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tandrew31

Hanover tomato seed

tandrew31
10 years ago

I am trying to get a few (5-10) seeds of this variety.Does
anyone know of a source?

Comments (21)

  • tandrew31
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I have been told there is no such variety,that the Hanover
    tomato is actually many kinds of tomatos grown in the
    soil of Hanover VA that produces the flavor that is popular
    in that part of VA.
    Does anyone know if this is true?I feel silly trying to find seed of a non existing variety if this is true.
    Comments appreciated , especially from Virginians from
    this area.

  • carolyn137
    10 years ago

    The link below confirms what you said.

    The label Hanover has been given to almost ANY kind of tomato, hybrid or OP, that many vendors sell.

    All attributed to the kind of soil they all are grown in.

    Carolyn, who was going to link to a general Google search for Hanover, but I think the link below says it all.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hanover, not just one variety

  • farmerdill
    10 years ago

    It is true of the "Hanover" tomato. However it is possible that a backyard breeder may have developed a round red and named it Hanover. Hanover county was once the truck garden to Richmond and supplied fresh tomatoes as far away as the Baltimore market. It is getting caught up in urban sprawl now. Hanover was never trademarked like Vidalia. Thier fame spread by word of mouth. When I left the area in the 60's Pik Red was popular. Early varieties were grown to try to be first on market.

  • Deeby
    10 years ago

    What does truck garden mean?

  • farmerdill
    10 years ago

    In pre WWII days vegetable market gardeners were called truckers. Their farms were called truck gardens. They were in general small farmers within 10-20 miles of a large city, to which they hauled thier vegetables to market in season. Did not have mass intercontinental and international shipping in those days. some of the old terms persist as in the corn Trucker's Favorite.

  • carolyn137
    10 years ago

    And I was raised on a truck farm in upstate NY.

    My grandfather had bought 90 acres from the Shakers in 1905 for 5K, sold 45 of those in 1906 for 6 K, paid off the debt and so we farmed 45 acres.

    We'd pack the truck at night after packing tomatoes and peppers and squash and lots of other stuff, my father had to get up early, at 4 AM to get to the lineup at the central wholesale market. And he had a bad back so yours truly often had to get up with him, and when parked in the stall,, had to get up on the truck bed and pull forward the baskets of this and that while the wholesalers went down thru the cental aisle, looking for the best of what was available at a price they were willing to pay.

    I'd hear the ruck going out early from home and if dad retured pretty quickly we knew he'd sold out, but there were many mornings when he didn't.

    Ah, memories.

    Carolyn, who HATED cutting spears of asparagras, but the bunching of it wasnt so bad. But loved climbing the peach trees on a wooden ladder with a burlap bag and leather strap. Nothing more wonderful than getting up high in the tree and picking a few of those fruits,big and warm from the sun, oh so delicious.

  • Deeby
    10 years ago

    OK, thanks, and what does sharecropper mean?

  • farmerdill
    10 years ago

    Exactly what it says. A share cropper did not own land, but farmed someone else land on shares. Normally 1/4 of the crop. That was upped to half if the land owner provided seed etc. It was popular in post civil war south, where much of the land was lost by southerners who could not pay the taxes. Some large land owners used tenant farmers who were provided a house and a small salary ( in my youth $15.00 a month) to work on the landowners farm.

  • Deeby
    10 years ago

    Thank you. Oops, I didn't mean to hijack the thread !

  • robert walters
    7 years ago

    tandrew31 and anyone else wanting Hanover tomato seed.... I bought Hanover tomatoes in August 2015, at Walmart here in Richmond, VA, dried and saved the seeds, and tucked 'em away till Feb. 15th, 2016 ... planted them and every seed germinated, by A


    pril they were 8 to 10 inches tall... took half of them to my cousin in Attica, NY and was amazed at her success in late July and early August with Hanover tomatoes that were the biggest and tastiest she had ever experienced... done the old fashioned way and saved money too !!!

  • Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
    7 years ago

    How did you know that the tomatoes that you bought @ Walmart was Hanover tomatoes ?Usually sores won't sell tomatoes by the variety name. !!

    Sey

  • robert walters
    7 years ago

    I have seen farmer Dodd's truck on delivery with the labeled Hanover tomatoes, as I am delivering FedEx pkgs ...

  • Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
    7 years ago

    Ok, Robert thats good. You may ask the tomato delivery guy , just to be sure. I have got some seeds out of store "heriloom" tomatoes.I am growing 4 of them this year. Those tomatoes are very expensive but I enjoy eating them and save seeds.

    Sey

  • robert walters
    7 years ago

    Dodd's whole business is Hanover tomatoes .. he's from Ashland, VA ... google or bing him up and check it out ...


