Tom Wagner's TaterMaterSeeds

February 3, 2015

Tom Wagner's http://tatermaterseeds.com/shop/ is now open for business. I recommend getting what you want right away as the most desirable varieties go very fast. There are a lot of new varieties.

**Tom Wagner** · February 4, 2015

Thanks. I put up the site again for a few folks who want varieties straight from the breeder. Many of the lines are in lots of 10 - 20 or 50 packets only. When they are sold...no more is available. Sure, the seed is rather expensive but quite a few folks take some of these and build them up and offer the following year.

tlintx · February 4, 2015

Was discussing this with a friend who is new to gardening last night -- it's not much different from supporting artists I like on Patreon or using Kickstarter. I appreciate the chance to support breeders directly. I love the idea that I can, in some small way, directly contribute to the continuation of things I find valuable.

Besides, I've spent more on dumber things. Anyone want to buy a plastic pancake funnel?

Anyway, thanks for the heads up!

Al@NC · February 6, 2015

Tom, can you elaborate on your Turbans Diversity tomato as to what color it is? I'm somewhat interested...

February 6, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al@NC

Tom, can you elaborate on your Turbans Diversity tomato as to what color it is? I'm somewhat interested...

I almost got this one myself but settled for Bluestem Yamali and Glacial Zebra. Bluestem Yamali is already sold out. And Turbans Diversity is down to 8 packs. I wouldn't wait because in past years many of the rarer items or items with very little seed available have sold out in minutes.

Al@NC · February 6, 2015

Tom's site is awesome, but I wish there was a little more description such as pictures for most/all types and color/lineage information.

Maybe I'm too picky, or his target customer is one that has grown hundreds of different tomatoes already and doesn't really care about these details? I'm still quite new to growing tomatoes and I'm just trying to figure out why I would want to grow one of his tomatoes vs. the thousands of others out there.

tlintx · February 7, 2015

I feel like it's buying something new and exciting that not everyone has. I care a great deal about the details and have carefully selected most of my grow list, but there's always room for a couple of crosses and a few "wow, I'm the only one growing this one! Heck *I* don't even know what to expect" varieties. I've also found you can google some of the older ones and find people talking about them. And you can always ask here and get a virtually instant response about it.

But then, I've really discovered a love for non-heirloom heirlooms.

Heirlooms in general don't respond well to my technique (which is flawed and inattentive and more enthusiastic than skilled) and I find the modern cultivars are more forgiving and robust.

Not to rile any feathers, this is just my experience from my very limited attempts.

**Tom Wagner** · February 8, 2015

My webshop...I call it that because calling it a website does not imply a sales directly...is one of slow change. I rely on my webmaster friend to put the web site to gether, pay for the licences, etc. and list the seeds etc. I try to pack as many of the seed as I can on my end but it is time consuming. Not having pictures makes no difference on sales...I hope to get customers to take photos and report back to me. Too many of my tomatoes photos are like 123 3-31-14 and then I have to look them up in the pedigree book...not enough time for two people to spend together to sort it out and my printer doesn't do color well at all.

Every time Rob and I post that the site is open we get deluged with 90% of the sales for the year all in two to five days and it is a burden to both of us to get those orders out quickly. I try to list new varieties each year and most of the time it is from a single plant and just a fruit or two at that. Those varieties that I build up to thousands of seeds usually don't sell as well because I may have had them out the previous year and competitors have them as usual.

The TPS (true potato seed) is my specialty...and many of those are from single plants therefore not many seed are available. After all these years I am still not professional in my seed marketing!

Turbans Diversity is from a cross I made 30 years ago and have brough a diverse batch of related clones along in different filial levels. The cross was Pineapple to Turks Turban and this selection was favored for the flavor mostly. It is a big yellow beefsteak with a pronounced 'turban' (catface like a navel orange) and I wanted it to be tried here in the states and in Europe.

My webmaster is so busy collating orders that he doesn't know I packed an additional group of the Bluestem Yamali seed packs.

crazybean · February 11, 2015

Hi, pls, tell the web master to check payment gateway. My credit card has been rejected as wrong number.

**Tom Wagner** · February 11, 2015

Crazybean,

I will have my webmaster take a look at your request...he has been notified. He understands these things...I sure don't. Thanks for your patience. I think your initials are K. V.....is that right? Your order request is indeed in limbo. Rob will alert me to the credit card number match up snafu.

If you get a chance tell me more about the potato breeding station near you in your country.

Tom

**Tom Wagner** · February 11, 2015

The merchant payment network rejected the transaction.

I wonder if it was flagged as potentially fraudulent due to being overseas. You need to call your credit card company to ask them why it was rejected. They should have a record of the transaction, as it went all the way through to them. It was nothing our system did.

i need to clarify that it's nothing that we did, but we express our sympathies for your frustrations.
If you can't resolve it soon, maybe we could do an exchange of seed of Slovenia for mine. I have done that before!

tlintx · February 11, 2015

My order got here yesterday. I almost didn't check the mail because I figured, nah, way too soon.

Very excited, can't wait to get some seedlings going! Thanks!

**Tom Wagner** · February 11, 2015

TL in Tx,

I made a concerted effort to have seed packaged and ready for my webmaster to just pull and send. Glad the seed arrived. I have a number of Texas customers whose seed was shipped so I have no idea what seed you found in the mail.

