Burpee discontinues Bush Big Boy

[cecilsgarden1958]

Looks like Harris isn't the only one. Burpee has removed my favorite hybrid, BUSH BIG BOY from their catalog. Glad I bought lots last year and stored them, when I noticed they were demoted to the white sale bin.

CECIL

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by cecilsgarden1958

Looks like Harris isn't the only one. Burpee has removed my favorite hybrid, BUSH BIG BOY from their catalog. Glad I bought lots last year and stored them, when I noticed they were demoted to the white sale bin.

CECIL

Cecil, I'm not sure of your reference to Harris Seeds b'c while they lost Moreton Hybrid, they brought it back, then lost it again and didn't list it again until this year when in Cooperation with Rutgers they reintroduced Moreton Hybrid.

In my head I keep thinking of Moreton HYbrid as the Lazarus variety b'c it arose from the dead, not once, but twice.

I wonder why Burpee axed Bush Big Boy? Low sales, needed the room at the website or catalog to include new varieties ( doesn't make sense if the website) or maybe the folks who ere doing seed production stopped doing it for whatever reason.

[cecilsgarden1958]

It dawned on me, that I hadn't checked the web site, but it's not available here either.

http://www.burpee.com/product/vegeta...rrivals&page=1

CECIL

[simmran1]

Cecil, I was going to the new for '09 Burpee black Truffle

http://www.burpee.com/product/vegeta...+(30+seeds).do

-same situation, (though plants of this may be available).

While looking through my favorite seed sellers on Ebay I happened upon this. Maybe this is an alternative for you.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Bush-Boy-Tomato-seeds_W0QQitemZ350137222697QQihZ022QQcategoryZ1512 QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

[cecilsgarden1958]

Originally Posted by simmran1

Cecil, I was going to the new for '09 Burpee black Truffle

http://www.burpee.com/product/vegeta...+(30+seeds).do

-same situation, (though plants of this may be available).

While looking through my favorite seed sellers on Ebay I happened upon this. Maybe this is an alternative for you.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Bush-Boy-Tomato-seeds_W0QQitemZ350137222697QQihZ022QQcategoryZ1512 QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Thanks, but Bush Big Boy and Bush Boy are not very similar.

CECIL

[Wi-sunflower]

the new for '09 Burpee black Truffle

Since they describe it as "pear shaped", I doubt it's much if anything different from the Japanese Black Trifele that several catalogs listed the last few years.

If you would like to try any, I have lots of seed for the Trifele.

There is another thread here at TV about how some of Burpee's "exclusive" varieties seem to just be someone elses tomato with a Burpee name on it.

Frankly since Burpee sold out to ?? (Ball I think), the company has gone down significantly. And yes they have dropped several varieties I used to grow and without any warning that I knew about.

Fortunately I still had some seed and was able to grow out their supposed hybrids. I now have F-3 to 5 for Pixie and Basket King, long gone Burpee varieties.

[simmran1]

Thanks for the offer, Wi, but I'll have to pass as I will have more seed than garden.
From the above heads up, I don't see the Bush Boy in the '09 print catalog; but oddly the 'Truffle is'. To me you shouldn't waste catalog space on a product you don't have in hand.
At least the, 'we're already out' is there, because there's nothing more frustrating than ordering - then receiving substitutes.

[Wi-sunflower]

I too don't like subs, but I can see why stuff like that sometimes happens.

Most of these catalogs from the bigger companies have a huge "lead time" for when they have to send the info to the printers. Like last summer sometime. They often have to take on faith what will be available from the growers in another part of the world like China or Thailand.

If something happens to the crop in the meantime, well, too bad, so sad.

That's why it's a lot better to buy what seeds you can from a "family" opperation that does it's own growing.