Gleckler's Ayas

[chancethegardener]

I can't believe my eyes but I think it is true! Gleckler Seedmen is selling a variety with the name "Ayas." Is this a Turkish variety? Any information on this would be greatly appreciated.
Here's the link to Gleckler's page: http://www.glecklerseedmen.com/Ayas/p80687_5460809.aspx

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by chancethegardener

I can't believe my eyes but I think it is true! Gleckler Seedmen is selling a variety with the name "Ayas." Is this a Turkish variety? Any information on this would be greatly appreciated.
Here's the link to Gleckler's page: http://www.glecklerseedmen.com/Ayas/p80687_5460809.aspx

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Ayas

You'd have to ask Geza about that and I know he's so busy trading seeds that he has little to no time for answering questions, but in a week or two I'll be sending him some promised seeds and I'll ask him for you.

[chancethegardener]

Thanks much Carolyn. Actually in one of the threads grunt posted a picture for Ayas:
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...highlight=ayas

In that picture Ayas looks more like a determinate tomato, what do you think? Normally the Ayas (Ayaş in Turkish) tomato which is grown in the town of Ayas is also a determinate. Or maybe there is an indeterminate variety which was once commercially known and I don't know about.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by chancethegardener

Thanks much Carolyn. Actually in one of the threads grunt posted a picture for Ayas:
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...highlight=ayas

In that picture Ayas looks more like a determinate tomato, what do you think? Normally the Ayas (Ayaş in Turkish) tomato which is grown in the town of Ayas is also a determinate. Or maybe there is an indeterminate variety which was once commercially known and I don't know about.

I honestly can't tell if Grunts' picture shows a det or indet. I look at the post at the side and it's height and the strings holding up the plants and note the side pruning he mentioned, and, well, I don't know.

http://haberpan.com/news/treasure-chest-in-tomato-was/

THe above was about the closest I could get to some kind of description of Ayas and I thought it said, without going back to read the article again, that it was only revived in 2007.

I don't know what the original was but it looks like the seeds found were the original and that would explain my in ability to find any reference to Ayas prior to that time.

See what you think.

I could find references to the variety name here and there, but that's about all except for one site that said the fruits were tart.

[chancethegardener]

Carolyn, that story in the link is true. I am fascinated with the story behind the recovery of the seeds. This tomato vanished from the markets I would say more than ten years ago. I don't think that it is commercially available anymore (before it was a main variety sold in farmer's market). The guy who found the seeds in the wedding chest sowed the seeds and started growing the Ayas tomatoes. Now he has a farm and he both sells the fruits and seeds but his job is very difficult in a market full of hybrids (on the other hand, I am sure that still there are villagers in the area who keep growing Ayas for personal use).

I also remember that Ayas wasn't a sweet tomato and I love tart tomatoes. I am so annoyed at myself that I didn't go to the farm and purchase some seeds.

It looks like Turkish Ayas is determinate so that Gleckler's Ayas is a different tomato but still I couldn't resist and ordered some seeds along with Red Barn, Giant Beligum, Jean's Prize, and German Head

[farmall]

My seed came from Dan McMurry and it was very late in the field do to the lousy year we had growing tomatoes, it could be a determinate I will have to evaluate it under more favorable conditions. It was a nice red tomato though as I remember with a good yield.

Adam