  • Bonnie Buchanan
    3 years ago

    This is an old post, but I’m still going to throw my hat & 2 cents into the fire....I grew up in Henrico County, and on “Hanover” tomatoes. It blows my mind that according to professional gardeners “in the know”, that they don’t actually exist. I say that, because from the 70’s up to the Early 90’s, when they were still very common, You could easily run down to a local vegetable stand (referred to ‘truckers’ in an other poster’s comment...basically, they are/were local farmers who simply took their produce into more city/suburban areas via truck, for sale at their local vegetable stand they set up to sell to passerby’s), and You could ask for and/or buy ‘Hanover’ tomatoes.. It also blows my mind that the farmers knew no such tomato variety existed.. and I say that having shopped at the same two vegetable stands from my childhood up thru going off to college so it isn’t like the farmer or their families were strangers to myself or my mum, you kind of were loyal to certain stands that were run by specific families, and knew the grandparents running the stand, the kids who started working at the family stand when young, and who took over the stand years later, after their grandparents Retired or passed away....Anyways, Hanover Tomatoes were the best I’ve had, are still a taste of “home”, and I have been missing them since moving (especially as grocery store produce has continuously lost their flavor), I attempted to locate some Hanover Tomato seeds to grow myself.. Sadly, apparently they are simply any tomato variety that is grown in the Hanover. / Mechanicsville area Thanks to the soil, rain fall, sun? regional temps, seasons, etc...which somehow imbues tomatoes with their great size, and taste.


    My plan? I plan to reach out to my hometown peeps locally still there, and ask them to send me some seeds from a local vegetable stand (I wouldn’t recommend buying local Walmart tomatoes if looking for authentic Hanovers, since they are a national chain that ships and sources produce from all over the world). But, if you can contact a local farmer (In Hanover or Mechanicsville VA), then I think that’s the best bet to source some heirloom seeds...jmho...that may produce some tomatoes of the Hanover quality. Having said that, Southern Exposure Seeds at southern exposure dot com, sells a tomato variety called, “Old Virginia Tomato” Item:49215, an heirloom from the Glitner Family, that I’m going to buy and try to grow to see how they taste..so, Good Luck! for those seeking the Mythical Hanover Tomatoes..(unless that is, You live in Hanover or Mechanicsville, VA where You can easily just run out and buy them yourself anytime..& in that case, S.O.S.. Send me some Tomatoes A.S.A.P!!..*chuckles*)

  • Robert Walters
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Wow!!! ... Bonnie Buchanan , that was a lot to say !!! ... as a delivery courier for FedEx, I have actually seen Mr. Dodd (before he passed) deliver his Hanover tomatoes to Wegmans (on Midlothian Tnpk) in his pickup truck ... those tomatoes were always huge and tasty and worth every penny of the $1.99/lb price ...after he passed his wife gave out his "secret" of the 10-10-10 lawn fertilizer that he used to grow them the size of softballs ... I bought some at Wegmans, saved and dried the seeds and sent some to my gardening cousin, Carol, in Attica, NY where she grew those seeds into plants bearing the biggest and tastiest tomatoes she had ever grown !!! ... true story !!!

  • Bonnie Buchanan
    3 years ago

    Not sure why, but I’m not getting notifications from this site, so only just saw Robert’s reply.


    Hey, If you have anymore seeds or can get your hands on some, feel free to DM me, my name at gmail and I’d be happy to compensate the cost of seeds & mailing..yeah, I want them that badly..*chuckles*, if you have a cash app ID or PayPal me, then we’re golden and I’d be thrilled if you’re able to help me out to get my hands on some..my back home contact isn’t available & I hate FB enough that I’ve not been in contact w/my VA peeps in a long while..anyways, figured it couldn’t hurt to ask..& regardless, good on your NY Gardener, I’m green w/envy..*smiles*...and All the Best to You & Yours, May You all be and remain Safe, and Healthy, and Have a Positive & Prosperous 2021!! *smiles*

  • vgkg Z-7 Va
    3 years ago

    I'm just a few miles from Hanover Co and my home grown Henrico Co tomatoes taste much better. It's pretty much a myth, they're called "Hanover" due to the country and not the variety. Rutgers, Early Girls, Beef Beef, etc, but no "Hanover" variety. Rumor has it that the county's sandy soil grows them better but the only difference in Hanover tomatoes is that they're picked with a slight tint of ripening up, not fully vine ripened but just enough to show some color to further ripen up. There's an annual Hanover Tomato festival here every summer and I bought some there, no big deal, but compared to regular green picked & gassed until their red store bought tomatoes, they are better (a low bar for sure).

  • Robert Walters
    3 years ago

    You are most certainly entitled to your own skewed opinion !!!

  • vgkg Z-7 Va
    3 years ago

    Skewed? Sure, I may be biased towards my own home grown vine ripened maters, no doubt about it, they are the best ;-) ..... But just google up "Hanover Tomatoes" and you'll find that there is not a variety named "Hanover". One variety listed as a Hanover tomato is "Mortgage Lifter" and it is a good heirloom from which seeds can be saved.

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