Mat-Su Express

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by AKmark

I sent Cole Robbie some F4 seed. I have MSE at F9 and 10. It is a red mini beefsteak that weighs 6-12 ounces. It is very stable too. I grew about 800 plants of it this year, again, the fruit is very stable.

Ha, had to laugh. Just someone that grows giant tomatoes would call 6-12 oz MINI

800 lbs! I bet you have a line out the door for these. How many tomatoes does the average farmers market customer buy?

My one MSE F4 plant is not ripening yet. In that bed JD's C Tex is ripe, as blacks always do well in the part shade area in my backyard.

The other tomatoes in full sun are ripe but are splitting in the heat and monsoons. It's an invitation for bugs and they are starting to find their way here.

Like you Mark, I am ready to move on … to lettuce

- Lisa

[tryno12]

I am from Indy and have grown MS Express for 2 yrs now. Red, 4 - 6 oz, and oblate both yrs.
Pete

[Lindalana]

I too would love to be on a list for fresher seeds.
Grown Matsu fir several years and dwindled myself into smaller fruits. Love them.

[JosephineRose]

Interesting. I grew them last year from Marsha's 2018 seed offer, and like hers mine were ribbed red fruits. Many were on the larger side. My dad loved the flavor.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by JosephineRose

Interesting. I grew them last year from Marsha's 2018 seed offer, and like hers mine were ribbed red fruits. Many were on the larger side. My dad loved the flavor.

Nearly everyone received F5 seed from Cole Robbie, there will be segregation. I have sent a few people seed, I cannot remember who. I still am hanging on to the final selections, I suspect I will be satisfied within a generation or two, F11-12. I will gladly send out these selections in bulk to anyone who wants to distribute seed.

On another note nearly all families are good, it has proven to have been a great cross.

I have a few more that we are working on too. One is BB X Dester which is at F6 now. One selection/ family I have named Old School, it has an incredible complex tomato taste. We will make sure it is totally stable before the seed goes out. That taste...

I have two from Yellow BW X Matina. One is a perfect red globe that looks like Early Girl, but is sweeter, the other is a small 2 oz orange tomato that is superior in that category.
Lots of fun stuff going on, we will make sure to share these when the time is right.

[JosephineRose]

Originally Posted by AKmark

Nearly everyone received F5 seed from Cole Robbie, there will be segregation. I have sent a few people seed, I cannot remember who. I still am hanging on to the final selections, I suspect I will be satisfied within a generation or two, F11-12. I will gladly send out these selections in bulk to anyone who wants to distribute seed.

On another note nearly all families are good, it has proven to have been a great cross.

I have a few more that we are working on too. One is BB X Dester which is at F6 now. One selection/ family I have named Old School, it has an incredible complex tomato taste. We will make sure it is totally stable before the seed goes out. That taste...

I have two from Yellow BW X Matina. One is a perfect red globe that looks like Early Girl, but is sweeter, the other is a small 2 oz orange tomato that is superior in that category.
Lots of fun stuff going on, we will make sure to share these when the time is right.

Very interesting. What is your ideal final form? The ribbed? The smooth? The mini beefsteak you spoke about earlier? 6-12 oz sounds like what I had, but ribbed.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by JosephineRose

Very interesting. What is your ideal final form? The ribbed? The smooth? The mini beefsteak you spoke about earlier? 6-12 oz sounds like what I had, but ribbed.

I grew 4 families this year, 3 F8's, one F9. The best two are far apart from each other. One is sweet like a BW, the other complex tomato is all one thinks about. Both throw more irregular shaped fruit than round, and a few fused blossoms too. Both were F8 selections, now F9.

The largest fruiting one I am going to discard, the flavor is good but not intense. We have plenty of ho-hum tomato varieties already.

I am sorry I have not been updating on these after the initial tease release. I will post some detail this winter, everything has been logged. I will say this, many super tasting heirlooms have been used, we are now doubling up, and back crossing too. We have found that growing many selections is best, it is a lot of work though.

I just do these for my own retail operation, I also see them as our local farmers market tomatoes. Sherry taught me how to do this several years ago and has been quite helpful. I have had a bit of pressure to send the seed to a outlet, but I just don't know.

Glad they taste good, and in short, that is what we are after.

