I thought I’d return to a pic from August 2019 - being reminded of what an unruly mess my driveway garden became!

Time for a Carolyn contribution - and amused she begins with an admonishment! Carolyn LOVED to send seeds to people. It is also great to read of her support for the SSE. They are approaching their 50th year anniversary - yet their exposure is not at all what it should be. There are myriad reasons for this that I won’t go in to. Though I don’t support absolutely everything they do these days, I consider their continued existence absolutely critical. This article by Carolyn is a good - but somewhat dated - read. All of the companies listed have undergone changes over the years, and one has vanished (Heirloom Seeds). Time heals wounds - but sometimes creates them as well.

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Seed Sources

by Carolyn Male

I’d first like to mention that Craig and I are not a source of tomato seeds for Off The Vine subscribers. We both are active listed members of the Seed Savers Exchange (SSE, see below), and participate in their seed activities, but do not feel it is appropriate for us to offer seeds for sale. I’m going to discuss both commercial sources and the special seeds we are offering through Off The Vine, but I’d first like to encourage all of you to consider membership in the SSE. SSE is not a commercial firm and is not a seed company. It is an organization dedicated to the preservation of heirloom vegetables, fruits and grains. If preserving our genetic heritage is important to you, you might wish to support SSE by becoming a member. Membership will give you access to about 3000 tomato varieties! Almost all of the varieties mentioned in Off The Vine are available through SSE. It is hoped that you would multiply seed obtained through SSE and reoffer it to others as a listed member although that certainly is not a requirement for membership. It’s pretty late in the season to obtain the current seed listings in the 1996 yearbook, but by sending in $25 now, you might get it this spring. It gets very busy at SSE in the spring and there is usually a big backlog. They now publish a brochure which contains a few selected vegetables and flower varieties which are available to everyone, but the tomato offerings are limited. The address is Seed Savers Exchange, 3076 North Winn Road, Decorah, IA, 52101.

The following list of commercial seed sources is not inclusive; they are companies Craig and I or others we know have dealt with and have been pleased with both the service and the seeds. The catalog ($2 ) of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, PO Box 170, Earlysville, VA, 22936, is a treasure trove of heirloom histories and excellent open pollinated varieties. There is a large selection of heirloom tomatoes including many that have been mentioned in Off The Vine (too many to list separately). Vince and Linda Sapp at Tomato Growers Supply have made a large commitment to heirloom tomatoes and now carry a superb selection. Again, many of the varieties have been mentioned here and are too numerous to mention individually. Their catalog is free and the address is Tomato Growers Supply Company, PL Box 2237, Fort Meyers, FL 33902. Rob Johnston of Johnny’s Selected Seeds has an excellent selection of heirloom tomatoes. Again, many have been mentioned here in Off The Vine. The catalog is free and the address is Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Foss Hill Road, Albion, ME 04910. Tom Hauch has a small catalog which features many excellent heirloom tomatoes. The catalog is $1 and the address is Heirloom Seeds, PO Box 245, West Elizabeth, PA 15088. Totally Tomatoes, PO Box 1626, Augusta, GA, 30903 (catalog free) also has a nice selection of heirloom tomatoes. Craig and I have been sending seed for trial to the first three companies and we are pleased that they have selected some of our varieties to offer in their catalogs.

We are also making available to you a selection of 12 very special seeds, of which you may request any six varieties. These seeds are special because they are the result of either natural or deliberate cross pollination and the grow outs from some of these should be especially interesting. We need to discuss a little about tomato genetics before I describe the varieties.

The fruits which result from initial cross pollination (natural or deliberate) of two parents gives seed which is referred to as F1 seed (F1 hybrid). When planted, all the plants and fruit of F1 seed should be identical (but see comments later about Brandywine crosses). Seed isolated from the fruits of F1 parents is referred to as F2 seed. When this seed is planted you’ll get a variety of different plants which might vary with respect to foliage type, fruit shape and color, earliness, etc. So if the F1 plants were potato leaf, for instance, the F2 plants may be regular leaf or potato leaf. And if the F1 fruit were red, you could get red, orange or pink fruit, or whatever, in the F2s, depending on the parents. If you find an F2 plant that you like, save the seeds and plant again the next year. These F3 seeds will also segregate out different characteristics and you’ll have to select again and grow out the next year to see the F4s. So how long does it take to genetically stabilize a variety? Well, how does 3-10 years sound? But it is really fun, and remember that every authentic family heirloom tomato was grown out and stabilized by someone until it came true every year! Some of the rejects are darned good and this stabilizing game really does start to grow on you. So if you have the room and inclination, give it a try. We ask in return that you let the folks offering the seed know your results. Whether or not the results are requested is listed for each seed offering.

