Request not to share PAPPY KERNS heart seeds

kerns125 · January 16, 2017

Hi all --

I just had a baby 6 weeks ago and am moving in 2 weeks, so I have been super busy and totally out of the loop for months -- hope everyone is well!

I am posting to ask that no one save and distribute Pappy Kerns seeds they may have -- I tried to directly message everyone who requested seeds from me directly, but I know they were given out in the 2015 MMMM and may have also been passed out outside the swap or in the 2016 swap, so please also let anyone know to whom you may have passed along seeds:

This past summer (2016) I grew out several plants of Pappy Kerns from my own stash, and they tasted NOTHING like the one I was so excited about in 2015 (and from which I sent seeds to everyone). So I am confused about what happened - whether it was growing conditions or a cross or what. The plants I grew out last year I called "Not Pappy Kerns" since they tasted totally boring, and I am not sending any more seeds out (nor am I listing again in Seedsavers Exchange) until I grow out a few more generations and (hopefully) get back the original strain with the knock-your-socks-off flavor that I was so enamored with in 2015, and ensure that the strain is stable. I was so embarassed to have sent out seeds after growing it out only once, and then discovering that my own F1 generation tasted bland - not worthy of the name Pappy Kerns!

***I am therefore asking everyone to please also avoid saving and giving seeds away to anyone else until I can make sure the strain tastes like the original that I had.***

Thanks, and keep fingers crossed that it hasn't been lost forever....

Jen

**carolyn137** · January 16, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerns125

Hi all --

I just had a baby 6 weeks ago and am moving in 2 weeks, so I have been super busy and totally out of the loop for months -- hope everyone is well!

I am posting to ask that no one save and distribute Pappy Kerns seeds they may have -- I tried to directly message everyone who requested seeds from me directly, but I know they were given out in the 2015 MMMM and may have also been passed out outside the swap or in the 2016 swap, so please also let anyone know to whom you may have passed along seeds:

This past summer (2016) I grew out several plants of Pappy Kerns from my own stash, and they tasted NOTHING like the one I was so excited about in 2015 (and from which I sent seeds to everyone). So I am confused about what happened - whether it was growing conditions or a cross or what. The plants I grew out last year I called "Not Pappy Kerns" since they tasted totally boring, and I am not sending any more seeds out (nor am I listing again in Seedsavers Exchange) until I grow out a few more generations and (hopefully) get back the original strain with the knock-your-socks-off flavor that I was so enamored with in 2015, and ensure that the strain is stable. I was so embarassed to have sent out seeds after growing it out only once, and then discovering that my own F1 generation tasted bland - not worthy of the name Pappy Kerns!

***I am therefore asking everyone to please also avoid saving and giving seeds away to anyone else until I can make sure the strain tastes like the original that I had.***

Thanks, and keep fingers crossed that it hasn't been lost forever....

Jen

Jen, I didn't know you had offered seeds in the swap and otherwise.

All to say that Jen contacted me today and informed me about this since I know one person who has listed it in the upcoming 2017 SSE Yearbook, and we figured out a strategy for that, and I hope to reach him at home tonight.

Jen,now that I see how many places where you offered seeds I wonder if any of those folks who got them sent them elsewhere ,perhaps SSE perhaps to some commercial vendors,there's no way to know that I can think of.

Anything more I can do just let me know.

Carolyn

**carolyn137** · January 17, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Jen, I didn't know you had offered seeds in the swap and otherwise.

All to say that Jen contacted me today and informed me about this since I know one person who has listed it in the upcoming 2017 SSE Yearbook, and we figured out a strategy for that, and I hope to reach him at home tonight.

Jen,now that I see how many places where you offered seeds I wonder if any of those folks who got them sent them elsewhere ,perhaps SSE perhaps to some commercial vendors,there's no way to know that I can think of.

Anything more I can do just let me know.

Carolyn

And I did reach him at home tonight, and good news coming.

I knew that he had two plants out, I told you that,but what I didn't know is that you had listed it in the 2016 SSE Yearbook ,page 583 inunsorted, and he had gotten seeds from you last Spring as well as the seeds I sent him from ones you sent me..

So he had two plants of each out,they were identical, and he called it a great,his word, variety,and he should know since he's someone I've know since the early 90's and has grown many thousands of varieties.And what he likes, I usually like as well.

So,depending on how many requests you get, the variety could be anywhere now. I know several SSE folks who take the time to carefully go thru the tomato section, about 400 pages,the largest in the Yearbook looking for new varieties.

Here's one example I remember very well,see the history,since if Bill hadn't seen it the one year it was offered we wouldn't have this variety

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/A...nny%27s_Purple

Did you relist it for the 2017 Yearbook which should be sent out sometime in the next few weeks,so I'm told. If so,those who got it from you usually, but not always, especially in the last 5-10 years, will list it under your initial listing with their comments.

