Burpee....suspicious on some of their tomato names...

**nctomatoman** · December 28, 2007

Of course, only Burpee knows for sure -

but doesn't tomato Italian Ice sound suspiciously like Dr. Carolyn....or, perhaps, Snow White Cherry? And how creative - chill a bowlful for a satisfying cool snack (hence the link with "Ice")...clever marketing, no doubt...and that price! 4.65 for 30 seeds.

Anyone ever saved and regrown seed from Black Pearl to see if it is indeed a hybrid, or just a renaming of Black Cherry (an OP, of course)?

And we have Yellow Magic....looks pretty much like Yellow Stuffer, a pretty common OP....again, 4.95 for 30 seeds?

What's the term - caveat emptor???

kktwahoo · December 28, 2007

Craig,

Good point! The DNA typing system may work!

Kent & Kathy

Rena · December 28, 2007

I agree Craig, I thought the VERY same thing. Snow White was my guess.

Colorado_west · December 30, 2007

I was saying to myself last night reading seed cats that I wished they would all use the same name for the variety. I grow a white cherry and get two kinds of cherries , white and a larger pale yellow one. Nice one. I read some where white cherry is not stable. ?? I can call the yellow one anything I want, right?. Can't buy seed for it, so I save. I am wondering on some if Hybrid is not just part of the name. Like lemon Boy Hybrid. I am wondering if they have not bred out some of the hybrids.

Adenn1 · December 30, 2007

I refuse to buy anything from Burpee...their prices are ridiculous and their marketing of tomatoes should be criminal.

There are just too many good seed companies out there to give this place any business.

remy · December 30, 2007

I thought the same thing when I looked at it last night! I was also amused by the Red Lightning blurb. "A vast improvement on Red Zebra, an heirloom from which it was derived." I remember reading the complaints on GW about it when Burpee first offered it 2 years ago, and I don't think I've read a good review yet.
Remy

MikeInCypress · December 30, 2007

I hate to buy the new Super tomatoes from Burpee and then find that I can get some of them for a $1.59 or so at Wallymart. I want to grow that Italian Ice to compare with Super Snow White. Has anyone seen the seed display at WallyMart yet? I checked a couple around West Houston and the displays were still cartoned up in the plant area?

MikeInCypress

Luvgardening2 · December 30, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by remy

I thought the same thing when I looked at it last night! I was also amused by the Red Lightning blurb. "A vast improvement on Red Zebra, an heirloom from which it was derived." I remember reading the complaints on GW about it when Burpee first offered it 2 years ago, and I don't think I've read a good review yet.
Remy

I got suckered into Burpee's Marketing and purchased Red Lightning last spring. It was

.

Nancy

rxkeith · December 31, 2007

i used to like burpee. they might have been the very first gardening catalog i ever received. things sure have changed. their prices are excessive. their plant descriptions seem to be over the top. if something is good, it shouldn't be that hard to sell. on the plus side, they have a nice looking catalog. thats about all i'll be doing with it this year, just looking.

keith in calumet

Ruth_10 · December 31, 2007

Burpee is rapidly spending down the good will they built up in years gone by as the country's premier home gardening catalog. I've heard a number of people comment, "Oh, Burpee. My folks always ordered from them when I was a kid" and the warm-and-fuzzies would be flying all over the place. Now, the name is the same but otherwise,

.

elkwc36 · January 5, 2008

I always grow Brandyboy and last year grew Porterhouse which was one of my better hybrids. I buy at Wal Mart if they seeds are there and if not order. I've had great luck with their seeds. I have heard they rename and that might be the case. But still better than Field's , Gurney's and some other catalog vendors in my opinion.

MikeInCypress · January 5, 2008

Went by one of the local Wallyworlds today and the Burpee Seeds were out. Not much in the way of Tomatoes, They did have Little Brandywine and a Heirloom Mixture. They also had a mixture of their new hot varieties, Italian Ice, Tangerine Mama, Golden Mama, Razzle Dazzle, and Honey Bunch Currant. All for $1.50. Seeds are not marked.

