Burpee does it again - UGH!

[Mischka]

My 2010 Burpee catalog arrived this morning and upon first glance, I thought they were carrying Berkeley Tie Dye this season. I thought it was peculiar, since he is so anti-heirloom/OP. I then looked at the cover again and read it over thoroughly...

George Ball has again ripped off part of another established OP cultivar name and used it to promote one of their (likely tasteless) new hybrids...Burpee's Tye Dye.

I'm willing to wager odds 10 to 1 that it tastes as bad as Red Lightning, another recent Burpee hybrid introduction. Easy on the eye but hard as heck on the taste buds.

[kimpossible]

My response to Burpee would be to send them a letter/e-mail about their blatant rip-off, then tell them I am actively boycotting their catalogue & will encourage all other gardening friends to do the same. If they received MANY messages to that effect, it might make them sit up and take notice.

[Medbury Gardens]

Originally Posted by kimpossible

My response to Burpee would be to send them a letter/e-mail about their blatant rip-off, then tell them I am actively boycotting their catalogue & will encourage all other gardening friends to do the same. If they received MANY messages to that effect, it might make them sit up and take notice.

Shall i throw out the seed i've just sown do ya think?

[Medbury Gardens]

Ive only just come inside from sowing some Burpees long keepers for a later season crop, and ..wow,looking forward to reading the responses from this one.

[KLorentz]

Originally Posted by Medbury Gardens

Ive only just come inside from sowing some Burpees long keepers for a later season crop, and ..wow,looking forward to reading the responses from this one.

I to will be interested to see the reply to this. Especially from folks like Carolyn and Camo. It seems like Mr. Ball and Co. are trying to ride on the coattails of the ever growing popularity of heirloom crops.I might add Mr. Ball can not understand all the fuss of folks not wanting GMO's and going out of their way to boycott Syminsis. Just hoping over to the Burpee site I see this mater and while it has a nice look it does not by pic have such an obvious tye dye look like Berkly Tye Dye does. I liked this company a lot better when the Burpee family still owned it.


Kevin

[icelord]

What, one of these companies with not an original thought? It always Kills me when this sort of thing happens to talented people, there is always someone out there that wants to try and take credit for anothers hard labor. I will certainly not support a scum company like this or one that duplicates or condones said practices.

BOYCOTT BURPEE

Dean Slater

[kimpossible]

I think this is a sad commentary to modern, profit-driven society, no matter what the cost - reputation, trustworthiness, misrepresentation. Where is the integrity??? That is why it is so important to support the small, mom & pop businesses - people that pride themselves on honesty, customer service, integrity, - doing what is right - not what is soley based on the all-mighty dollar. If we can take these ethics back, ignore the big-box, big-catalogue operations & perhaps pay a few cents more, it will be well worth it.

[KLorentz]

I think Burpee wants us to pay a few cents more Look at the prices on their maters this new one especially. 5 dollars and some odd cents for 15 seeds? A bit expensive if ya ask me. Now I know if you get your plants out and ya get a good crop sure you can more than make up the cost but man thats as bad as when the fancy sweet corn came out and everyone was charging an arm a leg and your first born just to by them. And they still do.Crazy I tell ya.


Kevin

[Tom C zone 4/5]

Originally Posted by Medbury Gardens

Ive only just come inside from sowing some Burpees long keepers for a later season crop, and ..wow,looking forward to reading the responses from this one.

As it happens 'Long Keeper' IS an open pollinated tomato. I like this cultivar ever since living off-grid.

Store your fruit out of sunlight and inna cool area to reduce seed germinaiting inside fruit. Lay them on trays one layer deep.

On a scale of 1 (tasted like cardboard), to 9 (taste keeps you eating fruit untill you have sores in your mouth). I'd give LK no more than a 6. It IS however so much better than store boughten tomatoes. I miss growing them every year I skip them.

[yotetrapper]

It's not a hybrid? I stopped orderin from burpees several years back when their prices went thru the roof so i guess im already boycotting them?

[Linda10]

Yotetrapper, yes it is a hybrid.

[kimpossible]

Sorry... I wasn't speaking to that particular seed - I was referring to the general opinion that they can charge exhorbitant prices based on the fact that seed can be saved ( a "bonus" in their eyes, considering that hybrid seed cannot be saved - so they think we are stupid enough to buy the arguement that those prices are justified.)

[darwinslair]

The Burpee Seedless was the most insipid tomato I have every tried to eat.

And the only one I have ever spit out that was not actually rotten.

oh well. Everyone has to make a buck some how.

The Burpee Long Keeper is an heirloom, from back in the day that they were interested in developing real OP plants.

Tom

[instar8]

I just posted about this over yonder...I was more amazed that they were getting so excited about a 7 ounce red gold bicolor when there are a tomillion terrific tasty OP red-gold /gold-red varieties out there.

[Wi-sunflower]

Yah, I posted about the obvious rip-off of the Tie-dye name over in the catalog thread.

Burpee sucks.

Actually if he wanted, Brad could probably get them for some kind of infringement issues. TV members would be his defense. The problem would be, could Brad afford to sue a big company like Ball ?? Probably not.

Anyone up for a "legal defence fund" for Brad ??!!

Carol