Early Girl "Improved"

[Gerald51]

Is there really a Early Girl "Improved" hybrid tomato or is it just advertising hype?

Has anyone grown Early Girl and Early Girl Improved at the same time to compare one against the other?

Thanks

Gerald

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Gerald51

Is there really a Early Girl "Improved" hybrid tomato or is it just advertising hype?

Has anyone grown Early Girl and Early Girl Improved at the same time to compare one against the other?

Thanks

Gerald

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...+girl+improved

Gerald, check out the last post by Travis on Early Girl F1 vs Early Girl IMproved F1 in the above link which I found using the search feature here which is pretty darn good, actually, but I had remembered it anyway.

And then check in the trade subforum of the Seed Exchange for the free offer of PSR-37 seeds, an OP Early Girlk, that I made b'c I think there was even more information in that thread.

[Gerald51]

Thanks for the info, but it didn't tell me much about the differences between the two and if all the seed being sold currently of the F1 are "improved" or not.

Gerald

[travis]

Gerald, my take on it is that Early Girl Hybrid has gone through a series of improvements from the original hybrid offered about 1975. This shouldn't come as a surprise considering the evolving pressure to incorporate various characteristics, tolerances and resistances into any popular tomato. So, it wouldn't surprise me at all if today's Early Girl has significantly improved or evolved parent lines from the original.

I have noticed the continual change of the name printed on seed packets and plant markers poked into the transplant cups. Seems I've bought Early Girl, Early Girl Improved, and more recently just plain Early Girl seeds again. You know, you just got to go with what's available because seed companies continually change, improve, discontinue, substitute and resurrect tomato varities.

Here is a little page on how Early Girl originated in France and then was marketed in the U.S. by Peto via Burpee catalog: http://www.tandjenterprises.com/earlygirlhistory.htm

I think Peto now is owned by Seminis which may or may not be owned by Monsanto. I cannot find any current contact information, or you might be able to email someone for a more complete history of Early Girl vs Early Girl Improved, etc.

[beefyboy]

Gerald! I have grown early girl improved side by side with early girl and it is far and away a fav. here with me and most anyone who tries it. It's flavor has surpassed most of the heirlooms I have grown in side by side comparisons for flavor and everyone who has tried it makes the comment that it is the best I have given them. It is not mealy like early girl either and though a bit later, will give you a much longer harvest and is a much bigger vine stretching the season longer. It is also sweeter!!. Carolyn has sent me PSR-37 which is an OP early girl and I am comparing them side by side this year.

[coloken]

Originally Posted by beefyboy

Gerald! I have grown early girl improved side by side with early girl and it is far and away a fav. here with me and most anyone who tries it. It's flavor has surpassed most of the heirlooms I have grown in side by side comparisons for flavor and everyone who has tried it makes the comment that it is the best I have given them. It is not mealy like early girl either and though a bit later, will give you a much longer harvest and is a much bigger vine stretching the season longer. It is also sweeter!!. Carolyn has sent me PSR-37 which is an OP early girl and I am comparing them side by side this year.

Interesting discussion. It will be nice to hear the results of the PSR-37 comparison.
I gave up EG a few years ago. Not good and not early. The last year I grew it I picked a ripe big beef before a early girl.
After these discussion I will probably look for the improved one and try it again.

[carolyn137]

Gerald, I'm a bit late getting back here and was going to link you to a link I posted in the Seed subforum here when I was offering free seeds of PSR-37, since I had suggested to you to take a look at the link there to answer your question, but Travis I think has summarized the situation very nicely, so I won't transfer that link to this thread.

[Gerald51]

Thanks everyone!

I'm going to tryout a bunch of different varieties next year.

Gerald

[brog]

Is the Early Girl in Burpee Catolog the improved variety or the old one. Thanks Bill

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by brog

Is the Early Girl in Burpee Catolog the improved variety or the old one. Thanks Bill

I went to the Burpee site and they don't say Improved, so if it's important for you to know perhaps it might be best for you to e-mail them. But knowing of others who have e-mailed them about this and that, all I can say is good luck.

When I decided to make that free offer of PSR-37 seeds, the OP Early Girl, I did look at several sites and most were offering the so called "improved" version, whatever that really means.

[tomakers]

I know I have seen both offered, I think they were in the same catalog. I am thinking it was Totally Tomatoes, but don't have my catalog at hand. And I don't order from them usually, but have gotten their catalog for years. Probably why I can't find it now.

[travis]

I still think it all depends on what's available from the company who owns and operates the breeding program. I looked at the Seminis site and they no longer list Early Girl as one of their varieties.

Home garden tomatoes: http://us.seminis.com/products/hg_tomato.asp

Fresh market tomatoes: http://us.seminis.com/products/fresh...t_tomatoes.asp

Processing tomatoes: http://us.seminis.com/products/processing_tomato.asp

So I don't even know from where the seeds for any Early Girl sales come.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by travis

I still think it all depends on what's available from the company who owns and operates the breeding program. I looked at the Seminis site and they no longer list Early Girl as one of their varieties.

Home garden tomatoes: http://us.seminis.com/products/hg_tomato.asp

Fresh market tomatoes: http://us.seminis.com/products/fresh...t_tomatoes.asp

Processing tomatoes: http://us.seminis.com/products/processing_tomato.asp

So I don't even know from where the seeds for any Early Girl sales come.

I'll ask Linda Sapp at TGS next time we talk where she gets hers from. And that chat should be pretty soon.

That really does surprise me that Petoseed ( Seminis) no longer produces the seeds going way back to when they first got it from France.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not crying here, Early Girl seed produced by someone is out there If I wanted to grow it I still have some PSR-37 seeds I could use, but quite frankly I don't want to grow it and yes I have grown it in the past.

I think it should become the state fruit of California since that's where the hotbed of Early Girl F1 growing is as I see it.

[travis]

If by chance there are folks who want to grow Early Girl but cannot get seed, may I suggest Applause hybrid which gives larger, earlier and better tasting tomatoes. It's a determinate which is somewhat of a drawback compared to Early Girl which is indeterminate. But that shouldn't be a problem for people in hotter regions who have to squeeze in an early crop anyway, before intense heat shuts down blossom set.

[brog]

Sounds good travis, my early girl( Home Depot plant)planted good friday is produceing 5 to 7 fruit each week now and has been all summer. can I expect Applause to do the same. Bill