My specialty is indeed.....non-heirloom heirlooms! Even though I might offer only ten packs of seed of certain lines...the rarity of such makes them important to folks like you. So many of my creations have ancestry going back over 50 years to old classic heirlooms. I would call some of my tomatoes the "Nouveau Heirloom" or "Nouvelle Héritage" or even "Nouvelle Héritée" and I might interject those terms when I give my lectures in Europe next month.

Inherit the Heirloom, but best it in all its earthiness. "Blessed are the new heirlooms , for they shall inherit the earth" which is taken from TaterMater 5:5...sorry Matthew!

tlintx · February 11, 2015

Lots of fun -- Woolly Green Zebra, Awol Dude, Muru, Skagit Magic, and one that's quite intriguingly labeled "Mixed Varieties". I'm thinking I will start some outside and some inside and see how they do!

I wouldn't say it's the rarity that I like, though, so much as the novelty and the mystery. I don't have the patience to sit through an entire season of a television show but I'll wait five plus months to see what color a tomato turns out to be.

I think everybody should have at least a few new varieties, a few hybrids, a few crosses, and a few heirlooms growing! Why not?

Al@NC · March 1, 2015

Thanks Tom, I just purchased a pack of Turban's Diversity!

February 3, 2015	#1
WillysWoodPile Guest Posts: n/a	Tom Wagner's TaterMaterSeeds Tom Wagner's http://tatermaterseeds.com/shop/ is now open for business. I recommend getting what you want right away as the most desirable varieties go very fast. There are a lot of new varieties.

February 6, 2015	#6
Al@NC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Vernon, BC Posts: 720	Tom's site is awesome, but I wish there was a little more description such as pictures for most/all types and color/lineage information. Maybe I'm too picky, or his target customer is one that has grown hundreds of different tomatoes already and doesn't really care about these details? I'm still quite new to growing tomatoes and I'm just trying to figure out why I would want to grow one of his tomatoes vs. the thousands of others out there. Last edited by Al@NC; February 6, 2015 at 05:43 PM.

February 4, 2015	#2
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	Thanks. I put up the site again for a few folks who want varieties straight from the breeder. Many of the lines are in lots of 10 - 20 or 50 packets only. When they are sold...no more is available. Sure, the seed is rather expensive but quite a few folks take some of these and build them up and offer the following year.

February 4, 2015	#3
tlintx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: SeTx Posts: 881	Was discussing this with a friend who is new to gardening last night -- it's not much different from supporting artists I like on Patreon or using Kickstarter. I appreciate the chance to support breeders directly. I love the idea that I can, in some small way, directly contribute to the continuation of things I find valuable. Besides, I've spent more on dumber things. Anyone want to buy a plastic pancake funnel? Anyway, thanks for the heads up!

February 7, 2015	#7
tlintx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: SeTx Posts: 881	I feel like it's buying something new and exciting that not everyone has. I care a great deal about the details and have carefully selected most of my grow list, but there's always room for a couple of crosses and a few "wow, I'm the only one growing this one! Heck I don't even know what to expect" varieties. I've also found you can google some of the older ones and find people talking about them. And you can always ask here and get a virtually instant response about it. But then, I've really discovered a love for non-heirloom heirlooms. Heirlooms in general don't respond well to my technique (which is flawed and inattentive and more enthusiastic than skilled) and I find the modern cultivars are more forgiving and robust. Not to rile any feathers, this is just my experience from my very limited attempts.

February 8, 2015	#8
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	My webshop...I call it that because calling it a website does not imply a sales directly...is one of slow change. I rely on my webmaster friend to put the web site to gether, pay for the licences, etc. and list the seeds etc. I try to pack as many of the seed as I can on my end but it is time consuming. Not having pictures makes no difference on sales...I hope to get customers to take photos and report back to me. Too many of my tomatoes photos are like 123 3-31-14 and then I have to look them up in the pedigree book...not enough time for two people to spend together to sort it out and my printer doesn't do color well at all. Every time Rob and I post that the site is open we get deluged with 90% of the sales for the year all in two to five days and it is a burden to both of us to get those orders out quickly. I try to list new varieties each year and most of the time it is from a single plant and just a fruit or two at that. Those varieties that I build up to thousands of seeds usually don't sell as well because I may have had them out the previous year and competitors have them as usual. The TPS (true potato seed) is my specialty...and many of those are from single plants therefore not many seed are available. After all these years I am still not professional in my seed marketing! Turbans Diversity is from a cross I made 30 years ago and have brough a diverse batch of related clones along in different filial levels. The cross was Pineapple to Turks Turban and this selection was favored for the flavor mostly. It is a big yellow beefsteak with a pronounced 'turban' (catface like a navel orange) and I wanted it to be tried here in the states and in Europe. My webmaster is so busy collating orders that he doesn't know I packed an additional group of the Bluestem Yamali seed packs.

February 11, 2015	#9
crazybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Europe Posts: 10	Hi, pls, tell the web master to check payment gateway. My credit card has been rejected as wrong number.

March 1, 2015	#15
Al@NC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Vernon, BC Posts: 720	Thanks Tom, I just purchased a pack of Turban's Diversity!