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barb_roselover_in

Anybody have a source for these?

barb_roselover_in
11 years ago

When I was at the hardware store buying more seeds, the man who was selling the seeds and myself got into a good discussion about what kind of tomatoes. He told me that he grew Roma tomatoes but had gotten the seed from a friend who got his from a relative in Italy. He also was raving about a tomato called "Pink Heart" which he had obtained from the same friend, who is now deceased. However, this gentleman had saved his seed and said they had the most wonderful flavor==nice and sweet but low acid. Can anybody help me find any seeds? Said they grew really big and that he fertilized with rabbit "stuff". Sounds great Anybody know? Thanks in advance. Barb

Comments (5)

  • missingtheobvious
    11 years ago

    Well, you might just want to go back to the hardware store.

    Here's what I found, and it's not much help:

    I've looked in the largest three tomato variety databases I know of (excluding those in German) and I don't find a tomato with that name. [Tatiana's TOMATObase, Ventmarin, and the tomato Cultivar Finder at the forum GW won't let us name.]

    Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds sells a Belize Pink Heart. It's from Belize.
    http://rareseeds.com/vegetables-p-z/tomatoes/pink.html

    There's a variety called Pink Oxheart. It's supposed to be available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Tomato Growers Supply, and Pinetree Garden Seeds (though I didn't actually check those sites).
    http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Pink_Oxheart

    And Ludmilla's Pink Heart, which is supposed to be available from Gleckler Seedmen:
    http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Ludmilla%27s_Pink_Heart

    There's also a Hungarian Pink Heart, but I didn't find it listed anywhere in English, and Google's veggie seed search didn't list it either. Tomaten-Atlas will tell you about it if you speak German:
    http://www.tomaten-atlas.de/sorten/h/1424-hungarian-pink-hearts

    Aha! The Tomodori database says there is a plain Pink Heart, and it's listed at the Ventmarin database. However, I still don't find it at Ventmarin (also looked in vain for Coeur de Rose and various more improbable French and Italian translations).
    http://ventmarin.free.fr/passion_tomates/tomates_pa_pk/tomates_p.htm

    Tomodori also lists a Pink Heart Improved, which is also supposed to be at Ventmarin but can't be found there (at least by me).

    Someone who belongs to the Seed Savers Exchange (an organization for heirloom veggie fans) might be able to give you more information about Pink Heart. And you can always post on GW's tomato seed exchange forum, though this doesn't seem to be an active time of year for them:
    http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/tomato/nph-ind.cgi?type=exch

    The only Italian seed-seller I know of who does business in the U.S. is Seeds From Italy (there could be lots more I don't know). They don't list Pink Heart, but do sell a Roma. I don't know how it might compare with the hardware guy's Roma or any of the various American Romas, but here it is:
    http://www.growitalian.com/categories/Vegetables/Tomato/?sort=featured&page=2

    I did not do a general Google search, because there are 32,000 results for "pink heart" tomato seeds.

  • carolyn137
    11 years ago

    Barb, what you describe sounds like a local heirloom and I doubt very much that the man who has the seeds has shared them with many folks at all.

    So I too suggest that you go back to the hardware store if you think what he calls Pink Heart is that good.

    Some folks are growing Joe's Pink Oxheart for me, which was also a local heirloom that I was sent, the Ludmilla one described above is one I got from Germany, from Reinhard Kraft, and I've offered it my annual seed offer for several years.

    I could make a long list of pink heart varieties that I've grown, and almost all of them are great tasting.

    But if you have your heart, ahem, set on the one described to you then go back to the hardware store and ask for some seeds.

    And after you've grown it out and saved seeds, well, I'd be glad to get some seeds from you. LOL

    I am an SSE member and yes, there is a Pink Oxheart listed in the 2012 Yearbook but the seed source is Geza in Hungary and he posts at almost every tomato site I know of and does trades with folks, so who knows where he got that Pink Oxheart, but I highly doubt it's the same as the one you describe.

    Finally, with very few exceptions that have been documented there are no low acid varieties. The pH of many hundreds of fruits from varieties has been tested and all have about the same pH.

    Most folks use the words low acid to describe a mild tasting variety but the pH itsef is not low.

    Carolyn

  • fusion_power
    11 years ago

    Siberian Pink Honey aka Pink Honey.

    DarJones

  • barb_roselover_in
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks so much for your extensive answers to my post. Carolyn, I think you are right. This gentleman had gotten the seeds from a dear Italian friend who was ill when he visited. He has since passed on and this guy had saved the seeds from his own tomatoes===but he did not offer to share, so I did not mention. He knew of no source, of course, because of the circumstances. He said they were low acid, supposedly. I do not usually look for that because I don't like the flavor. He said these were extremely sweet. Fushion power, where can I get the Pink Honey? I used to order from a catalog called Totally Tomatoes but did not get a catalog this year. All of you, I do appreciate your help. Like always, I know this forum is full of good people. Barb

  • carolyn137
    11 years ago

    Barb, I'm growing Pink Honey this year and there are many others with other names that also have a name other than heart or oxheart in the name. And many of them are only known in their native languages and I think I'm growing perhaps 5 or 6 other hearts this season.

    Below I've linked to Tania's page for Pink Honey and of the seed sources listed I think Baker Creek is your best bet right now.

    Always keep a link to Tania's main page in your faves b'c she has pages for over 3,000 varieties, most with pictures and reports and seed sources if there are any.

    http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Main_Page

    And at her main page there are different ways of searching for varieties, When I know the name of a variety I use the alphabetical way, but you can also search for plant habit, leaf form, shape, and on and on.

    http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Category:Heart-Shaped_Tomatoes

    Without checking I think my Pink Honey was sent to me by a woman in Russia from whom I got several varieties.

    Most of the more recent varieties that folks grow are still not listed at commercial vendors or in the SSE Yearbook, but with time the good ones will be. I've been sending the best of what I grow each season to several vendors where I've known the owners for quite a while, for trial, and am sure they will do fine with those that they select.

    Carolyn

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pink Honey seed sources

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