Real Box Car Willie - Page 2

remy · June 14, 2011

Carolyn sent me seeds a few years back, and I grew them(2007?) Definitely different than others floating around out there. I sent seeds out to quite a few people in trade and sales so anyone who got them from me does have the correct tomato. I'm growing it again this year since it still seems like you and others are still getting incorrect seed.
Remy

**carolyn137** · June 14, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by remy

Carolyn sent me seeds a few years back, and I grew them(2007?) Definitely different than others floating around out there. I sent seeds out to quite a few people in trade and sales so anyone who got them from me does have the correct tomato. I'm growing it again this year since it still seems like you and others are still getting incorrect seed.
Remy

Yes I did Remy and I'm glad you're keeping it going.

I sent seeds saved from my original growouts of all of the ones that Joe Bratka sent me that I was able to germinate and I know I sent BCW and Red Barn and I can't remember which others to Glenn at Sandhill.

If I went on a search mission I know I could find the vials with the seeds for all of them, but doing a search mission here at home for my older seeds I can't do by myself b'c I need two hands to get out the 100 place boxes that have those vials and when one uses a walker the hands are on the walker, so I need help doing that.

I have done it three times already this Spring already, for several folks who really needed a certain variety since the variety has gone south, if you know what I mean.

I should also fess up and say that long ago the organization of those seeds in the boxes went WAY BAD, so it means taking out each and every vial to find something.

Mark0820 · June 14, 2011

Remy, sounds good. I was planning to buy some Carbon seed and few other varieties from your website, so I will add BCW to the list for later this fall.

Carolyn, I do recall you saying you sent seed to Glenn. There has been quite a bit of new growth on the plant since the heavy rainstorm late last week, so I would think I should start to see more blossoms on this new foliage. If I only see one more set of three blossoms, it may indicate a problem. I would guess the plant is at least 3 1/2 ft. tall.

Also, I only planted one plant, so even if it isn't a BCW, it could just be a stray seed in the packet. I would definitely need to plant more seed before I could draw any conclusions as to whether Sandhill's seed is correct or not. That is why I was curious as to what Roper's experience has been.

organichris · June 14, 2011

When I get some ripe fruits, I'm going to post pictures of the tomatoes and the plants, and I would appreciate if those of you familiar with it can tell me whether it looks like the correct one or not.

b54red · June 14, 2011

I also have one that is supposed to be Box Car Willie growing right now but it is fairly late due to the first one dying from herbicide drift and this one is a replant in late April. I also had a Red Barn that got killed at the same time but did not have a replacement; but a friend of mine got a plant from me and his is doing terrific and it is loaded with large fruit. He is going to give me a couple of the best looking fruits from his Red Barn for me to save the seed for next year.

BigBrownDogHouse · June 14, 2011

Red Barn is really one of the varities I want to try next year. I have heard nothing but good stuff about that tomato!

tam91 · June 14, 2011

Sounds interesting to me too.

WVTomatoMan · June 14, 2011

@barkeater:

I remember that. At first I thought it wasn't that long ago, but it was. A friend of mine loved Box Car Willie and he moved to MN around that time. Good job.

Randy

dice · June 14, 2011

3 blossoms per flower cluster. Sounds like Persimmon.

roper2008 · June 14, 2011

I didn't get any seeds to it this year. Maybe next year.

Mark0820 · June 19, 2011

I am getting more blossoms on the new growth so that is a good sign. I also have a couple of very tiny tomatoes. Once they get a little bigger, I should know more based on the shape of the fruit. I think BCW is just a little later than I thought it was going to be, and the seed is probably correct.

In any event, I think I will still order some seed from Remy. It appears one can never have too much real BCW seed.

KevinCT · June 20, 2011

I planted a Ferry Morse BCW myself today, had 2 others but they didnt make the cut, putting them at the end of the driveway for adoption.

RayR · June 20, 2011

Carolyn said earlier that "BCW doesn't like mud". I can confirm that, I grew a few from the Ferry Morse pack and since the heavy rains in late May the soil is still quite moist down there, my two Bax Car Willie's have suffered as well as my 2 Costoluto Genovese. All the other varieties are growing well now and flowering, but the BCW's and the CG's have been stunted, small leaves and very little new growth. I pull the 2 CG's and one BW up tonight and replaced them with some backups I had growing in 10" pots. I didn't have an spares of BW, so I planted a Black Krim in it's place. All the plants I pulled up had very little root growth. I potted up the BCW and one of the CG's in 10" pots, I want to see if they show any progress that way.

Mark0820 · August 20, 2011

I've picked about 6 tomatoes, and I'm not sure what to think. I'm getting two slightly different shapes (not too different).

I am getting some tomatoes that are about 3/4 the size of a tennis ball. These tomatoes are a little more round in shape and are solid tomatoes.

I am also getting tomatoes that are a little more oblate. These tomatoes are a little larger, about the size of a tennis ball or very slightly larger. This larger, oblate tomato is more hollow, like a stuffing tomato.

