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skatcon

Glecklers

skatcon
13 years ago

Okay folks, while I am at the Glecklers sight coveting Red Barn, are there any other varieties here that come highly recommended?

Comments (10)

  • yumtomatoes
    13 years ago

    They carry Lucky Cross, Cherokee Purple and Brandywine Sudduth's strain, which are 3 I will be trying next year based on what I have read about them.

  • carolyn137
    13 years ago

    I've been saying for many years that of the seeds I was able to germinate for Joe Bratka which he couldn't germinate himself, they were bred by his father, and those are Box Car Willie, Mule Team, Great Divide and Pasture, that I think Red Barn has been very overlooked as perhaps the best one of the lot.

    Adam isn't the only source of seed for Red Barn, you can see I think one other place is you go to Tania's excellent Tomato base and check that out, but Sandhill Preservation is one source and it isn't available for 2011.

    As for other varieties to recommend, I could make a long list. ( smile)

    When Adam decided to reopen his grandfather's Gleckler Seedmen which was started in the 1940's and then went to Adam's father, and then to Adam, when I found out about it I contacted Adam and asked if some of us could help. It was decided that it would be best to concentrate on varieties that were rare and hard to get, and so I set up a donation thread at another site and many many folks donated starter seeds to Adam, and that happened for several years in a row. Now he's being sent varieties from others who have seen his site and want to add their varieties if the trials go well. And of course some of the original donors continue to send newer varieties if they think they're worthy.

    If you tell me what kinds of varieties you're looking for, as to fruit color, shape, plant habit, whatever, I'd be glad to name a few that I think are well worth it, and please, don't just stick to reds and pinks b'c you'd be missing out on some really great varieties. But be sure to also say what you don't like for colors as in the so called blacks, or green when ripes or so called whites, for instance

    Adam's wife confirms each order with an e-mail and the seeds are sent out pronto and I've heard nothing but excellent feedback for what he offers as well as service.

    Carolyn

  • skatcon
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you Caroline for the quick response. I am growing indeterminate heirlooms in a high tunnel. I have been watching this list for a while and have many of the varieties that have been recommended. I still haven't found a black that is very high yielding. I love the flavor of Cherokee purple but the seed I got grew out a plant that only reached about 4' tall and was very low yielding. Watching this list has me wondering if that was due to the strain I purchased (Bakers Creek).I do grow for a small CSA and farmers market. Problem is that trying to grow out several varieties of each major color is difficult. I would be such a happy camper to have one exceptional variety of each color, great flavor, least cracking, and good yields. Could you suggest one black, red, pink, bicolor, yellow, orange of slicer type?
    My second challenge is that I live in a short season area, z3MN. I would love to find one or two midseason varieties for canning, determinate, good tasting, heavy yielding. Then I could continue to save seed, hopefully selecting and improving for my climate and environment. Right now I feel as if I would have to try at least a dozen just to find out what might work. It would be so great to have the field narrowed. It is difficult to try to earn a living and experiment at the same time. I truly apreciate any help or sharing of experiences from anyone in the group. Thanks in advance.
    Kathy

  • gardningscomplicated
    13 years ago

    I loved their yellow submarines--a better tasting yellow pear.

  • skatcon
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I was wondering about them. I've never tasted a good yellow pear, though they sure are pretty to look at. I like to have mixes of small tomatoes, I think I will try the submarines. Suppose they were named in the 60's?

  • miesenbacher
    13 years ago

    OK, For Blacks Rogers Best Black, Spudatula and Spudakee have been tomato machines for me with excellent flavor.

    Rhoades Heirloom and Golden Cherokee are excellent bicolors.

    KBX is your hands down, got to grow Orange.

    Isis Brandy is a yellow 4-6 ouncer with very good sweet flavor and is not unusual to have 40-50 fruit on the plant at one time.

    For your determinate canner, Magyar Piros Boker is an excellent mid season, red canner. It's brother, Magyar Piroska which is later is also a good one.

    Christopher Columbus and Ludmilla's Red Plum are excellent sauce tomatoes with flavor to match.

    Hege German Pink is right up there with the best of the pinks.

    Give Val's Red Nibbler a try as it is an excellent tasting Red grape tomato. This is the first time it has been available commercially.

    Ami

    And yes I have grown all the above plus quite a few others on Adam Glecklers site.

  • carolyn137
    13 years ago

    I took another look at Adam's site just now and here are my concerns. First, I have to assume that you're growing outside inground and knowing you're in a 3b area I have my concerns about maturing some of them based on someone I know who lives on the Canadian border here in NYS who has a lot of experience with with varieties. But some of the ones you mention that you can mature surprise me and please me.

    Second, Adam lists quite a few of his varieties as late but I don't know what he means by late, for him, and most that he lists as late would be mid to late midseason varieties for me. Late for me is over 80 days and most gold/red bicolors and a few others, like the Lillian's Yellow Heirloom that Adam lists, truly are late varieties.

    So, here we go and these are my personal choices and others might have their own personal choices, but I'll defend my choices if I have to.LOL I'll offer two for each color class to consider but the first one would be my first choice and in some cases they are equivalent.

    Black; Indian Stripe, Vorlon, and I'll add JD's

    Pink; Tidwell German, Rose d' Eauze

    Bicolor: iffy, you can try Little Lucky

    Yellow; there are few yellows that stay yellow at maturity, the Lillians' one is one that does that Adam lists. In tthat same category is Aunt Gertie's Gold, which I like a lot.

    Orange; Orange Minsk and KBX ( a PL Kellogg's Breakfast), and your choice b'c while they're different varieties I like both of them equally well.

    Red: you've got RED Barn and you might consider Red Penna and Couilles de Taureau

    For canners? If they MUST be ddeterminates, then: 506 Bush which I haven't grown, Magyar Piros, which I haven't grown but know the person who sent the seeds and trust his judgement, and Clear Pink Early. I'd go for St Pierre if it weren't indet and VB Russia, the same.

    There's one variety listed that I think you should try in a 3b area for an early and that's Moravsky Div which is very early and has great taste.

    Hope that helps.

    Carolyn

  • skatcon
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Ami and Carolyn
    Thank you for the suggestions.
    Carolyn, I do grow my indeterminate heirlooms in a high tunnel, thus extending my short season. I looked for a determinate canner because of a lack of tunnel space.
    Ami, thank you for responding from your experience.
    Looks like I have something to do to keep me occupied this week while I am waiting to be able to plant.
    Sometimes I believe in cellular memory. The first dairy goat I ever owned many years ago freshened with a doe kid and some part of me celebrated. Not because I had thought about it, but because some primal part of me celebrated the increase in the herd. It's the same way for seed. There is some satisfaction that comes from successfully saving seed and maintaining or improving a good variety that goes beyond intellectual thought and seems to be celebrated by the whole self. Sorry for a digression into corny, but I figure if anyone will understand, you folks will.
    BTW, KBX will be the first on the new list.Heard too much good about it.Boy will I be glad when I can eat a fresh something.
    Kathy

  • abayomi
    12 years ago

    Great. Now gleckers is added to my list of folks who take my money in exchange for seed (sarcasm). Just ordered A few that were on m hit list.

  • austinnhanasmom
    12 years ago

    Glecklers is a GREAT place to exchange money for seed!!

    Service is fabulous.

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