R. Kraft seeds

[tomatoaddict]

Is it possible to purchase seeds from R. Kraft?
I was looking at his site and saw quite a few tomatoes I would love to try, namely Marizol Gold Cherry, Choc. heart, Pink lemon, Little Lucky heart. Or if there is a U.S. source for any of them that would be fine too.
Thanks8)

[lumierefrere]

You buy them from Manfred Hahm Hartmann. Look on Reinhard's site and you'll see the long list. I got my Little Lucky Heart from Manfred and it's really good (altho pretty late in my garden). PM me and I can send you some of those.

[bcday]

Reinhard doesn't sell seeds, but his friend Manfred Hahm-Hartmann distributes the varieties that Reinhard pictures. On Reinhard's home page there is a link called

800 Tomatensorten & mehr
Manfred Hahm-Hartmann
Weintrauben

The link takes you to Manfred's page at http://mitglied.lycos.de/rkraft/tomatenhahm.html

You'll recognize the variety names even though the descriptions are in German. Manfred reads and writes English, so you can write or email him at the address he gives at the top of his page.

For more info there is a thread, "Experience with Manfred Hahm", in the Seed & Plant Sources section at http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=3043

[carolyn137]

namely Marizol Gold Cherry, Choc. heart, Pink lemon, Little Lucky heart. Or if there is a U.S. source for any of them that would be fine too.
Thanks:cool:

*****

As for US sources:

Marizol Gold Cherry evolved here in the US and is listed in the SSE Yearbooks

Little Lucky Heart was discovered by Craig ( nctomatoman) and is also listed in the SSE Yearbook.

Pink Lemon isn't in the 2007 SSE Yearbook but has been listed before.

Many of Reinhard's varieties are originally from the SSE Yearbook, for a long time he was an SSE member, as well as ones sent to him, etc. I know that I alone have sent him over 300 varieties thru the years. As have others with whom he's traded in the past.

I didn't check specific seed sources to see who might be carrying the varieties mentioned above, I mean commercially available, as opposed to being available only to SSE members.

But anyone seeking certain varieties that they don't see sold commercially might well consider becoming an SSE member to have access to such seeds and also to help with the mission of SSE which is preservation of varieties.

Membership info at seedsavers.org

[tomatoaddict]

Thanks everyone, I guess I should have checked the SSE yearbook before I asked about it. I am an SSE member just didn't check first. 8)

[nctomatoman]

Reinhard has lots of unusual stuff on his page - after I found it, he and I struck up a trading friendship - we've sent each other dozens of things from each of our collections (he peruses my seed collection on my web site and asks for stuff he doesn't have yet...).

Once I get it and grow it out, I make sure someone who is an active SSE member gets it so it shows up there as well. Reinhard told me that some stuff he has pics of is not stable (I asked for a few things that he said were unstable).

[tomatoaddict]

Craig, How would you like to be my new tomato best friend?
LOL

[carolyn137]

Many of Reinhard's varieties are originally from the SSE Yearbook, for a long time he was an SSE member, as well as ones sent to him, etc. I know that I alone have sent him over 300 varieties thru the years. As have others with whom he's traded in the past.


*****

I need to correct what I said above as cut and pasted here.

That 300 number was the number of varieties I'd sent to Kees Sahin in the Netherlands, and that just was stuck in my mind.

I went back and checked my records and it's about 150 varieties I sent to Reinhard. And I sent them b'c he knew I was no longer capable of keeping ALL of my stock varieties up to date with fresh growouts, so that's why I sent them, b'c he said he wanted them and would maintain them.

And this was a few years before I fell in Dec of 2004. I just had so many seeds of saved varieties that I'd either have to use each summer to grow new stock and give up on any newer varieties or else. And I wanted to grow the new varietis that came my way rather than growing new stock for varieties that I wasn't listing in the SSE Yearbooks.

There's no question that Reinhard has some wonderfully interesting varieties. And I think very highly of him as a person as well.

I know others here won't agree with me but I've always felt that folks new to the OP/heirloom field would best be served by growing out many of the varieties that many others have proved to be winners in most situations.

Once there's that experience and knowing how to cull wrong varieties and getting some experience then I think it's time to go for the more rare varieties. The more varieties one grows the easier it is to tell what's good and what isn't.

And I say the same about joining SSE; if all a person is joining for is to get access to varieties and not also beinterested in supporting the organization per se, then I suggest growing the more popular ones that are available outside of SSE and then go fishing for the rarer stuff.

Just my opinion.

[tomatoaddict]

Carolyn I respectfully disagree.
As a person new to growing OP/heirlooms (about 3 years now) I enjoy the experience of learning. I can't even tell you how much I've learned just this year from you and the others here on TV. Also what I've learned first hand in the tomato patch at my home. My belief is nothing teaches better than experience. I like to know first hand. If something is a spitter, I like to grow it out and find out why it's a spitter.
Since taste is such a personal thing, it's better to grow and experience the taste yourself. Good examples for me:


Kellogg's Breakfast: Everyone raves about this one. I didn't like it one bit. Found it to be just bland. Tried some at Choptag yesterday and the same thing.

Cherokee purple: Ditto. I have grown it 3 years in a row. Nothing but problems. Not impressed with the taste. At choptag yesterday, tried someone elses and the same impression. I found Carbon to be a much better tasting mator.

German Red Strawberry. Definitely a winner taste wise, but I and my family found Australian Heart to be better.

I guess my point is that I think it is better to grow and learn yourself than to rely on the opinions of others in taste.

Also, I didn't join SSE just for seeds. Next year I plan on being a listed member with the Blaby seeds. I personally didn't like the taste but it is a rather rare seed and someone else might like it. Also, it might be a good mator for using in a cross.

I say all of this in the spirit of a good debate.
Take care

[carolyn137]

I guess my point is that I think it is better to grow and learn yourself than to rely on the opinions of others in taste.


*****

Have I ever said anything differently than that? I don't think so. And see below. I've always said that in the end the only way to know if you like a variety is to grow it yourself with your soil, your way of growing tomatoes, your amendments and the weather any any given season.

My comments were directed towards SSE listings and seed aquisition vs newbies starting out perhaps elsewhere.

I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with me about.

All I said was that I think it's better for folks new to OP's to first grow those varieties where there's some consensus.

I know you've just listed some of those, and you don't think much of them.

But flip through your Yearbook and see how many folks are listing certain varieties and I think it will give you some idea of those varieties that have worked well for lots of folks.

Experience, as I said above, is the teacher, and the more one grows the better are folks to be able to tell superb from good when it comes to tomato taste.

[tomatoaddict]

I don't know what I disagree with Carolyn

I think I misunderstood what you were saying. That happens to me sometimes.