Fact is, that many see the Yearbook ( for members only unlike the catalog which anyone can order from, also online at the SSE webpage) as soley a seed source now, which was NOT the original purpose at all,so the history of many varieties is being lost. Tania herself is a listed SSE member and does describe many of them at her website,but certainly far from all.

Carolyn

**Mischka** · January 16, 2017

Since you cannot actually ban anyone from distributing these seeds, I've changed the title of this thread, accordingly.

Growing conditions can greatly affect flavor/taste. Perhaps others here that grew out your seeds had better results?

Gardeneer · January 17, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mischka

Since you cannot actually ban anyone from distributing these seeds, I've changed the title of this thread, accordingly.

Growing conditions can greatly affect flavor/taste. Perhaps others here that grew out your seeds had better results?

Yeah ! I don't see an urgent matter here.
At the worse scenario they might plant the seeds and get not so good tasting tomatoes and then quit growing it. And the other possibility is that they might like it in a good weather and growing conditions. JMO

**carolyn137** · January 17, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Yeah ! I don't see an urgent matter here.
At the worse scenario they might plant the seeds and get not so good tasting tomatoes and then quit growing it. And the other possibility is that they might like it in a good weather and growing conditions. JMO

Urgent? It was to Jen or she never would have posted here.

And I'm glad Mischka changed the thread title to what it is now.

I hope you read my post above yours which should have answered most of your questions.

Carolyn

kerns125 · January 18, 2017

Carolyn, thanks again. I did not relist in SSE for 2017 (swamped with giving birth, so not much of anything got done in the past few months… but also concerned about the possibility that the variety was not true). It seems that maybe the tomato itself is just not consistently great? If that's the case, then its propagation under the name Pappy Kerns is totally fine. I was just really worried that perhaps I had gotten a cross and perhaps that was why it didn't taste the same. But to be fair, I had a couple of plants this past year both of which were blander than my original, but otherwise looked identical to the original… So it may indeed just be growing conditions and inconsistency from year-to-year. I did send seeds to several people via SSE in 2016 too.
Well, now I'll be interested in seeing how it does in the coming years, and whether I get that amazing flavor back again!

January 16, 2017	#1
kerns125 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: 22301 Posts: 92	Request not to share PAPPY KERNS heart seeds Hi all -- I just had a baby 6 weeks ago and am moving in 2 weeks, so I have been super busy and totally out of the loop for months -- hope everyone is well! I am posting to ask that no one save and distribute Pappy Kerns seeds they may have -- I tried to directly message everyone who requested seeds from me directly, but I know they were given out in the 2015 MMMM and may have also been passed out outside the swap or in the 2016 swap, so please also let anyone know to whom you may have passed along seeds: This past summer (2016) I grew out several plants of Pappy Kerns from my own stash, and they tasted NOTHING like the one I was so excited about in 2015 (and from which I sent seeds to everyone). So I am confused about what happened - whether it was growing conditions or a cross or what. The plants I grew out last year I called "Not Pappy Kerns" since they tasted totally boring, and I am not sending any more seeds out (nor am I listing again in Seedsavers Exchange) until I grow out a few more generations and (hopefully) get back the original strain with the knock-your-socks-off flavor that I was so enamored with in 2015, and ensure that the strain is stable. I was so embarassed to have sent out seeds after growing it out only once, and then discovering that my own F1 generation tasted bland - not worthy of the name Pappy Kerns! *I am therefore asking everyone to please also avoid saving and giving seeds away to anyone else until I can make sure the strain tastes like the original that I had.* Thanks, and keep fingers crossed that it hasn't been lost forever.... Jen

January 16, 2017	#4
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	Since you cannot actually ban anyone from distributing these seeds, I've changed the title of this thread, accordingly. Growing conditions can greatly affect flavor/taste. Perhaps others here that grew out your seeds had better results? __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

January 18, 2017	#7
kerns125 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: 22301 Posts: 92	Carolyn, thanks again. I did not relist in SSE for 2017 (swamped with giving birth, so not much of anything got done in the past few months… but also concerned about the possibility that the variety was not true). It seems that maybe the tomato itself is just not consistently great? If that's the case, then its propagation under the name Pappy Kerns is totally fine. I was just really worried that perhaps I had gotten a cross and perhaps that was why it didn't taste the same. But to be fair, I had a couple of plants this past year both of which were blander than my original, but otherwise looked identical to the original… So it may indeed just be growing conditions and inconsistency from year-to-year. I did send seeds to several people via SSE in 2016 too. Well, now I'll be interested in seeing how it does in the coming years, and whether I get that amazing flavor back again!