Garden Gem F1?

sjamesNorway · November 12, 2016

Has anybody grown this variety from the University of Florida, and if so, how did you like it?

Steve

November 12, 2016

I haven't grown it, but Maglia Rosa is one of the parents. I have grown Maglia Rosa, and it's a good tomato. It's not as hard to grow as the stuff written about the Garden Gem F1 tomato might have you believe, though. Maglia Rosa is a very small tomato, though. It has good flavor, from what I've tasted of it.

AKmark · November 12, 2016

I grew it, and I also grew Garden Treasure. Gem is about Bloody Butcher size, fruits are perfect, great production, and they have a good taste. GT threw 7-12 oz fruits, taste was excellent, blemish free. I liked it so much I saved seeds to try to stabilize it.

Barb_FL · November 12, 2016

I grew it Fall '15 when it was first introduced. I also grew out saved seeds Spring '16 and had one plant from the F2s that produced Striped tomatoes. I saved seeds from that plant but am not growing it out this fall season.

The tomatoes have very good shelf life so I plan to grow again in late spring so I can have tomatoes in the summer.

BTW - With the exception of the plant with striped tomatoes, the F2s were identical in size, production to the F1s.

-
Mark - I'm growing one plant of Garden Treasure F2 now based on your recommendation of GT. I grew GT (F1) in the Fall '15 but didn't think it was better than Big Beef. But this fall is so much better than fall of '15.

RJGlew · November 12, 2016

I grew Garden Gem F1 in 2016, a terrible tomato season for me, with seven damaging hailstorms and frost the last week of August. It was the first plant to flower so I had high expectations for early fruit, but it certainly was not the first to ripen anything. The fruit look like oversized Maglia Rosa, and I would estimate 3 to 4 times the weight/volume (although I did not weigh either). The fruit size was very consistent, with little variation. My garden taste testers (field mice) really liked them, and any fruit within their reach was pulled down and devoured. They tend to go for sweeter varieties, so that was a good sign (fyi - they ignored 4th of July F1 on one side, and Early Treat F1 on the other). Taste for me was very good, but not remarkable. Growth of the plant seemed indeterminate, and I let 3 leaders grow. It did not grow very tall, and because of that, in 2017 I will try it again it the front row.

Barb_FL · February 25, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKmark

I grew it, and I also grew Garden Treasure. Gem is about Bloody Butcher size, fruits are perfect, great production, and they have a good taste. GT threw 7-12 oz fruits, taste was excellent, blemish free. I liked it so much I saved seeds to try to stabilize it.

Mark - I grew one F2 of Garden Treasure this fall/winter and saved seeds from it (F3s). I will weigh and take pictures of the fruit and post here. Do you want the F3s seeds for your stabilizing efforts? For me the F2 fruit was way more impressive than the F1s from F'15. The birds have been relentless lately pecking at ripe fruit, so I've been picking the fruit earlier.

AKmark · February 25, 2017

Barb, I will give them a try. Thanks, have some F2's going, but can add more.

Barb_FL · February 27, 2017

This is the Garden Treasure F2s...

Starting in January, I had to pick ALL but SunGolds before fully ripe; otherwise they were pecked by birds. This has never happened before.

AKmark · February 27, 2017

Barb, those are nice looking tomatoes, I am ready to try those F3's

Barb_FL · March 3, 2017

Mark - I mailed those F3 seeds early this week.

The BEST tomato this season. The F2s were way better than the F1s that I grew in Fall '15.

heirloomtomaguy · March 3, 2017

Wow! That tomato looks amazing Barb.

kurt · March 5, 2017

Wheres the PLATE!I grow one or two a year,way too much for wife and I.Perfect colour inside.Dry enough as not to slide off bread.Nice work Barb.

AKmark · March 5, 2017

Barb, that sliced tomato looks awesome, I planted a bunch of those seeds last night. If the F3's are as good I should have a market winner. I am sticking my neck out and betting on this one, I think I am going to do at least 50 total. I liked the F1, so if the F2's are better, there is hope for some super selections from the F3's

KarenO · March 5, 2017

Good luck with that beauty of a tomato Barb and Mark. Looks wonderful and puts the `beef` in beefsteak for sure
KarenO

Spartanburg123 · March 5, 2017

Holy cow that looks good! Looks like a winner!

November 12, 2016	#1
sjamesNorway Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Norway Posts: 1,049	Garden Gem F1? Has anybody grown this variety from the University of Florida, and if so, how did you like it? Steve

November 12, 2016	#2
shule1 Guest Posts: n/a	I haven't grown it, but Maglia Rosa is one of the parents. I have grown Maglia Rosa, and it's a good tomato. It's not as hard to grow as the stuff written about the Garden Gem F1 tomato might have you believe, though. Maglia Rosa is a very small tomato, though. It has good flavor, from what I've tasted of it. Last edited by shule1; November 12, 2016 at 05:57 AM.

November 12, 2016	#5
RJGlew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 643	I grew Garden Gem F1 in 2016, a terrible tomato season for me, with seven damaging hailstorms and frost the last week of August. It was the first plant to flower so I had high expectations for early fruit, but it certainly was not the first to ripen anything. The fruit look like oversized Maglia Rosa, and I would estimate 3 to 4 times the weight/volume (although I did not weigh either). The fruit size was very consistent, with little variation. My garden taste testers (field mice) really liked them, and any fruit within their reach was pulled down and devoured. They tend to go for sweeter varieties, so that was a good sign (fyi - they ignored 4th of July F1 on one side, and Early Treat F1 on the other). Taste for me was very good, but not remarkable. Growth of the plant seemed indeterminate, and I let 3 leaders grow. It did not grow very tall, and because of that, in 2017 I will try it again it the front row. Last edited by RJGlew; November 12, 2016 at 09:29 PM. Reason: Readability.

March 3, 2017	#11
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	Wow! That tomato looks amazing Barb. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

March 5, 2017	#12
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,490	Wheres the PLATE!I grow one or two a year,way too much for wife and I.Perfect colour inside.Dry enough as not to slide off bread.Nice work Barb. __________________ KURT

November 12, 2016	#3
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	I grew it, and I also grew Garden Treasure. Gem is about Bloody Butcher size, fruits are perfect, great production, and they have a good taste. GT threw 7-12 oz fruits, taste was excellent, blemish free. I liked it so much I saved seeds to try to stabilize it.

November 12, 2016	#4
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	I grew it Fall '15 when it was first introduced. I also grew out saved seeds Spring '16 and had one plant from the F2s that produced Striped tomatoes. I saved seeds from that plant but am not growing it out this fall season. The tomatoes have very good shelf life so I plan to grow again in late spring so I can have tomatoes in the summer. BTW - With the exception of the plant with striped tomatoes, the F2s were identical in size, production to the F1s. - Mark - I'm growing one plant of Garden Treasure F2 now based on your recommendation of GT. I grew GT (F1) in the Fall '15 but didn't think it was better than Big Beef. But this fall is so much better than fall of '15.

February 25, 2017	#7
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Barb, I will give them a try. Thanks, have some F2's going, but can add more.

February 27, 2017	#9
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Barb, those are nice looking tomatoes, I am ready to try those F3's

March 5, 2017	#14
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,922	Good luck with that beauty of a tomato Barb and Mark. Looks wonderful and puts the `beef` in beefsteak for sure KarenO

March 5, 2017	#15
Spartanburg123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 1,262	Holy cow that looks good! Looks like a winner!