Now I don't know how to ID seeds from size so to get the Italian Ice you have to grow all eighteen, I would assume The Mamas are determinate and the Currants will have small fine leaves. Does any one know if Razzle Dazzle is potato leafed?

MikeInCypress

alaska · July 27, 2008

oh dear, total tomato newbie that I am I bought the italian ice from burpee...its growing like a monster and is setting blooms as we speak. I grew from seed, started them the same time I started my rutgers and the italian ice is at least a foot taller and has two sets of blooms already. Since I'm in Alaska I grow indoors, we'll see how this one does.
Also since I'm in Alaska, burpee is one of very few seed sellers that will actually ship to me without charging me a surcharge...it doesn't actually cost any extra to ship here USPS, so I boycott anybody who even suggests it.
The IIC is the only hybrid I ordered from burpee. I tried to stay away from them but the description and pics were just too enticing.

Sherry_AK · July 27, 2008

Welcome, alaska! I actually find very few seed companies that do add a surcharge for shipping seeds (only) to Alaska. You might look at Tomato Growers Supply.

www.tomatogrowers.com

Sherry

tomatoguy · July 27, 2008

I guess Burpee is the only company that I refuse to business with in the future. About 9-10 years ago when I first started growing heirloom varieties almost exclusively, I ordered some Cherokee Purple plants from Burpee. My friend Reverend Dr. Preacher Fred and I were going to split the order. When my plants arrived, they were a week late and completely DOA. Even if they weren't, they would have been unusable. The plants were 6-7 inches tall (when they were alive, of course) and were growing in tiny cells. The kicker was that they were growing three or four plants to a cell and were completely rootbound. It would not have been possible to separate them and have undamaged plants. To their credit, they didn't hassle me about a refund and my money was refunded the same day. I have grown Burpee's Tabletalk from a seed trade since then and was pleased with it. I won't, however, be giving them my hardearned dollars anymore.

I have had good experiences with many seed companies, despite inconsistency in naming and some tomato illiteracy on their part; such as claiming that a tomato is low-acid or is a hybrid heirloom.

Here are the companies that I have had a positive experience with:

Tomato Growers' Supply
Marianna's Heirloom Seeds
Weeks' Seeds
Botanical Interests
Victory Seeds
Johnny's Select Seeds
heirloomtomatoes.com aka The Tomato Patch
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

mater

December 28, 2007	#1
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Burpee....suspicious on some of their tomato names... Of course, only Burpee knows for sure - but doesn't tomato Italian Ice sound suspiciously like Dr. Carolyn....or, perhaps, Snow White Cherry? And how creative - chill a bowlful for a satisfying cool snack (hence the link with "Ice")...clever marketing, no doubt...and that price! 4.65 for 30 seeds. Anyone ever saved and regrown seed from Black Pearl to see if it is indeed a hybrid, or just a renaming of Black Cherry (an OP, of course)? And we have Yellow Magic....looks pretty much like Yellow Stuffer, a pretty common OP....again, 4.95 for 30 seeds? What's the term - caveat emptor??? __________________ Craig

December 30, 2007	#5
Adenn1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Philly Posts: 559	I refuse to buy anything from Burpee...their prices are ridiculous and their marketing of tomatoes should be criminal. There are just too many good seed companies out there to give this place any business. __________________ Mark

December 30, 2007	#6
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	I thought the same thing when I looked at it last night! I was also amused by the Red Lightning blurb. "A vast improvement on Red Zebra, an heirloom from which it was derived." I remember reading the complaints on GW about it when Burpee first offered it 2 years ago, and I don't think I've read a good review yet. Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

December 30, 2007	#7
MikeInCypress Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cypress, TX Posts: 963	I hate to buy the new Super tomatoes from Burpee and then find that I can get some of them for a $1.59 or so at Wallymart. I want to grow that Italian Ice to compare with Super Snow White. Has anyone seen the seed display at WallyMart yet? I checked a couple around West Houston and the displays were still cartoned up in the plant area? MikeInCypress __________________ "Growing older, not up"

December 31, 2007	#10
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Burpee is rapidly spending down the good will they built up in years gone by as the country's premier home gardening catalog. I've heard a number of people comment, "Oh, Burpee. My folks always ordered from them when I was a kid" and the warm-and-fuzzies would be flying all over the place. Now, the name is the same but otherwise,. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

December 28, 2007	#2
kktwahoo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Wahoo, Nebraska Posts: 132	Craig, Good point! The DNA typing system may work! Kent & Kathy

December 28, 2007	#3
Rena Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Warm Springs, GA Posts: 1,421	I agree Craig, I thought the VERY same thing. Snow White was my guess.

