Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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May 22, 2006 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: UK.
Posts: 960
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Chuck W's seed-unamed varieties special offers-any good!
I have often seen on Chucks web site, a lot of seed that are not named, being offered at a reduced price, simply because Donna couldnt remember what they were called or didnt have enough available info on them.
I also recall Papa Vic saying he bought some to try a short while ago. And I have often toyed with the idea of buying a few myself-along with actual order for some of the named seed varieties- my question is this, has anyone ever tried any of these unamed varieties, and if so what was the results- were they what you expected, or unusual in any way, was you pleasantly surprised, and was any of the resulting tomatoes and plants recognisable as a known variety once you had actualy grown them-or didnt you recognise any of them at all, and they were totaly new to you. |
May 22, 2006 | #2 |
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Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
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(I have often seen on Chucks web site, a lot of seed that are not named, being offered at a reduced price, simply because Donna couldnt remember what they were called or didnt have enough available info on them.)
Donna packed seeds for Chuck for many years but never did know that much about tomato varieties since she herself is not a tomato grower and she did not help Chuck with growing tomatoes or seed production. I worked with her a bit after Chuck died at the urging of Joyce, Chuck's widow. Chuck kept most of his seed in glass bottles on shelves in the basement and for several years before he passed on in 2002 he was ill, suffering bouts of oxygen deprivation due to both sleep apnea and the throat deformity that eventually was the cause of his death, and so seeds he produced and how he labelled things were not as he would have wanted them to be if he were the Chuck I knew for so many years. And all that started in perhaps about the years 1998- 2000, or so. Most folks have been able to decipher the initials he used, as in GRS being German Red Strawberry, for instance, but considering the circumstances, I think one takes a chance on those for sale varieties with just initials. When I was doing the wrong varieties threads at GW there were lots and lots of named varieties that were crossed, about 40 in two years. And I reported those to Donna at the time. Also in the few years before he passed on he was dealing with Seeds by Design and some other places and even at his death there was seed that had never been used/tested. Well I remember the row we had back in about 2000 when the Red Brandywine he was offering was PL and I couldn't get him to stop selling it. He just was very difficult to reason with/talk to, at that time. Not his fault, really, b'c he didn't know at that time what his medical problems were all about. But I've done no more of those threads at GW so don't have a clue as to most of the other varieties for seed that Chuck produced except at a few places where I post where crossed seed is still showing up and I've urged those folks to share that info with Donna. Donna was able to buy some varieties for replacement but not many since most of what Chuck listed was from the SSE Yearbooks, as in varieties he got from fellow SSE members such as myself, and there are no bulk seed sources for most of those.
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Carolyn |
May 22, 2006 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 2,984
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The one I bought that I thought would be really interesting was GJPL. I assumed it would be German Johnson Potato Leaf. I also assumed it would be old seed.
It germinated quite well, but the seedlings did not appear to be potato leaf, so I discarded them this year because I already have so many seedlings to deal with. I intend to try again with the GJPL next year and watch for some seedlings that hopefully appear more PL. By the way, all the seeds I got from Donna in summer 2005 germinated adequately in February and March 2006, so I think it would be worthwhile for anyone who's interested to go ahead and buy some of those 50-cent seeds for "unknown" varieties just for the heck of it. PV |
May 22, 2006 | #4 |
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I intend to try again with the GJPL next year and watch for some seedlings that hopefully appear more PL.
Just a hunch here PV, but true GJ is RL, and the only PL GJ was the one that TGS offers as seed, I'm sure from Seeds by Design. And I guess the assumption is that it really is GJ. But there are two RB's also from SBD at TGS and as many know, one is RL and one is PL and neither one is Red Brandywine. In the SSE Yearbooks only the true RL German Johnson is listed. IF that was Chuck's saved seed and you got RL and it really is a cross, then as you speculate you still could get some PL from self pollenization. And there's also the possibility that the label on Chuck's seeds was wrong and they were GJRL. I didn't check the variety list at the website. Were both the RL and PL versions ever listed there at the same time? Just curious. Are either there now as named varieties? I'd check but I'm here on IE to view Tville and have to log out, go back and maximize AOL to go to the website to look, and do the return trip to answer my own question and right now I just don't have the time to do that/don't want to do that. And that's b/c the PT person from the County is coming any minute to do the required visit to tell Carolyn if everything in her home is OK to return to after surgery. Since the PT person coming just happens to be the one I had over the winter and I already know what she's said about that, I guess I'l'l tell her what I've found out from my long appt with my ortho surgeon's PA who assists him at surgery. I learned some new things and now so will she. And onward we go.
