Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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January 4, 2017 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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Newly Discovered Heirloom Currant Tomato
Hi,
I've been entrusted with seeds of an heirloom currant tomato which has never been available. I need help & advice on getting it out there & known. Here's the story behind its discovery: Currant Tomato "Post Office Spoonful" When she was a girl, Pittsburgh folk singer Cathasaigh encountered a very old man planting tomato plants in front of a post office. The man explained that seeds of these tomatoes had been brought over by his grandmother from Italy. He was getting too old to garden, so he planted his last seedlings in front of the post office. It was his hope that people would taste the tomatoes, like them, and plant the seeds so this wonderful tomato could continue. His term for the currant tomatoes was "spoonfuls." Cathasaigh tasted, liked, and planted the tomato for years, naming it "Post Office Spoonful". ----------------------------------------- When she moved, Cathasaigh (that's her full, legal name) gave her seeds to me to grow & pass on. I just received the seeds, but they were harvested in 2008. I have about 220 seeds that I can give away, reserving the rest for myself. I have never seen, tasted or grown this plant before. It's indeterminate, productive, with fruit the size of a pea, produced in clusters. It self-sows. Cathasaigh & her mother at first wondered why anyone would grow such a small-fruited tomato --until the moment they tasted them! Is anybody interested in getting some seeds, growing these, and distributing seeds to others? Is there anyone in particular on this forum to whom I should be offering seeds? I suppose I'd also like to receive production data back from anyone who grows the seeds: days from plant-out to first ripe tomato, taste description, productivity, and any anecdotal evidence of disease resistance/susceptibility. (e.g., if you have any disease show up in your plot, which disease, and were these POS's the first plants to contract the disease? Or were they the last plants standing? etc.) Carolyn137's technique for germinating older seeds can be found here: http://www.tomatoville.com/showpost....79&postcount=6 PM me with seed requests. I'll need your address to mail seeds. If I get extra seedlings, I can deliver them to anywhere in a 50 mile radius of Pittsburgh PA. I can also get seedlings to a particular spot near Albany NY, and if CHOPTAG has a plant swap this year, I would be willing to bring some to the Cincinnati area. If you receive seeds or plants from me, please promise to pass along seeds from your harvest to others. Let's get this heirloom out there. Nan Last edited by Nan_PA_6b; January 4, 2017 at 04:15 PM. |
January 4, 2017 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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Sounds like a nice tomato. I wonder if it is the same though as a known heirloom currant tomato called "spoon"
Spoon tomato is also another term for currant tomato. Not trying to say yours is perhaps not unique but it may be a known variety. Growing it out will help to know, especially by folks who ha e grown a lot of currant tomatoes. KarenO Last edited by KarenO; January 4, 2017 at 04:59 PM. |
January 4, 2017 | #3 | |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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Quote:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1330959/#b Hope that helps, Carolyn
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Carolyn |
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January 4, 2017 | #4 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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Quote:
this one for example, there are others from several reputable seed sales site as well as somebody on amazon.comKarenO http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/spoon-tomato-seeds Nan, what year would you say the post office planting took place, that would rule out quite a long list of more recently bred currant tomatoes with known sources. Last edited by KarenO; January 4, 2017 at 06:46 PM. |
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January 5, 2017 | #5 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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Quote:
Nan |
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January 4, 2017 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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I guess we'll need to have its characteristics compared to other currants. Are there any currant tomato gurus who ought to get pictures/seeds/plants/fruit to help with that?
Nan |
January 4, 2017 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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January 4, 2017 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: glendora ca
Posts: 2,560
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Pm sent thanks
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“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." |
January 4, 2017 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 404
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re your seeds
PM sent.
Thank you. Neil G. |
January 5, 2017 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
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It is worth a grow-out. Likely the same known? Only one way to find out.
If it turns out better than ones i've grown in the past, i'm in and will give it a good spot to thrive. pm sending... |
January 5, 2017 | #11 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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For Karen and nan
Karen,yes,I know that there are many places that got Spoon,no doubt,from Park seeds initially, as I did myself,or elsewhere but it's still a tiny red currant tomato, Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium. Nan,yes,originally it was from South America, all 14-15 species of Lycopersicon were from there. Lots of wild red currant ones were spread by Spanish missionaries from Mexico along the Gulf Coast. I think this link will help a lot. http://www.landscapeimagery.com/tomato.html Carolyn,who does think,as she noted in her first link that perhaps some might consider growing Sara's Galapagos since red currant ones did go from S America to the Galapagos islands. http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Sara%27s_Galapagos Carolyn
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Carolyn |
January 9, 2017 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
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Got the seeds, thanks.
Just might grow Sarah's Galapagos as well. I should have room. Waking up older seed is a challenge but i've done it before. -thanks for including the story. I've packed them together. |
February 27, 2018 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Chicago IL
Posts: 857
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Got some seeds in MMM swap, would like to know how it did turned out for those of you that grown it 2017?
The story sounds so lovely! |
February 27, 2018 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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Hi Lindalana,
Here is the growout thread for this past year. In short, it's good! http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=45388 Nan |
February 27, 2018 | #15 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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Methinks I should keep my fingers off the keyboard,since Nan originally made this offer elsewhere at Tville, and I'm not sure, but can guess, why she moved it to General Discussion.
Carolyn
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Carolyn |
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