymbiotic bacteria. Horizontal gene transfer (between two unrelated organisms) turns out to be quite common, if not universal. It's just how biology works. |
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,437
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Good Information everyone. But Please describe the Taste in a way we can understand. Ect Sweet or Sour; maybe even if they taste fruitier than regular tomatoes?
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May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: Coastal CT, zone 7a
Posts: 173
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Purple is on the acidic side, not really sweet compared to some of the other cherries I grew this year (Maglia Rosa, Sungold F1, Lucky Tiger), not distinctively fruity. The last fruit were smaller, 3/4" instead of about an inch, and the skin rather thick and unpleasant. I would only grow these again as a decorative accent, because at their best they are a very vivid purple. But taste-wise there are much better cherries to grow, like Lucky Tiger, which is such a yummy tomato that I will grow it even though it is awful at splitting. Would be fantastic if someone knew how to correct that fault in what's otherwise a great tomato.
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