[QUOTE=carolyn137;298920]Steve, as I recall you weren't the only one to see leaf variegation on Green Zebra Cherry. Right?[/QUOTE]

Carolyn, to fuel the speculation, you also mentioned to me in 2011 that there was a lady in Wales who also had some variegated GZC in the plants she grew from your seed. She was cloning the plants to continue the variegation, but you hadn't heard back from her about the trait being passed by seed.

Out of the plants my sister and I grew from your seed 2 years ago about half showed variegation (1 of mine and 3 of my sister's) I saved seeds from all 4 of my plants and grew 35 seedlings up to the 4-5 leaf stage and about 10 of those showed some variegation.

I also saved bagged seeds from my one original variegated plant, and somewhere in your seed collection you should have a packet of GZC seed containing seed from only that plant.

Thanks for the history of GZC - very interesting :)
Steve

[QUOTE=carolyn137;298920]Steve, as I recall you weren't the only one to see leaf variegation on Green Zebra Cherry. Right? I know it was mentioned by a few others as well.

I've been thinking about that. First, when Manfred Hahm found what he named Green Zebra Cherry in a small box of mixed charries, he was able to trace those cherries back to the Netherlands.

Variegata is said to have first appeared in Ireland. And I know that it was grown in Europe before we ever knew of it here in the US. I also know that the name of Variegata was changed in the following way.

I got seeds for what was called Splash of Cream from a man in TX who had a catalogue with some interesting perennials and some veggies. I asked him where he got the Splash ones from and he gave me the e-mail address of someone in either Belgium or France, I don't remember which without checking that out.

I e-mailed this person only to find that he had received seeds as Variegata but changed the name to Splash of Cream b'c of a flower variety that had variegated foliage.

I've tried desperately to get the name Splash of Cream changed back to the initial name of Variegata, with not total success.

I was very good friends of Kees Sahin, of Sahin Seeds in the Netherlands, he passed away a few years ago, and almost at the same time that I listed Variegata in the SSE YEarbook he had sent them seeds for same.

And he took on as Garden Manager at one time the son of the owner of a very large tomato breeding company,again, I can't remember the name but it could have been something called Enzada, who still breed lots of great hybrids.

So I've wondered if Variegata got passed around in the Netherlands and in some way was used in cherry tomato breeding, not hybrids, but OP's, and that's why recessive genes for variegation are found in Green Zebra Cherry as named by Manfred, but I have no idea at all if any of the cherries in that mixed box of them ever had a name, I doubt it, and were bred just for export sales primarily in Europe.

The large size of the seeds in GZC has always interested me as well.

Ok, fun to speculate which is exactly what I've been doing here.:lol:[/QUOTE]
Ms Carolyn

Thanks for the history: having variegata in a tomato plant will make a beautiful plant. Turning the suject on the The Green Zabra plant: Why do it grows like and Heirloom and preforms like an Heirloom. I know it'the Green Zebar's histor, but it's like's an Heirloom in many ways.

I also saved bagged seeds from my one original variegated plant, and somewhere in your seed collection you should have a packet of GZC seed containing seed from only that plant.

******

I agree it's in my back room which I call my tomato seed packing room but where it is at this time I have no idea.And yes, it was the person from Wales who also got some variegation with GZ Cherry.

I'll find it those seeds sometime, never fear.:lol:

[QUOTE=MrsJustice;299009]Ms Carolyn

Thanks for the history: having variegata in a tomato plant will make a beautiful plant. Turning the suject on the The Green Zabra plant: Why do it grows like and Heirloom and preforms like an Heirloom. I know it'the Green Zebar's histor, but it's like's an Heirloom in many ways.[/QUOTE]

Joyce, Green Zebra was bred by Tom Wagner in the 80's and thus is not considered an heirloom variety. Tom maintains that anything treasured is an heirloom, but many do not agree with that.

I don't really understand what you mean when you say that GZ grows like an heirloom in many ways.

There's no difference in the growth of heirlooms and non-heirloom OP's that I know of. Both can be either det, semi-det or indeterminate and both can grow at different rates which is controlled primaily by the genes a variety has and then all the variables that go into vegetative growth of tomatoes such as soil, amendements used, weather in any given season, how the tomatoes are grown, etc..

[QUOTE=carolyn137;299047]Joyce, Green Zebra was bred by Tom Wagner in the 80's and thus is not considered an heirloom variety. Tom maintains that anything treasured is an heirloom, but many do not agree with that.

I don't really understand what you mean when you say that GZ grows like an heirloom in many ways.

There's no difference in the growth of heirlooms and non-heirloom OP's that I know of. Both can be either det, semi-det or indeterminate and both can grow at different rates which is controlled primaily by the genes a variety has and then all the variables that go into vegetative growth of tomatoes such as soil, amendements used, weather in any given season, how the tomatoes are grown, etc..[/QUOTE]

The Green Zebra like any Heirlooms performs greatly only when seeds are started inside or weeks before growing season after the last frost. If leafs show any type of plant deficiencies the plant may be straggling you may have time to correct the deficiencies as farmer did back in our old history with the correct knowledge to solve the problem. Some people make the misteak of sewing their Green Zebra;s seeds strait in the ground like a hybrid seed.
Green Zebra transplants needs the same special treatment anod extra organic soil to make sure the roots are unrestricted. If clay is not removed 1 feet or morre in their growing area plant will die or develop growing problems just like an Heirloom.

