heirloom seed
- Thread starter dinkadoo
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Smiles Jr.
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A few years ago I grew some seeds called Abraham. But we didn't call them Abraham Brown. If I remember correctly we had a blight that year and they didn't do very well. Otherwise I might still be growing them for the seeds.
It's kind of funny with, what we call hand-me-down, heirloom seeds - I'm sure that the exact same seed could be called several different names in several different areas. I guess all heirloom seeds are hand-me-downs but lately the big seed companies are marketing what they call heirloom seeds and they are getting pretty sophisticated. The heirloom seed growers and collectors in my area of the country will offer you a dozen seeds from an old paper bag, an old wrinkly envelope, a jelly jar, or some of the old time heirloomers use tiny wooden boxes. There is usually a name scribbled somewhere on the container and sometimes it's all but impossible to read. It's one of the things that make heirlooming fun. Some of the best tomatoes I have ever eaten were unknown heirlooms. "Ya picks your seeds and ya takes your chances."
I have some unknown heirlooms growing this season and so far they OK so far. But all of my tomatoes are doing poorly this year. I have 4 tomato gardens. One in each corner of our property, as far apart as possible, and I only plant one kind of seed in each plot. This is an effort to keep cross pollination at a minimum. I have a friend who has 6 small green houses to keep the pollen contamination to a minimum with her heirlooms. She hand pollinates each plant. That's a big job.
It's kind of funny with, what we call hand-me-down, heirloom seeds - I'm sure that the exact same seed could be called several different names in several different areas. I guess all heirloom seeds are hand-me-downs but lately the big seed companies are marketing what they call heirloom seeds and they are getting pretty sophisticated. The heirloom seed growers and collectors in my area of the country will offer you a dozen seeds from an old paper bag, an old wrinkly envelope, a jelly jar, or some of the old time heirloomers use tiny wooden boxes. There is usually a name scribbled somewhere on the container and sometimes it's all but impossible to read. It's one of the things that make heirlooming fun. Some of the best tomatoes I have ever eaten were unknown heirlooms. "Ya picks your seeds and ya takes your chances."
I have some unknown heirlooms growing this season and so far they OK so far. But all of my tomatoes are doing poorly this year. I have 4 tomato gardens. One in each corner of our property, as far apart as possible, and I only plant one kind of seed in each plot. This is an effort to keep cross pollination at a minimum. I have a friend who has 6 small green houses to keep the pollen contamination to a minimum with her heirlooms. She hand pollinates each plant. That's a big job.
digitS'
Garden Master
It may happen that the heirlooms will "devolve" into regional favorites, or even family favorites. That could be okay. I mean, isn't that what an heirloom is supposed to be?
I garden in a tomato-challenged area. I am totally unwilling to even try an 85-day variety. Even a 75-day tomato is a little questionable. But, that still leaves me quite a bit -- around the fringes of the heirloom world. So, not only do I not know anything about "Abraham Brown" - I don't really know anything about Brandywine.
However, I look in amazement at that popular variety, Brandywine. There are about 4 or 5 colors, different foliage types, and people talk about 1 "strain" or another. What's doing on? How did all that diversity happen?
There may have been a few things going on. Cross-pollination sounds like kind of the frightening one. Deliberate crossing probably accounts for most of it. People may have tomatoes they "think" are Brandywine and call them that even tho' they are quite different than what others grow. Ben Quisenberry, back there in the 40's & 50's may also have been distributing more than 1 strain (or variety) in little envelopes with the Brandywine name on them. (Heresy in some circles to say that
.)
I guess I'm never going to know much about all the different Brandywines. I have learned just a little something about Thessaloniki that I first came up with by carrying a couple tomatoes home from a farmers' market. The next year or 2, I grew plants from those seeds and was impressed. Then I see that a seed company has a Thessaloniki that is supposed to be a 67-day tomato (it is far from it
). So, I tried that. It was somewhat different from the 1st! So, I grew both the next year and immediately lost track of which was which . . .
