Genetic Mutations

I realize I'm making way too many posts about gardening. But when it takes in general anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months for companies to get back to you after each job interview, and make at least 2 - 3 interviews, you'll see that I currently just have too much time on my hands.

On to today's topic!

Do a little gardening and mother nature genetics seem to start popping up everywhere. For me, these seem to be happening in droves with my tomatoes. From different colored stems to different looking plants. Maybe it's because I'm planting random seeds from hybrid tomatoes that I pick out from the grocery store.

The first tomato I ever germinated had 3 cotyledon leaves. Cotyledons are the infant leaves that are present in the seed and that you'll find on a germinating sprout. They help it gather sunlight for photosynthesis so it can start growing its first true leaves. Cotyledons are not true leaves and generally look absolutely nothing like the leaves the plant will get.
What I didn't know, and just discovered recently, was that plants are either monocots (have 1 cotyledon) or dicots (have 2 cotyledons). There are no 3 cotyledons normally, and those that occur are genetic mutations. Some people insist that these genetically accidental "tricots" turn out to be more productive and vigorous. However, while my tricot is more productive and vigorous than my other 2 plants combined, there's been to my knowledge no scientific study of this.

Behold, my tricot as an infant compared with another seedling I had. And now bearing it's first teeny tiny tomatos.

After excitedly telling Dad that we finally have some tomatoes setting and only have to wait for them to grow, he dryly tells me that, "Wow, it's like I've got new grandchildren!"
I walked right into that one.
But, he then dutifully paid the grandkids a visit and cooed over their many accomplishments.