December 30, 2007	#4
Colorado_west Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: western Colorado zone 5 Posts: 307	I was saying to myself last night reading seed cats that I wished they would all use the same name for the variety. I grow a white cherry and get two kinds of cherries , white and a larger pale yellow one. Nice one. I read some where white cherry is not stable. ?? I can call the yellow one anything I want, right?. Can't buy seed for it, so I save. I am wondering on some if Hybrid is not just part of the name. Like lemon Boy Hybrid. I am wondering if they have not bred out some of the hybrids.

December 31, 2007	#9
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,839	i used to like burpee. they might have been the very first gardening catalog i ever received. things sure have changed. their prices are excessive. their plant descriptions seem to be over the top. if something is good, it shouldn't be that hard to sell. on the plus side, they have a nice looking catalog. thats about all i'll be doing with it this year, just looking. keith in calumet

January 5, 2008	#11
elkwc36 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: SW Kansas Posts: 339	I always grow Brandyboy and last year grew Porterhouse which was one of my better hybrids. I buy at Wal Mart if they seeds are there and if not order. I've had great luck with their seeds. I have heard they rename and that might be the case. But still better than Field's , Gurney's and some other catalog vendors in my opinion.

July 27, 2008	#13
alaska Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dutch Harbor Posts: 1	oh dear, total tomato newbie that I am I bought the italian ice from burpee...its growing like a monster and is setting blooms as we speak. I grew from seed, started them the same time I started my rutgers and the italian ice is at least a foot taller and has two sets of blooms already. Since I'm in Alaska I grow indoors, we'll see how this one does. Also since I'm in Alaska, burpee is one of very few seed sellers that will actually ship to me without charging me a surcharge...it doesn't actually cost any extra to ship here USPS, so I boycott anybody who even suggests it. The IIC is the only hybrid I ordered from burpee. I tried to stay away from them but the description and pics were just too enticing.

July 27, 2008	#14
Sherry_AK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Alaska Zone 3/4 Posts: 1,857	Welcome, alaska! I actually find very few seed companies that do add a surcharge for shipping seeds (only) to Alaska. You might look at Tomato Growers Supply. www.tomatogrowers.com Sherry

July 27, 2008	#15
tomatoguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rockvale, TN Zone 7A Posts: 526	I guess Burpee is the only company that I refuse to business with in the future. About 9-10 years ago when I first started growing heirloom varieties almost exclusively, I ordered some Cherokee Purple plants from Burpee. My friend Reverend Dr. Preacher Fred and I were going to split the order. When my plants arrived, they were a week late and completely DOA. Even if they weren't, they would have been unusable. The plants were 6-7 inches tall (when they were alive, of course) and were growing in tiny cells. The kicker was that they were growing three or four plants to a cell and were completely rootbound. It would not have been possible to separate them and have undamaged plants. To their credit, they didn't hassle me about a refund and my money was refunded the same day. I have grown Burpee's Tabletalk from a seed trade since then and was pleased with it. I won't, however, be giving them my hardearned dollars anymore. I have had good experiences with many seed companies, despite inconsistency in naming and some tomato illiteracy on their part; such as claiming that a tomato is low-acid or is a hybrid heirloom. Here are the companies that I have had a positive experience with: Tomato Growers' Supply Marianna's Heirloom Seeds Weeks' Seeds Botanical Interests Victory Seeds Johnny's Select Seeds heirloomtomatoes.com aka The Tomato Patch Southern Exposure Seed Exchange mater