• Estler's Mortgage Lifter

Posted: **Wed Sep 02, 2020 12:41 pm**

It's all in the soil. No ferts and only 3-4 waterings. Take away the 6 inch rain we got several weeks back and we are extremely dry.

I grew EML from a different seed source last year. It was grown in a 15-20 gallon container. Produced well early and was pulled in August. Again, no ferts, which is tough on a pot grown tomato.

As I've said many times, it's not the gardener it's the dirt.

Posted: **Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:10 am**

Finally got a bowlful of EML's! Missing a couple of the largest ones ... They are on their way to WV for genetic testing, along with a handful of this year's seeds!!! So excited to be part of this project. My Aunt has already had her interview. Not sure if it will be broadcast beyond the Huntington local area, though.

20200905_100217.jpg

Posted: **Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:14 am**

Congrats Edie, that us a beautiful bowl of fruit. BTW- those old original seeds you gave me, I sowed 12, 7 are up and looking strong!

Posted: **Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:37 pm**

Edie - They are beautiful. Marsha - Great job getting old seeds to germinate.

Posted: **Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:02 pm**

Barb_FL wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:37 pm Edie - They are beautiful. Marsha - Great job getting old seeds to germinate.

Thanks, but I didn't do anything special. BTW - Sun Doice only 1 of 3 seeds came up. Sun Garnet, no germination so far on 3 seeds. I have the last 2 in a moist paper towel inside a baggie.
Most of my other varieties did germinate, so I don't know why.

Posted: **Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:33 am**

Ginger2778 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:02 pm
Barb_FL wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:37 pm Edie - They are beautiful. Marsha - Great job getting old seeds to germinate.
Thanks, but I didn't do anything special. BTW - Sun Doice only 1 of 3 seeds came up. Sun Garnet, no germination so far on 3 seeds. I have the last 2 in a moist paper towel inside a baggie.
Most of my other varieties did germinate, so I don't know why.

Marsha - I don't want to take this thread too far off; will message you or post on this years Florida thread.

Posted: **Sun Sep 06, 2020 11:37 am**

Barb_FL wrote: ↑Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:33 am
Ginger2778 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:02 pm
Barb_FL wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:37 pm Edie - They are beautiful. Marsha - Great job getting old seeds to germinate.
Thanks, but I didn't do anything special. BTW - Sun Doice only 1 of 3 seeds came up. Sun Garnet, no germination so far on 3 seeds. I have the last 2 in a moist paper towel inside a baggie.
Most of my other varieties did germinate, so I don't know why.
Marsha - I don't want to take this thread too far off; will message you or post on this years Florida thread.

Oops! Sorry!

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:29 pm**

EdieJ wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:10 am Finally got a bowlful of EML's! Missing a couple of the largest ones ... They are on their way to WV for genetic testing, along with a handful of this year's seeds!!! So excited to be part of this project. My Aunt has already had her interview. Not sure if it will be broadcast beyond the Huntington local area, though.

20200905_100217.jpg

Lovely tomatoes. Just curious what kind of genetics testing they're doing? Is it to determine if they're their own unique strain or perhaps derived from a more common variety?

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:51 pm**

OhioGardener wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:29 pm
Lovely tomatoes. Just curious what kind of genetics testing they're doing? Is it to determine if they're their own unique strain or perhaps derived from a more common variety?

Nope. Estler's Mortgage Lifter was the first and best. William S Estler was my Paternal Grandfather. To us, Radiator Charlie is a charlatan and a name thief. There is almost 20 years between the time my Grandfather made his first cross and developed the original AND COPYRIGHTED THE NAME and when Byles came along. Our family lawyer screwed up and didn't stop him in his tracks from using the name. It has been proved by more than one test that the 2 tomatoes are not related at all. What we are testing for is to see if there has been any genetic changes over the years. I am hoping and praying that they've stayed the same.

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 8:21 pm**

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Edie - look at the germination I got from your grandfather's seeds! I sowed 6 in each cell

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 9:34 pm**

[mention]Ginger2778[/mention] that is absolutely awesome! Thank you for the update!!
In the 2nd picture, what is the variety closest to the bottom of the picture?

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 9:54 pm**

EdieJ wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:51 pm
OhioGardener wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:29 pm
Lovely tomatoes. Just curious what kind of genetics testing they're doing? Is it to determine if they're their own unique strain or perhaps derived from a more common variety?
Nope. Estler's Mortgage Lifter was the first and best. William S Estler was my Paternal Grandfather. To us, Radiator Charlie is a charlatan and a name thief. There is almost 20 years between the time my Grandfather made his first cross and developed the original AND COPYRIGHTED THE NAME and when Byles came along. Our family lawyer screwed up and didn't stop him in his tracks from using the name. It has been proved by more than one test that the 2 tomatoes are not related at all. What we are testing for is to see if there has been any genetic changes over the years. I am hoping and praying that they've stayed the same.

Interesting history. I didn't know that before and will have to try Estler's in the future. The reason I asked about the genetics is it piqued my curiosity because I used to be a dog breeder where DNA testing of various sorts was commonplace.

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:56 pm**

[mention]OhioGardener[/mention] We used to breed Shire Horses and DNA testing was mandatory (unscrupulous breeders would try to sneak a Clydesdale or cross into the registry.) So I understand how important it is to breeders.
I can't wait to get the results of this test. I am always afraid I will accidentally cross them. If you decide you'd like to try these let me know and I can send you some seeds.

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 11:03 pm**

Does that mean that you have some of the original ML seeds to submit for DNA analysis also? If so, that is amazing.

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 11:49 pm**

[mention]Sue_CT[/mention] My Aunt found seeds in the bottom of her freezer dated 1965. We don't know if those will be usable. There are also seeds from the 80's. So fingers crossed!

Posted: **Tue Sep 08, 2020 12:49 am**

They should be able to extract DNA from those older seeds. Wether anyone could wake them up again is the interesting question. Good luck with the comparison

Posted: **Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:11 am**

EdieJ wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 9:34 pm @Ginger2778 that is absolutely awesome! Thank you for the update!!
In the 2nd picture, what is the variety closest to the bottom of the picture?

Linda's Faux. A lovely tasty red PL beefsteak.

Posted: **Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:13 am**

EdieJ wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 11:49 pm @Sue_CT My Aunt found seeds in the bottom of her freezer dated 1965. We don't know if those will be usable. There are also seeds from the 80's. So fingers crossed!

Which seeds did I get?

Posted: **Tue Sep 08, 2020 8:55 am**

Ginger2778 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:13 am Which seeds did I get?

The ones I sent you were from 2011, the last year my Uncle Bob personally saved seed. So they came from the family farm. My 2018 saved seed were grown from that batch of seed also. Just one generation out.

Posted: **Tue Sep 08, 2020 12:23 pm**

[mention]EdieJ[/mention] It's 42 degrees right now, after being in the low 90's yesterday about this time. Picked as many EML's that I could that were showing some color and hope we don't get a heavy frost tomorrow morning. Snow is expected to start falling this evening, so I am going to try to cover the plants to minimize the cold. I was counting on at least another six weeks to the growing season...

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