They only produce heavy yields all through the summer in pure organic soil only.
If yellowing leaf is not cut from the plants immediately: will consume the plants like an Heirlooms.
Green Zebra is the only "Heirloom Type" of tomato that will store longer in the summer and winter months.
It should be specially classified as an Heirloom.

Stable Seed varieties
 

Hi Steve,
As a commercial nursery grower, I was concerned when I saw that a few varieties listed on your site may not be as stabilized as they let on. I love what Wild Boar Farms is doing but am afraid to grow many of those varieties in case one of our customers gets a dud. Are there any that you recommend that are very stable?

Cindy
The Tasteful Garden

[QUOTE=cpgmar;299779]Hi Steve,
As a commercial nursery grower, I was concerned when I saw that a few varieties listed on your site may not be as stabilized as they let on. I love what Wild Boar Farms is doing but am afraid to grow many of those varieties in case one of our customers gets a dud. Are there any that you recommend that are very stable?

Cindy
The Tasteful Garden[/QUOTE]

Hi Cindy, good to hear from you - hope you had a great season!

Which tomatoes varieties from Wild Boar Farms are you referring to? The only two tomato varieties I list on my site (and where I questioned the stability) are "Amazon Chocolate" and "JD's Special C-Tex". ("Amazon Chocolate" because it was released unstable and "JD's Special C-Tex" because I found a plant growing red fruit in my row of JD's a few years ago - it should be stable now)

I've never seen any stability problems at all with any Wild Boar Farm varieties.

Cheers,
Steve

Great, glad to hear it as we have grown the Pink Berkeley Tie Dye with great success and we may be growing the Brad's Black Heart this next season. I am always concerned that "New" heirlooms come into the market too quickly which happened with Copia and we had some duds in the bunch the first season. Another good example is the Indigo Rose tomato that I thought was completely awful tasting. We had a great season in 2012 and are looking forward to our 2013 selections already! Thanks Steve

Cindy Martin
The Tasteful Garden
tastefulgarden.com

Hot Diggity!
 

Noticed the 2013 catalog is now open. Nice layout/selection/prices again this year. Already placed order while the "git'en was good"!

Way to go Steve and Marla, well done!

TimothyT

[QUOTE=paprika;305778]Noticed the 2013 catalog is now open. Nice layout/selection/prices again this year. Already placed order while the "git'en was good"!

Way to go Steve and Marla, well done!

TimothyT[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Timothy:)

Steve

Dwarf Sweet Sue Release
 

I think I can speak for my sister when I say it's an honor to have the opportunity to release one of the four new 2013 dwarfs from the Dwarf Tomato Project. The variety we are introducing is "Dwarf Sweet Sue" and, as of today, it is available on our website:

[URL]http://heritagetomatoseed.com/heirloom-and-op-tomato-seeds/dwarf-sweet-sue/[/URL]

I'm positive, since Craig named this tomato after his wife, it will be a great tomato! :)
Thanks to all of the project members who spent their time and effort getting this to market and thank you to Ted Maiden (ContainerTed) for growing the seeds we are selling.

Steve

Steve,

it will be hard to wait until March until I could start with Dwarf Sweet Sue and the other great new tomatoes i ordered from you. ;)
I`am just hoping that it will - no i will say it in another way - it MUST be a better season than this year, cause my greenhouses were a playground for russet mites and spider mites.
They had much more fun with the tomatoes than i did.
Especially the dwarfs; it seems to me that the spider mites and the russet mites were arguing with each other about who of them might kill the tomatoes first.
I started with 60 dwarfs, and at the end of the season i had only 4 - and they were looking like hell.

Greetings,
Simone

Steve and Marla, congrats on your new catalog. What a wonderful selection! I loved it. :love:

[QUOTE=Simone;305796]Steve,

it will be hard to wait until March until I could start with Dwarf Sweet Sue and the other great new tomatoes i ordered from you. ;)
I`am just hoping that it will - no i will say it in another way - it MUST be a better season than this year, cause my greenhouses were a playground for russet mites and spider mites.
They had much more fun with the tomatoes than i did.
Especially the dwarfs; it seems to me that the spider mites and the russet mites were arguing with each other about who of them might kill the tomatoes first.
I started with 60 dwarfs, and at the end of the season i had only 4 - and they were looking like hell.

Greetings,
Simone[/QUOTE]

Simone,

The mites (two-spotted and russet) loved my plants this year too. Hopefully, your mites will all freeze this winter and decide to move south!:)
Thanks again!

Steve

[QUOTE=Tania;305800]Steve and Marla, congrats on your new catalog. What a wonderful selection! I loved it. :love:[/QUOTE]

Thank you Tania! We only carry about 1/4 of the tomato varieties that you carry (and I don't run a database on the side) so you are a great inspiration to me:)

Steve