[Marcia in MT]

I haven't been able to get any of these seeds for the last couple of years, and was wondering if anyone here has a source. They do well in our short, cold night summers here in Montana. (zone 3b - 4a). I've tried asking the extension people and looking on the internet, but no luck. Can you help?

 

[Paquebot]

Springset F1 hybrid tomato seed is only available to commercial nursery growers for sale as seedlings. Due to a lack of disease resistance, and subject to moisture related problems, it is not one that would do well nationwide. Hence no seed company wants to bother with it.

For an eye-opener as to where a huge percentage of our tomato seed now comes from, check out Green Seeds which is the only source for Springset.

http://www.green-seeds.com

Martin

 

[diane]

You might want to try the "Manitoba" which is available from several different sources. (Totally Tomatoes) being one of them. I have grown it and it is a decent tomato and matures in 58 days.

 

[Marcia in MT]

Thank you both for your information.

Martin, I was unable to find Springset on Green-seeds' site; since most of their varieties were identified only by a number, I assuming it's one of these. However, I don't want the seeds badly enough to investigate them further -- we're already growing and selling *far* too many varieties!

Diane, I will have to trial Manitoba, thanks. What I'm always looking for is a large tomato that will ripen reliably in our climate, taste good, have seed readily available, and (hopefully!) be determinate.

Any suggestions?

Marcia

 

[Paquebot]

Marcia, I couldn't access the Green Seeds complete listing either from this computer. The link was to their Ho Chi Minh City headquarters and I may have slipped in the back door via Thailand. The listing on the provided link only shows those grown in Vietnam. Nevertheless, it was the only source of Springset F1 for commercial growers. After that, it's up to individual companies or nurseries to decide if they want to order. If none order any, then there is no source for gardeners.

You didn't mention what you want them for. Eating, canning, juice, or what? If we know their end use, perhaps we can come up with a decent early variety for you.

Martin

 

[diane]

So, you are looking for a generally all around type tomato? I did think the Manitoba was rather small....but it was tasty. I have many seed companies I use and I will do a bit of research. One thing that you could do it start them fairly early inside and if you did that you could use just about any brand. I always start a couple really early, and have been known to start them in the fall so I could have tomatoes all year. Unfortunately I lost my focus this year and I am now completely without tomatoes for the first time in years :waa: Just used my last long keeper.

 

[Cara]

Diane, aren't you in Wisconsin or somewhere north and cold? How on earth do you have tomatoes all year? Can you post step by step for us? When you plant and how many and when you set them out and if you use a greenhouse.

 

[diane]

Cara, I am in Michigan......yes cold and snowy. What I do it I start new plants in August and transplant them into buckets and keep them under "growlites" in my big kitchen window. You pollinate with a little water color brush and they set fruit. The best ones to use are indeterminates, because they just keep on producing. You can prune them back when they get too viney, or you can just trail them around the window with string if you get forgetful like me :haha: One I really like is Sweet Million.....a cherry tomato.....it really does well. What you need it to make sure they have a long "day" and that you accomplish with the lights.

Edited to add, there are just two of us so two nice plants satisfies our salad needs. Add a couple of cucumber plants, a tub or two of greens and some of those little radishes and yummy-yummy salads year around.

 

[Cara]

Wow! I'm impressed!

So here's another question...or 3

My parents bought us one of those fiberglass greenhouses with these really neat tray "beds" to put in it. Our low temp here is usually in the mid 40s with an occasional dip down, but very rarely under 20. Do you think I could put grow lights in it, and put the vegies in those beds, and keep greens, toms and cukes all year? Would I be better off to keep it even a little warmer in there, and put the greens out in the raised beds? I'm sure I could keep it at 55-60 with very little effort.

I really dread paying organic prices, and I really don't want to feed my little ones (or us big ones for that matter) the other stuff, so it would be just great to be able to grow the goodies!

Oh yeah, pollinating. Is it really that easy?