[JosephineRose]

Well, any seeds you'd like to share, I'd be happy to try it next season.

I have had amazing luck with seeds bred by members here. They have been my favorites year to year.

[Greatgardens]

I also got mine from Marsha from her 2019 seed offer, and just labeled "Mat-Su Exprs." Here is a pic of a couple of representative green fruit. Quite a few doubles. Do these look the same as yours, JosephineRose?

I had a near disaster with mine a couple of days ago. Big storm with 70 mph winds blew the whole plant and planter over. It has a large Burpee cage and had a stake securing it, but took the stake out of the soft ground, too. When I got the nerve to survey the damage, I found little. Lost about a half-dozen green tomatoes, but no significant foliage damage. In fact, it shows no visible distress from the storm. (Well, the cage took a beating!) I've secured things a lot better now, but it is unlikely to have another storm that severe this season. Overall, very lucky!

-GG

[JosephineRose]

Originally Posted by Greatgardens

I also got mine from Marsha from her 2019 seed offer, and just labeled "Mat-Su Exprs." Here is a pic of a couple of representative green fruit. Quite a few doubles. Do these look the same as yours, JosephineRose?

I had a near disaster with mine a couple of days ago. Big storm with 70 mph winds blew the whole plant and planter over. It has a large Burpee cage and had a stake securing it, but took the stake out of the soft ground, too. When I got the nerve to survey the damage, I found little. Lost about a half-dozen green tomatoes, but no significant foliage damage. In fact, it shows no visible distress from the storm. (Well, the cage took a beating!) I've secured things a lot better now, but it is unlikely to have another storm that severe this season. Overall, very lucky!

-GG

Yes, that looks the same!

It was a strong plant and a really heavy producer last year. It just kept going.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by Greatgardens

I also got mine from Marsha from her 2019 seed offer, and just labeled "Mat-Su Exprs." Here is a pic of a couple of representative green fruit. Quite a few doubles. Do these look the same as yours, JosephineRose?

I had a near disaster with mine a couple of days ago. Big storm with 70 mph winds blew the whole plant and planter over. It has a large Burpee cage and had a stake securing it, but took the stake out of the soft ground, too. When I got the nerve to survey the damage, I found little. Lost about a half-dozen green tomatoes, but no significant foliage damage. In fact, it shows no visible distress from the storm. (Well, the cage took a beating!) I've secured things a lot better now, but it is unlikely to have another storm that severe this season. Overall, very lucky!

-GG

Almost identical

[Father'sDaughter]

Well the small, black shouldered Mat-Su Express tomatoes have become my husband's latest favorite. He made himself a tuna sandwich with Italian chunk light tuna packed in olive oil and topped with my homemade refrigerator pickled cucumbers and slices of the Mat-Su tomatoes. He said even with the strong flavored tuna and pickles, the flavor of the tomatoes really came through.

[Greatgardens]

MSE is producing ripe tomatoes again. I let one get dead ripe before eating it, and it was milder. Still had enough zip, but definitely down a bit from when not so ripe. Excellent tomato, and still nearly completely disease-free. I've pulled off only a very few leaves from it, thus far. The first tomatoes had some radial cracking, virtually none now. Really nice sized plant and fits nicely in the big Burpee cage. I'd say this is a keeper! Good work, Mark!


-GG

[Father'sDaughter]

Mark, what are your wishes as far as the earlier F4 line I have? It seems odd for me (and any others growing the smaller/round version) to continue calling it Mat-Su Express as it's so different from your current selection.

I'm not intending to spread it any further under the M-SE name, but others might and it will eventually lead to a lot of confusion should you ever decide to release your final selection.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Mark, what are your wishes as far as the earlier F4 line I have? It seems odd for me (and any others growing the smaller/round version) to continue calling it Mat-Su Express as it's so different from your current selection.

I'm not intending to spread it any further under the M-SE name, but others might and it will eventually lead to a lot of confusion should you ever decide to release your final selection.

When I sent those seeds out for a few to try I never intended on them being spread around in a semi stable state. However... not much we can do about that.

I will release MSE next year, people can do what they want with them. I do not plan on sending them to any seed banks, they are a farmers market, and home gardeners tomato first. On another note, I did trademark the name. No worries, I tend to worry about more important aspects in my life anyway. Enjoy!