Anyway . . . things like that have happened again and again and again in my garden!
Steve
I garden in a tomato-challenged area. I am totally unwilling to even try an 85-day variety. Even a 75-day tomato is a little questionable. But, that still leaves me quite a bit -- around the fringes of the heirloom world. So, not only do I not know anything about "Abraham Brown" - I don't really know anything about Brandywine.
However, I look in amazement at that popular variety, Brandywine. There are about 4 or 5 colors, different foliage types, and people talk about 1 "strain" or another. What's doing on? How did all that diversity happen?
There may have been a few things going on. Cross-pollination sounds like kind of the frightening one. Deliberate crossing probably accounts for most of it. People may have tomatoes they "think" are Brandywine and call them that even tho' they are quite different than what others grow. Ben Quisenberry, back there in the 40's & 50's may also have been distributing more than 1 strain (or variety) in little envelopes with the Brandywine name on them. (Heresy in some circles to say that
.)I guess I'm never going to know much about all the different Brandywines. I have learned just a little something about Thessaloniki that I first came up with by carrying a couple tomatoes home from a farmers' market. The next year or 2, I grew plants from those seeds and was impressed. Then I see that a seed company has a Thessaloniki that is supposed to be a 67-day tomato (it is far from it
). So, I tried that. It was somewhat different from the 1st! So, I grew both the next year and immediately lost track of which was which . . . Anyway . . . things like that have happened again and again and again in my garden
!Steve
journey11
Garden Master
I couldn't find any info on it on google, so maybe it is a local thing. Hey, if you come across another one, be sure to save some seeds. (And then come back and trade a few here! )
)- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks for the info and knowledge shared. It's often you have to go with the info you get from the"suppliers". The brandywines I've grown have done well but this year has been tough on everybody with the heat. Picked up some good info on heirloom breeding last week. Seems that the breeder of the mortage lifter planted six pinks (different breeds) in a circle around a single beefsteak and the following year did the same with the offspring of the center plant the following year. This continued for a total of six years so a stable cross could be established! Whew! Alot of work but it gave us a good and tasty mater. The result was then crossed with yellow varieties for the yellow mortage lifter, etc. Even though one year might not make a difference it is wise to seperate varieties so as not to risk a cross. Oh! The breeder sold these plants in the late 40's for a buck each! But, he paid off his house note of 6k in four years hence the name mortgage lifter. Cool huh?
digitS'
Garden Master
Dinkadoo, what do you think about the possibility that your Abraham Brown is an Abraham Lincoln?
There are 2 varieties of Abraham Lincoln:
the early-maturing
the later-maturing original . . . with bronze foliage.
Original Abraham Lincoln Tomato
Craig LeHoullier, of Raleigh, NC, has been working with this tomato for quite a few years. Dr. LeHoullier is right in the middle of the world of heirloom tomatoes and a very important part of it.
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln
Steve
There are 2 varieties of Abraham Lincoln:
the early-maturing
the later-maturing original . . . with bronze foliage.
Original Abraham Lincoln Tomato
Craig LeHoullier, of Raleigh, NC, has been working with this tomato for quite a few years. Dr. LeHoullier is right in the middle of the world of heirloom tomatoes and a very important part of it.
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln
Steve
- Thread starter
- #7
I did'nt get to talk with Craig when we attended Rodger Wynn's heirloom Tasting in July here in S.C. He zipped in and out but he left several varieties and for all I know this was one of them. There was an Abraham lincoln there ,on the same table as amatter of fact. But the lincoln was smaller and more acidic than the Brown. There was also an Abraham Yellow but it was a typical yellow with little acid. If it's possible the brown was almost creamy in texture and the bite came on the "backside" of the taste. The appearance was similar to a Cherrokee Purple but darker and a pound or so in size. I'm smitten! I'll do some more asking and report back.
