Hi all,
I have come across this old tomato variety online and have failed to find any seed. According to information online a small amount of seed was donated locally but disappeared.
I currently live in Blaby and only noticed today that upon entering the village the sign shows said tomato’s so it’d be great to bring them back.
Any help from anyone would be extremely welcome!
Blaby special tomato seed?
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- Primrose
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Any local allotments in the area.. Possibly worth checking to see if any long term plot holders have heard of the seed or have any
Or perhaps Google whether there have been any horticultural societies in the area who might have members familiar with the variety.
Or possibly Royal Horticultural Society? They may have a department familiar with some of these old varieties.
You could try writing to your local paper. A green gardener may spot your query and come up with something, Perhaps the reason when the seed seems to have disappeared is that perhaps it wasn't a very successful variety compared with others readily available on the market?
Or perhaps Google whether there have been any horticultural societies in the area who might have members familiar with the variety.
Or possibly Royal Horticultural Society? They may have a department familiar with some of these old varieties.
You could try writing to your local paper. A green gardener may spot your query and come up with something, Perhaps the reason when the seed seems to have disappeared is that perhaps it wasn't a very successful variety compared with others readily available on the market?
- snooky
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In the Google pages.
This red tomato was grown in the village of Blaby in Leicestershire England just until the end of WWII. It was the main tomato crop supplied during the war, grown by Shoult’s Tomato Farm. The farm ceased operations just after the war and the seed was believed to be extinct for almost 60 years. That is until Dr. Russell Sharp from the University of Lancaster stumbled upon less than 20 seeds in a seed bank in the Netherlands. It was grown out at the University and was distributed to the residents of Blaby.
It is a small, red tomato that grows in trusses. Excellent canning tomato and for tomato collectors a must. So much history in the DNA. Old fashioned tomato taste. A tomato aficionado’s dream. EXTREMELY RARE AND ENDANGERED. Also see Manx Marvel, another heirloom saved by Dr.Sharp Manx Marvel
So,as Primrose suggests,ask around in your village.
This red tomato was grown in the village of Blaby in Leicestershire England just until the end of WWII. It was the main tomato crop supplied during the war, grown by Shoult’s Tomato Farm. The farm ceased operations just after the war and the seed was believed to be extinct for almost 60 years. That is until Dr. Russell Sharp from the University of Lancaster stumbled upon less than 20 seeds in a seed bank in the Netherlands. It was grown out at the University and was distributed to the residents of Blaby.
It is a small, red tomato that grows in trusses. Excellent canning tomato and for tomato collectors a must. So much history in the DNA. Old fashioned tomato taste. A tomato aficionado’s dream. EXTREMELY RARE AND ENDANGERED. Also see Manx Marvel, another heirloom saved by Dr.Sharp Manx Marvel
So,as Primrose suggests,ask around in your village.
Regards snooky
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- retropants
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A longshot, but tomtofest.com based in the USA sell heritage tomato seeds from all over the world. Worth an email, the chaps name is Gary Ibsen.
This rang a bell with me so I’ve just been looking back in my records and I grew this variety in 2011! My notes said the plant I grew in my home greenhouse initially grew well but then got stem rot and failed, ? try again? There’s no record of me trying again the following year. I can’t remember where I got the seeds from, ??HSL? I’ve just been sifting through my through my old tomato seed packets ( I routinely save seeds from most toms I grow) but sadly can’t find any in my store. However I’m going to ask another allomenteer on my site who also grows heritage varieties and might have some seeds from plants I grew for our allotment plant sales, if I have any luck I will report back!
No luck with sourcing seeds from my fellow plotholder, but I searched online and found a US supplier who has stock, see the Secret seed cartel…
https://secretseedcartel.com/
https://secretseedcartel.com/
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I grew up in Glen Hills and have family still in Blaby, I never knew about the Tomatoes, that's the sort of thing my Dad would have grown, afraid the last few folk I knew in the village(or is it a town these days?) who were veg growers have now passed on. I know a couple of folk in Cosby, so I will ask if any of them know, one of them used to do a bit of "show" growing, so he may have contacts, I'll get back if I find anything.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
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My wife's cousin was one of the people who were given some seeds, she didn't think much of them and didn't grow them again, so that's one source of seed gone I'm afraid.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.