[Gunnar]

I love the flavor and texture of Mr. Stripeys. That brain coral interior makes for a wonderful sandwich tomato that puts the ol beefsteak to shame.

[KYHeirloomer]

If you have a Mr. Stripey that you like, Gunnar, it really behooves you to save the seed. Here's why:

There actually were two different tomatoes introduced at about the same time with the name Mr. Stripey. As if that wasn't bad enough, there were two others brought out, called something like tangella that not only look similar, but which are often sold as Mr. Stripey.

So, in effect, there are four Mr. Stripey tomatoes out there. Not only is this confusing, if you happen to like one of them, there's no guarantee that the plants or seeds you buy by that name next year will be the same tomato.

[Gunnar]

hmmm, that may explain a quandry i had from one farmers market to another. I have noticed that that the brain coral like interior i really like is more pronounced in some of them then in others. but they all have that stripey mottled orangey yellow flesh.

[KYHeirloomer]

That's probably the reason, Gunner. BTW, when first introduced, one of the Mr Stripey's was a beefsteak type tomato, while the other was a more standard (i.e., 12ish ounces) size.

BTW, the other varieties often confused with Mr Stripey are Tigerello. It was early, when I wrote the other, and hadn't had my coffee yet.

[gonefishin]

Hi all,

Ok...the plants are in. I ended up getting a pretty good variety because I bought plants for home and also for work

My question is...Should i pinch off some of the early flowers that I have on the plants? I would rather have a strong plant that produces well during the year instead of having a few early tomatoes. But if this makes no difference to the plants health I'll just leave them.

thanks,
dan

[LuvPie]

Originally Posted by Quinn01

What would be the best and most useful heirloom tomoatoes i can grow on the east coast (NJ) in a home garden and where can i possibly get the seeds for cheap?
Thanks guys. *I did find this one website:Heirloom Tomatoes - Gary Ibsen's Gourmet Heirloom Tomato Collection

personally I had no luck with heirloom seeds that I got from totallytomatoes. I spent a nice amount on all sorts of seeds and not one tomato did I get so can't help you, sorry, but good luck.

[LuvPie]

My supermarket often times has heirloom tomatoes in the produce section. I've asked the worker there how good they are as they're expensive and he has always said, let me slice one for you and you can see. Well then I buy one, and take it home and riddle it of it's seeds, put in ground and pray but tomato gawds haven't been kind to me

[Gunnar]

would probably help to sprout your seeds inside before planting them in the ground. wash your seeds in some water, get a small plastic container, lay a wet paper towel in the bottom and lay your seeds on top cover loosely with lid. the lids just so the towel doesn't dry out in a couple of hours. keep moist, not flooded and you should see some sprouts soon. move to small pots to encourage more growth then outside.

[KYHeirloomer]

Lover of Pies: You're not alone in that. Every since Shumway's bought out Totally Tomatoes their quality has gone downhill, and there have been nothing but complaints about their seed quality and service. I don't know any serious heirlooms growers who will have anything to do with them---or any of the Shumway's group. Another example of a formerly great seed house now fallen on the Shumway's hard times is Vermont Bean Seed.

FWIW, the general approach to growing your own tomatoes is to set the seed indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. When collecting seed directly, from ripe tomatoes, it's really best to ferment the seed, which removes the anti-germination compunds in the gel coat, and destroys most seed-borne pathogens. Plus you eliminate any non-viable seed.

If you want the names of some reliable heirlooms seed suppliers let me know and I'll post them.

[LuvPie]

I'm forever making tomato sandwiches and then tossing remnants from cutting board into the dirt. MTNA

These last two posts to me are invaluable. Thank you.
Yes names of reputable tomato heirloomers would be very helpful if even for next year. I can buy and save.

[KYHeirloomer]

Maybe I'm just tired, but I have no idea what MTNA stands for. Please explain.

I don't have my files handy, so can't supply URLs. But you can google these folks easy enough.

For tomatoes specifically, I would consider:

Tomatoes, Etc. This is my friend Roger Postley's company. Roger grows as many as 100 varieties of heirlooms annually. No website, but you can reach him at RPostley@aol.com, and he'll send you his seed list.

Mariseeds. Marianne Jone's company. She's been growing heirloom tomatoes for many years and selling both seed and plants. She has one of the largest seed selections in the industry.

Tomato Grower's Supply Co. One of the most reputable and service-oriented seed houses in the country. They also handle a small number of peppers and other veggies, but tomatoes are their mainstay.

