I am having fun growing out some of the seeds @keithp2012 has offered and wanted to share some pictures of results.

First were the irradiated marigold seeds which I gathered were irradiated with the same beams used to treat cancer? (I forget exactly). I winter sowed the seeds I received and only one plant resulted. But I love these marigolds!

First the fully open blooms are really gorgeous and quite large. The plant is only starting to flower and is covered with buds. These blooms are over 2 and a half inches in diameter:




But even more delightful to me are the first stages of opening, where the petals are all edged in green. Check this out:



That's just exquisite, and I wanted to give a shout out to Keith (I already mentioned these in a general gardening thread) and say thank you for sharing them.

Then there are the reisetomates. I dunno, haven't tasted any, they are not ripe yet of course, but they are definitely very cool looking:




I just noticed these fruits today.

The reading up I did on these pretty unanimously held that the flavor is not all that such a much, and they are grown as a curiosity -- the sections come apart sort of like an orange, and each section is similar to an individual cherry tomato, sort of.

I am quite intrigued to find out if I have such a strong "meh" reaction to the flavor!

Keith, thanks for adding these fun plants to my garden!

kylaluaz said:I am having fun growing out some of the seeds @keithp2012 has offered and wanted to share some pictures of results.

First were the irradiated marigold seeds which I gathered were irradiated with the same beams used to treat cancer? (I forget exactly). I winter sowed the seeds I received and only one plant resulted. But I love these marigolds!

First the fully open blooms are really gorgeous and quite large. The plant is only starting to flower and is covered with buds. These blooms are over 2 and a half inches in diameter:




But even more delightful to me are the first stages of opening, where the petals are all edged in green. Check this out:



That's just exquisite, and I wanted to give a shout out to Keith (I already mentioned these in a general gardening thread) and say thank you for sharing them.

Then there are the reisetomates. I dunno, haven't tasted any, they are not ripe yet of course, but they are definitely very cool looking:




I just noticed these fruits today.

The reading up I did on these pretty unanimously held that the flavor is not all that such a much, and they are grown as a curiosity -- the sections come apart sort of like an orange, and each section is similar to an individual cherry tomato, sort of.

I am quite intrigued to find out if I have such a strong "meh" reaction to the flavor!

Keith, thanks for adding these fun plants to my garden!

They are looking great! Your Reistomate seriously has a lot of individual bumps on each tomato which is exactly the trait they are loved for. I describe the favor as mixing lemon with tomato, but I imagine that flavor might make a good Sauce I never tried that.

love marigolds!!!

I'm a marigold fan too...lots of growth on Keith's seeds just no blooms yet

Is that the same as "Riesentraube"? German heirloom, "giant bunch of grapes"

OP Mid-Season 80 days
4'-6' tall Indet.
abundant yield
small red grape
full flavor

Those look like irradiated mutants to me, but I know that variety grows that way stably.

RickCorey said:Is that the same as "Riesentraube"? German heirloom, "giant bunch of grapes"

OP Mid-Season 80 days
4'-6' tall Indet.
abundant yield
small red grape
full flavor

Those look like irradiated mutants to me, but I know that variety grows that way stably.

Mabye they are the same but have two names, your description seems identical except the name.

keithp2012 said: Mabye they are the same but have two names, your description seems identical except the name.

That's exactly what I thought, but now that I check, the ATP database has two separate entries:

(Solanum lycopersicum 'Reisetomate')
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Reisetomate')

and

(Solanum lycopersicum 'Riesentraube')
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Riesentraube')

(The second one has only a LITTLE bit of fusing together, if any.)

RickCorey said:

That's exactly what I thought, but now that I check, the ATP database has two separate entries:

(Solanum lycopersicum 'Reisetomate')
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Reisetomate')

and

(Solanum lycopersicum 'Riesentraube')
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Riesentraube')

(The second one has only a LITTLE bit of fusing together, if any.)

Ok so guess that answers that

I just took delivery of the Little Free Library I've posted about in the Seeds forum -- our model also has a Seed Exchange drawer and part of what they sent us was a selection of seeds. Coincidentally, one packet was of Riesentraube -- the picture looks like red cherry tomatoes.

Sadly all the seeds they sent are vegetable seeds and this is not the time to start cucumbers and tomatoes in this part of the world but, seeds will keep. Anyway, interesting, Rick, that you should run into that cultivar info just now.

:)

I thought that my seeds WERE the melted-together-looking variety you mentioned. It was only after looking them up that I saw mine were less unusual.

I don't think they're the same variety... I've grown Riesentraube in the past, and am growing them this year, and in the past there was no fusing whatsoever; they do grow in a bunch, but all individual tomatoes ... and have great flavor !