'Mission Mountain II' Cherry/Saladette Tomato Grex

Solanum hybrids

Origin: Amery, Wisconsin

Improvement status: Breeding population

Seeds per packet: ~25

Germination tested 12/25: 12/25: 98%

Life cycle: Annual

You loved William Schlegel's 'Mission Mountain' tomato grex when we introduced it a couple years ago. Well, we're pretty sure you're going to love the sequel too. Here's William's lightly edited explainer of what all is in the mix:

"This grex of tomatoes is one I have been developing over the last few years working towards some new Montana-bred tomato varieties. It contains F2 and F3 seed. Ancestors of this mix include Joseph Lofthouse’s Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) pledged 'Big Hill' (HX-9), 'Dwarf Eagle Smiley', 'Brad', 'Jagodka', 'Hillbilly', 'Mission Mountain Sunrise', Brad Gates' 'Blue Gold', 'Sweet Cherriette', 'Purple Zebra F1', microdwarf 'Aztek', the wild tomatoes Solanum habrochaites and Solanum penellii (thanks to Joseph’s promiscuous tomato project), and OSSI-pledged 'Dwarf Gloria’s Treat'. I also included as ancestors for disease resistance two accessions of the currant tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium), one called "LA1375" (PI 365967 in the USDA's database), an accession known for tolerance to brown rugose fruit virus, and PI 270443, which may be the source material for PH5 late blight resistance. I also made a cross with a Galapagos Island tomato (Solanum galapagense) hybrid that showed up in my 2022 garden, and that's another ancestor. This mix is largely composed of F2 seed that will segregate in spectacular fashion. Reds, yellows, orange, bicolors, blue skin, potato leaf, regular leaf, and stripes are all possibilities. A small portion of the population may have elongated styles that stick out from the pollen cone, facilitating higher rates of natural outcrossing, and it is possible that additional crosses could have occurred in my garden.

Foundational to my tomato breeding is the idea of making a double cross. Local x Wild crossed with Fancy x Open Source, where wild tomato genetics are combined with local or short season-adapted tomato genetics and with what I term "fancy" tomato genetics. Fancy tomato genetics means traits like the broad diversity of colors and flavors found in heirloom tomatoes, the anthocyanin skin developed by Jim Myer’s lab at Oregon State University [from traditional breeding with some Galapagos tomatoes], and stripes. I prefer to use open-source tomatoes whenever possible as a source of fanciness because of a strong belief in breeding open source and for organics. Having some fresh genes from wild tomatoes ensures a deeper contribution to the tomato world. South America’s tasty, mostly red currant tomatoes have almost twice the genetic diversity as domestic tomatoes outside of South America. Slowly combining them into new domestic tomatoes should make for more resilient tomatoes for our future gardens.

My intention is to breed away from the need for chemical control of diseases, pests, and weeds and to breed away from the need for plasticulture in short season climates.

Specific Crosses may include:
1. Promiscuous “The One” x 'Mission Mountain' series (about 50% of the mix). This cross should be dwarf, mostly mild-flavored potato leaf yellow and red marbled bicolors, some of them with a blue blush.
2. 'Mission Mountain Morning' x LA1375
3. 'Mission Mountain Morning' x PI 270443
4. 'Mission Mountain Morning' x LA1375 x 'Mission Mountain Morning' x PI 270443 (I think a lot of this cross was included)
5. 'Dwarf Gloria’s Treat' x LA1375 (a lot of this cross was included)
6. 'Mission Mountain Morning' x (Solanum galapagense x unknown domestic)
7. (MMM x 'Purple Zebra F1') x (MMM x LA1375) (I think a lot of this cross was included)
8. 'Fisher's Earliest Paste' x (MMM x LA1375)
9. 'Ida Gold' x (MMM x LA1375)
10. (MMM x 'Sweet Cherriette') x (MMM x LA1375)
11. 'Dwarf Eagle Smiley' x (MMM x LA1375)
12. 'Wilford' x (MMM x LA1375)
13. 'Bison' x (MMM x LA1375)
14. MMS x (MMM x LA1375)
15. MMM x (MMM x LA1375)
16. (MMM x LA1375) x (MMM x S. galapagense X)
17. (MMM x 'Purple Zebra F1') x (MMM x S. galapagense X)
18. 'Hoosier Rose' x (MMM x LA1375)

All tomatoes in this grex are descended from (a.k.a. derivatives of) OSSI-pledged tomatoes, and I consider the project to be one where you, the end user of these seeds, and I are working towards breeding more open source tomatoes together. I hope you take this variable and still-segregating population and find something in it that does well in your garden. Then save seeds, name your new variety, and hopefully eventually re-pledge it to OSSI."

That's a whole lot to say: this is an extraordinary plant breeding achievement. We're confident you will have a whole lot of fun growing it, and we're excited to see what comes out of it! This is what Experimental Farm Network is all about.

For the record, the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) Pledge states: "You have the freedom to use these OSSI-Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this Pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives."

GROWING TIPS: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost and transplant out after, or direct seed up to 20 days before last frost to take advantage of the entire growing season. Sow 1/4 inch depth, plant in well-drained soil with full sun. Germinates in 5-10 days. Space plants 18-24 inches. Days to maturity: 70-90. Tomatoes can be harvested at first blush of color if desired: they will continue to ripen to full flavor indoors.