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Carolyn |
May 22, 2006 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
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Location: Evansville, IN
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"I didn't check the variety list at the website. Were both the RL and PL versions ever listed there at the same time? Just curious. Are either there now as named varieties?" [Carolyn]
Carolyn, Yes, both German Johnson and "GJPL" were listed together when I bought the seeds and are still listed together as follows: "German Johnson - 80 Days - Gigantic indet. reg. leaf plant with huge, pink, beefsteak type fruit, averaging over 1#; flavor and texture are excellent, an absolutely rampant plant that bears all season. This is the true 'German Johnson', and is not a potato leaf; One of the four parent lines of 'Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter.'" And right below that on the list we see: "GJPL- This is my name so I can keep straight. I have no description or variety name. Sale $.50 each." So, again, I simply made an assumption that GJPL might possibly mean German Johnson Potato Leaf. Maybe it's a bad assumption. Either way, what can you buy for 50c nowadays? Not even a cup of Joe, right? And besides, I was already ordering seed from Donna and thought "hey, why not try a few of her discount seeds?" Again ... best wishes for a successful surgery and a complete and speedy recovery. PV EDIT: Here is a list of other "No Names" at the C.W. Heirloom site available for 50c: BFT, BRI, CHR, JFL, LPB, LYH, RIE, RML, WMB, Potato Leaf Red, and Regular Leaf Red. Any guesses as to what the initials stand for? |
May 22, 2006 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Elwood, IL
Posts: 53
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If BFT can be confirmed as the rare but sometimes seen BIG FREAKIN TOMATO I'll sign up and get some
Those don't mean anything to me, but I'm intrigued. I love a mystery. |
May 22, 2006 | #7 |
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BFT, BRI, CHR, JFL, LPB, LYH, RIE, RML, WMB, Potato Leaf Red, and Regular Leaf Red. Any guesses as to what the initials stand for?
Just some quick guesses. BFT; Black from Tula BRI; Brianna JFL; Jaune Flammee LPB: Large Pink Bulgarian LYH; Lillian's Yellow Heirloom RIE: Riesentraube RML; Red Mortgage Lifter WMB; Watermelon Beefsteak The PL Red and RL red probably refer to Red Brandywine PL, the wrong variety from SBD, and perhaps the RL is the correct RB? I don't know. I do know that Chuck went out and bought some true RB but I'm not sure from where and I don't know any more and he was selling it labelled as Red Brandywine. The above were all listed with real names at one time so I really don't know why they are now appearing just with initials. And thanks so much for the good wishes.
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Carolyn |
May 22, 2006 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Evansville, IN
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Carolyn,
Maybe good guesses ... I dunno. Donna already lists Black From Tula and Flammee aka Juanne Flammee (that's how she puts it), Riesentraube, Mortgage Lifter Red, and Brandywine Red RL. But who knows? Mysteries are good. PV |
May 23, 2006 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: UK.
Posts: 960
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Thats all very interesting info- I never quite realised that the letters or initials of the variety in this case were perhaps a clue to their identity??- the mystery deepens by Jove!, a real challenge to boot.
I bought quite a number of varieties of the actual named ones from donna this last oct/nov time ready for this seasons sowing, and they germinated quite well-no probs. The postal turn around service was very quick, and they came well packed- quite a good service allround . The only thing I am kicking myself for- is not picking out that russian variety from Donna's List , that enjoyed such great success by growers in both Australia and New Zealand this season, I somehow missed that one- but hopefully next year I might manage to get a few seeds. |
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