For general seeds, try any of the following:

Seed Savers Exchange. SSE is the largest seed preservation organization in the world. You can join, and get the annual yearbook which lists thousands of varieties grown by memember. Or just get the SSE public catalog, which is like any other seed company except all the seeds come from the SSE collection.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. SESE had had some service problems in the past. But since Ira Wallace took over as manager they seem to have been resolved.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I'm including Baker Creek without a recommendation pro or con. Used to be one of the finest heirloom seed houses anywhere. But there's been a growing number of growers reporting dissatisfaction on various levels.

Victory Seeds. A great West Coast company. And speaking of tomatoes, the owner has been on a long term program to find and grow all the original Livingston varieties. Will the real Golden Queen please stand up.

There are numerous others. But if you get the catalogs from this handful you'll be well on your way to covering the heirlooms field....until you start collecting family heirlooms in the field; and then there's no hope for you.

[LuvPie]

much to no avail.... Sorry was too tired to finish typing. I'll read the rest from you. now

[LuvPie]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

Maybe I'm just tired, but I have no idea what MTNA stands for. Please explain.I don't have my files handy, so can't supply URLs. But you can google these folks easy enough. For tomatoes specifically, I would consider:
Tomatoes, Etc. This is my friend Roger Postley's company. Roger grows as many as 100 varieties of heirlooms annually. No website, but you can reach him at RPostley@aol.com, and he'll send you his seed list.
Mariseeds. Marianne Jone's company. She's been growing heirloom tomatoes for many years and selling both seed and plants. She has one of the largest seed selections in the industry.
Tomato Grower's Supply Co. One of the most reputable and service-oriented seed houses in the country. They also handle a small number of peppers and other veggies, but tomatoes are their mainstay.
For general seeds, try any of the following:
Seed Savers Exchange. SSE is the largest seed preservation organization in the world. You can join, and get the annual yearbook which lists thousands of varieties grown by memember. Or just get the SSE public catalog, which is like any other seed company except all the seeds come from the SSE collection.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. SESE had had some service problems in the past. But since Ira Wallace took over as manager they seem to have been resolved.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I'm including Baker Creek without a recommendation pro or con. Used to be one of the finest heirloom seed houses anywhere. But there's been a growing number of growers reporting dissatisfaction on various levels.
Victory Seeds. A great West Coast company. And speaking of tomatoes, the owner has been on a long term program to find and grow all the original Livingston varieties. Will the real Golden Queen please stand up.
There are numerous others. But if you get the catalogs from this handful you'll be well on your way to covering the heirlooms field....until you start collecting family heirlooms in the field; and then there's no hope for you.

I just printed this out so I don't have to try to remember later where this wealth of information is. Thank you. Wasn't aware of the many varieties and places to get them that there are.
Again sorry for the frustration. I can't tell you how long it took me to figure out what MTNA meant, honestly I pondered way too long on that one.
Footnote, came home last night, checked my plants, guess who has two giant gopher holes in the dirt now. Any tried and true ways to rid myself of them or am I stuck? They've eaten all the roots off my roses from years past and now, they may be headed for doing the same thing with my "maters". Should I take them out of the dirt/planter and put them in pots before it's too late? Or, is there a poisin to the varments that won't hurt the vegetation or me

[KYHeirloomer]

If you've got gophers I'm assuming your out West somewhere? That's where they tend to be a big problem.

There are only two solutions to serious gopher problems. You can build raised beds, first lining the undersides with hardware cloth. This is just as expensive and a PITA as it sounds. But it deters the critters for a few years, anyway. Eventually the hardware cloth rusts through, however, and you have to rebuild the beds.

Alternatively, go with container gardening. This is feasible if you only have a few plants. Tomatoes and peppers can be grown in containers as small as five-gallon pails (which you can get for free, btw). Most gardeners opt for something larger though. Those 18-gallon Rubbermaid containers are a common choice, for instance.

I'm lucky in that several local farmers drop their cattle-feed supplement tubs off at the recycling center. These make wonderful planters---about 20 gallon capacity. And, most of all, they're free.

One tip: If you opt for containers, drill you drain holes an inch or two up the sidewalls, rather than on the bottom. Otherwise they are likely to clog up.

[LuvPie]

Lots of help there too. The holes placed on side instead of the bottom. Good idea. I have
10 in pots the rest in ground