The plant is really starting to load up with green tomatoes, so I will see what the later tomatoes look like. However, based solely on size, this seems a little too small for Box Car Willie doesn't it???

Mark0820 · August 22, 2011

I guess I have the real Box Car Willie tomatoes. I just found a thread on another site where Remy posted a picture of some smaller sized Box Car Willie tomatoes. She also describes two different sizes and slightly different shapes that match my description in the previous post. Since her description matches the tomatoes I am getting from Sandhill's seed, it must be the real deal.

I'm still not sure whether the hollowness I am experience is normal for BCW, or whether it is possibly due to the weather we had this year. I don't know why, but I just assumed it was a solid slicing tomato.

I still plan on buying seed from Remy, and next year will grow Remy's seed next to Sandhill's seed and see how they compare (since both got their seed from Carolyn).

June 14, 2011	#16
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	Carolyn sent me seeds a few years back, and I grew them(2007?) Definitely different than others floating around out there. I sent seeds out to quite a few people in trade and sales so anyone who got them from me does have the correct tomato. I'm growing it again this year since it still seems like you and others are still getting incorrect seed. Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

June 14, 2011	#22
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	Sounds interesting to me too. __________________ Tracy

June 14, 2011	#24
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	3 blossoms per flower cluster. Sounds like Persimmon. __________________ -- alias

June 19, 2011	#26
Mark0820 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 907	I am getting more blossoms on the new growth so that is a good sign. I also have a couple of very tiny tomatoes. Once they get a little bigger, I should know more based on the shape of the fruit. I think BCW is just a little later than I thought it was going to be, and the seed is probably correct. In any event, I think I will still order some seed from Remy. It appears one can never have too much real BCW seed. Last edited by Mark0820; June 19, 2011 at 07:49 PM.

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June 14, 2011	#19
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	When I get some ripe fruits, I'm going to post pictures of the tomatoes and the plants, and I would appreciate if those of you familiar with it can tell me whether it looks like the correct one or not.

June 14, 2011	#20
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I also have one that is supposed to be Box Car Willie growing right now but it is fairly late due to the first one dying from herbicide drift and this one is a replant in late April. I also had a Red Barn that got killed at the same time but did not have a replacement; but a friend of mine got a plant from me and his is doing terrific and it is loaded with large fruit. He is going to give me a couple of the best looking fruits from his Red Barn for me to save the seed for next year.

June 14, 2011	#21
BigBrownDogHouse Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Northern Illinois ZONE 5a...wait now 5b Posts: 906	Red Barn is really one of the varities I want to try next year. I have heard nothing but good stuff about that tomato!

June 14, 2011	#23
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	@barkeater: I remember that. At first I thought it wasn't that long ago, but it was. A friend of mine loved Box Car Willie and he moved to MN around that time. Good job. Randy

June 14, 2011	#25
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	I didn't get any seeds to it this year. Maybe next year.

June 20, 2011	#27
KevinCT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: USA: CT Shoreline: Zone:6b Posts: 40	I planted a Ferry Morse BCW myself today, had 2 others but they didnt make the cut, putting them at the end of the driveway for adoption.

June 20, 2011	#28
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	Carolyn said earlier that "BCW doesn't like mud". I can confirm that, I grew a few from the Ferry Morse pack and since the heavy rains in late May the soil is still quite moist down there, my two Bax Car Willie's have suffered as well as my 2 Costoluto Genovese. All the other varieties are growing well now and flowering, but the BCW's and the CG's have been stunted, small leaves and very little new growth. I pull the 2 CG's and one BW up tonight and replaced them with some backups I had growing in 10" pots. I didn't have an spares of BW, so I planted a Black Krim in it's place. All the plants I pulled up had very little root growth. I potted up the BCW and one of the CG's in 10" pots, I want to see if they show any progress that way.

August 20, 2011	#29
Mark0820 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 907	I've picked about 6 tomatoes, and I'm not sure what to think. I'm getting two slightly different shapes (not too different). I am getting some tomatoes that are about 3/4 the size of a tennis ball. These tomatoes are a little more round in shape and are solid tomatoes. I am also getting tomatoes that are a little more oblate. These tomatoes are a little larger, about the size of a tennis ball or very slightly larger. This larger, oblate tomato is more hollow, like a stuffing tomato. The plant is really starting to load up with green tomatoes, so I will see what the later tomatoes look like. However, based solely on size, this seems a little too small for Box Car Willie doesn't it???

August 22, 2011	#30
Mark0820 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 907	I guess I have the real Box Car Willie tomatoes. I just found a thread on another site where Remy posted a picture of some smaller sized Box Car Willie tomatoes. She also describes two different sizes and slightly different shapes that match my description in the previous post. Since her description matches the tomatoes I am getting from Sandhill's seed, it must be the real deal. I'm still not sure whether the hollowness I am experience is normal for BCW, or whether it is possibly due to the weather we had this year. I don't know why, but I just assumed it was a solid slicing tomato. I still plan on buying seed from Remy, and next year will grow Remy's seed next to Sandhill's seed and see how they compare (since both got their seed from Carolyn).