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Post by hmoosek on May 3, 2018 0:49:17 GMT -6
In the early part of this century, I started doing a lot of seed trading. Seed collecting would be a better term. Tomatoes, Beans, Cowpeas, etc. & when I first started, I didn't always keep good notes.
Frosty Pink Plum is a tomato that was sent to me in a plain brown seed packet. I don't remember who sent it to me and I have no history on its origins. I do remember trying to grow it in either 2007 or 2008, but I was not successful. I also believe I tried again around 2010, but again I wasn't successful.
I have tried asking all the various forums over the years, but I always come up empty. No one seems to ever heard of it.
This year when I was picking my seed, I ran across it in my seed stash. I knew my seed was getting very old, so I put it in my grow pile.
I sowed several seeds and had about a dozen to germinate. Currently, there are 9 plants in the garden and one is blooming, but it hasn't been easy. The plants looked pathetic for quite awhile and to be honest, I considered not even putting them in the garden. However, I knew if I chunked them, it would quite possibly mean the end of the line for it. I don't normally baby my tomato plants, but I did these. Small sips of diluted fertilizer along with brief outdoor sessions got them to where they are now. They were the very last variety to bloom too! Quite a few of my other plants have tomatoes, but I'm still waiting to see a FPP.
I will get together a few pictures from the get go so you can see their progression.
Stay tuned.
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Post by hmoosek on May 3, 2018 1:19:18 GMT -6
Here is how their life started. The Frosty Pink Plums are the ones circled. They were way behind in growth for quite some time. They still aren't real big and they could quite possibly be a dwarf variety. I guess we will see. Notice how strange they appear?
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Post by hmoosek on May 3, 2018 1:36:20 GMT -6
A few weeks later they were big enough to transplant. All my other tomato varieties were 6 to 8 inches tall, but the FPP stayed small.
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Post by hmoosek on May 3, 2018 1:37:27 GMT -6
Lots of care got them to this point.
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Post by hmoosek on May 3, 2018 1:44:04 GMT -6
Finally after much care, it was time to set out into the garden. By now, my other tomatoes were way over a foot tall, but the FPP were still tiny.
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Post by hmoosek on May 3, 2018 2:02:58 GMT -6
I'm a big kid now! FINALLY a bloom appears!
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Post by macmex on May 3, 2018 7:12:36 GMT -6
This is WONDERFUL Moose! Can't wait to see how they turn out! Hope every plant makes fruit for you! Sometimes an obscure variety like this turns out to be really special.
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Post by hmoosek on May 3, 2018 9:12:34 GMT -6
This is WONDERFUL Moose! Can't wait to see how they turn out! Hope every plant makes fruit for you! Sometimes an obscure variety like this turns out to be really special.
I sure hope so. This has been in my collection for several years. I don't know why it is, but everytime I don't keep track of who sent seeds to me, I regret it.
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Post by hmoosek on May 10, 2018 7:54:50 GMT -6
Great news! FPP has a tomato! Mom found it during our walk this morning. It was the last variety to produce, but we finally have one. This looks like it's going to be a good year for Tomatoes. The vines out there are loaded.
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Post by hmoosek on May 13, 2018 20:45:33 GMT -6
Sure glad I kept trying with this variety. I now have a couple of plants with several tomatoes. I have no doubt that the rest of the plants will also do ok now.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on May 13, 2018 22:35:46 GMT -6
Great articles Moose, and wonderful photos too! I really enjoyed reading about the Frosty Pink Plum tomatoes. Please keep us updated on your progress.
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Post by hmoosek on May 22, 2018 12:29:09 GMT -6
This FPP hasn't bloomed yet, but is looking good considering it was the weakest plant I had. When I set it out at 10 weeks old it was about 2" tall. This is why I put it in my raised bed. I knew it stood no chance in the garden.
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Post by hmoosek on May 26, 2018 23:19:45 GMT -6
Frosty Pink Plum looks like it's going to be similar in size to a wild plum or a ping pong ball.
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Post by hmoosek on Jun 9, 2018 22:50:41 GMT -6
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Post by hmoosek on Jun 10, 2018 22:09:34 GMT -6
Picked the first one today!
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