In the garden, my motto is 'if it ain't rare, I don't care' - I love me some rare plants! Big thanks to BAKER CREEK HEIRLOOM SEEDS for these. Who can resist garden gifts like this?!
Many of you that followed me last season already know my second motto: the more you know, the more you grow. If that wasn't enough for ya, here's another:
GROW BIG. GROW HOME.
I am fascinated with growing heirloom tomatoes that carry some history and nostalgia. Which brings me to mention this particular heirloom variety, named The Dutchman. Originally brought to market by a legendary seedsman by the name of Merlin W. Gleckler of Glecklers Seedsmen, a rare seed dealer, in 1958. The Glecklers Seedsmen catalog states:
"Here is an extremely old, large-fruited pink-skinned tomato. It is practically extinct as far as securing seed. In fact, it is doubtful if seed has ever been sold by any seedsmen. Only by handing down by generations of one family has this tomato existed." source
The grandchildren tried to revive their grandfather's business, but unfortunately, the Ohio company went out of business around 2013. They did try to spearhead a project to revamp the company, but the expense and returns were not sufficient to sustain the business.
What does that means for the future of this variety?
It's now up to us to preserve and continue this breed. Thanks to the green thumbs of the world these varieties carry on. As a small-scale tomato farmer, I love heirlooms for many reasons but one big one is that I can collect and store the seed. Unlike hybrid varieties, these heirlooms will 'breed true', meaning that they are genetically more stable than hybrid varieties.
Many hybrids are unstable, first generation seed and will not produce a consistent strain. That takes sometimes many years of backcrossing and breeding to create a stable strain, so it is no wonder seed collectors prefer heirloom seed!
Save the Seed!
By growing a few each year and saving the seed, this strain can be carried on for generations to come. I like the idea of keeping these old varieties around and I love the stories and conversations that they always generate. Why not put it on the blockchain?!
There is nothing like a good story and with heirloom seed - there is always a good story behind them.
Sources Referenced:
• https://www.rareseeds.com/the-dutchman/
• https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2172638/gleckler-seedmen
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