The first series of seeds were hybridized by Stanley Zubrowski, an amateur Canadian hybridizer who has been trying to combine flavor (Brandywine) with a variety of early season varieties. All five F1s are potato leaved and the fruit about 4-6 ounces with a variety of fruit shapes and the color is red or pink (they should all be red because Brandywine is pink and each of the five varieties it is crossed with are red; red is dominant to pink). These crosses are Brandywine X Stupice, Brandywine X Kotlas, Brandywine X Polish, Brandywine X Glacier, and Brandywine X Outdoor Girl. The seed offered is the F2 seed.

Tad Smith, author of our late blight article and the hybridization article in this issue, is offering two crosses. The first is Yellow Oxheart X Ukrainian Heart (red). The F1 plants are wispy, as one often seeds with oxheart foliage and the fruit are large pink hearts. Tad knows the Ukrainian Heart parent was red and is at a loss to explain the pink offspring. Seed offered is F2 seed. Tad’s other cross is Purple Perfect X Purple Price. These parents have the same coloration as Cherokee Purple, as do the F1 fruit. I happen to love Purple Perfect, the one parent, and several folks reported from last year that they got some excellent selections. Seed offered is the F2 seed.

I’m offering two crosses. The first is White Queen X unknown. White Queen is the best white I’ve ever grown, is oblate (flattened) with very good taste. The F1 fruit are large red and bomb-shaped with excellent taste; could be some interesting ones that come out of this because I don’t know what the other parent is, other than it’s red. Seed offered is F2 seed. My other offering is OTV (Off The Vine) Brandywine, and this is a great tomato. The OTV reflects the fact that this cross originated in Craig’s garden between Yellow Brandywine and unknown, and I’ve stabilized it out to the F4 generation. While pink, yellow, and red/orange large beefsteak type fruit have appeared in the F2 and F3 generations, I’ve been selecting for the large red/orange potato leaf type and last summer seven of seven plants grew true. I really want to know your results with this one, and you might as well make my day by including the results of the White Queen cross if you’ve selected that one. Seeds are F4.

Craig is also offering two crosses. His first is Cherokee Purple X unknown (red). Instead of the clear skin that gives Cherokee Purple its dusky rose color, this F1 has yellow skin which makes the fruit brownish in color. Seed offered is the F2 seed. Craig’s other cross is Sungold X unknown, and the F3 he’s offering is a potato leaf variant with red/orange cherry sized fruit. Seed offered is the F3 seed.

Lastly, 12 lucky folks may opt to grow out selections offered by Dr. John Navazio of Garden City Seeds. The description that follows is his; “I’m happy to give readers of OTV a chance to select a potentially good flavored tomato. The original cross was between a very good flavored heirloom from Maine called simply “Potato Leaf”, and a select high-flavored breeding line from the late Univ. of RI tomato breeder, Dr. A. E. Griffiths. F3 plants will vary for leaf type, flavor compounds, and shape. Each packet contains about 15 seeds; please try to grow at least 8-10 plants and only save seeds from the best ones for further stabilization of the variety.” Seed offered is F3 seed. Each packet has a number on it which you should record and will also be recorded by Pat Millard, and each packet as Dr. Navazio’s address at Garden City Seeds. Courtesy dictates that you send him a postcard and let him know your findings and what you plant to do with your selections; I’m sure he would appreciate that. If your space is limited and you grow half the seeds this year and half the next, that would be fine.

Other than John Navazio’s seeds, if you are going to plant only one, two or three of the plants, please request only five seeds. If you are going to plant more than that, which should be done to see the range and types of variation, then request ten seeds. Send your request to Patrick Millard, 1126 Justin Ridge Way, Waynesville, Ohio 45068 and enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with a 32 cent stamp; we would ask non-US folks to please enclose one US dollar and not put stamps on their SASE. Again, Craig, John and I would appreciate a postcard letting us know what you get from your grow outs. I just know you’ll have fun with these seeds. Remember, you may request six varieties!

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I’ve absolutely no idea what happened with many of the experimental seeds that were sent out. I don’t think anything of significance came from them…well, except for Cherokee Chocolate, the brown fruited mutation of Cherokee Purple. Perhaps we will read about some of the others in future articles from this newsletter - we shall see!