Al-Kuffa

cloz · April 28, 2011

I bought some Al-Kuffa seeds from Baker Creek this year. I sewed 5 seeds in Pro-Mix, 2 sprouted (the 2 cups on the right) This is what I have after about 7 weeks. Neither one appears to have a growing tip and they just sit there. I then tried the coffee filter in a baggie method on 12 seeds, none sprouted after 7 days so I planted them in Pro-Mix and 4 then sprouted (3 are in the cup on the left) They look normal and will hopefully develop into usable plants. So I hopefully have 4 usable plants out of 17 seeds from commercial seed that is for the 2011 growing season. Has anyone else had problems with Al-Kuffa seed?

**mdvpc** · April 29, 2011

Cloz

I have grown this variety 3 times now, once in the fall from Baker Creek seed, germination was good, but slow. Once in the winter greenhouse, from saved seed, germination was good. Now I am growing it outside this spring, germination was slow, but good-probably 7 out of 10 germinated from my saved seed. I did send some saved seed to a couple of folks, and they have had germination problems, and short plants.

I think I posted photos in my winter dwarf posts in the undercover forum.

This variety is a dwarf so it should be quite short, but it is an early variety.

Your plant on the right, as you know, isnt healthy. I would dump that. The middle cup looks better and your cup on the left looks right at this stage. How long has your cup on the left germinated?

cloz · April 29, 2011

mdvpc:
The ones on the left that look normal are doing fine. They are probably about 3 weeks from when they germinated. The one on the right just has the cots and never developed any true leaves. The one in the middle looks like a "twin" leaf with no place for a growing tip. It just keeps getting a thicker stem but does not grow or develop any new leaves. Neither one of those 2 will grow into a plant. Very odd.
I started 5 or 6 seeds each of 50 varieties. I had 2 varieties with zero germination. On the rest I had over 90% germination so I don't think it is me causing the problem. I will be giving away lots of tomato plants since that is way more than I have room for.
The Al-Kuffa is one I wanted because it is a dwarf to plant at my mother-in-law's. I will plant 2 at my mother-in-laws and keep 2 for myself and save seed.

**mdvpc** · April 29, 2011

3 weeks is small for the container on the left, but I have found they kind of sit there real small until transplanted. Hope that is your experience too. But they only get about 2.5 feet tall in a 5 gallon container.

May 1, 2011

mdvpc,

I'm one of the gardeners you generously sent some Al-Kuffa seed to. As I told you in a PM, I got zero germination from the first six seeds I planted in three cells. I then bleach treated my remaining two seeds and planted them in the same cells as the original seed. Those two seeds germinated after about fourteen days. After one more week, one of the original seed I planted five weeks earlier germinated in the same cell as one of the bleach treated seed. I had intended planting the seedlings from both cells, but the seedlings were damaged by an unexpected frost. The single seedling was killed. The double seedling survived barely without any leaves. Both the original seed/seedling and the treated seed/seedling produced new leaves and were planted out on March 15. I left them as they germinated without attempting to separate them. They are doing beautifully with both plants at about 20" tall, looking like a single plant with a double main stem. Both are now generating bloom buds.

Not expecting them to survive or do well, I planted them too close to some Tumbling Tom, hybrid plants and I can't realistically expect the Al-Kuffa seed to not be cross pollinated by the Tumbling Toms. I may be asking you for more seed for next year.

Thank you so very much for the seed. It has been a fun experience.

Ted

clara · May 1, 2011

My experiences with Al-Kuffa are totally different! A good tomato-friend from TV (thanks D.!) sent me original Baker Creek seeds which germinated in the same time than other varieties. This year, I'm using my own saved seeds and they are as quick as the others. The only thing to remark is that the plants are developing a bit slower than others, but it is determinate (about 1 meter), clara

**mdvpc** · May 1, 2011

Ted-Glad things turned out well for you.

KLorentz · May 5, 2011

From my own experience with Al-Kuffa I have noticed they are a bit slow at first. Once they get big enough for the garden they will speed up and before ya know it will start forming flower buds. I would be patient.Trust me you will be rewarded by some very tasty tomatoes. Also I advise putting a small stake next to them as they tend to be overloaded as they do produce an abundant crop.

Kevin

KLorentz · May 5, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tedln

mdvpc,

I'm one of the gardeners you generously sent some Al-Kuffa seed to. As I told you in a PM, I got zero germination from the first six seeds I planted in three cells. I then bleach treated my remaining two seeds and planted them in the same cells as the original seed. Those two seeds germinated after about fourteen days. After one more week, one of the original seed I planted five weeks earlier germinated in the same cell as one of the bleach treated seed. I had intended planting the seedlings from both cells, but the seedlings were damaged by an unexpected frost. The single seedling was killed. The double seedling survived barely without any leaves. Both the original seed/seedling and the treated seed/seedling produced new leaves and were planted out on March 15. I left them as they germinated without attempting to separate them. They are doing beautifully with both plants at about 20" tall, looking like a single plant with a double main stem. Both are now generating bloom buds.

Not expecting them to survive or do well, I planted them too close to some Tumbling Tom, hybrid plants and I can't realistically expect the Al-Kuffa seed to not be cross pollinated by the Tumbling Toms. I may be asking you for more seed for next year.

Thank you so very much for the seed. It has been a fun experience.

Ted

Ted I also have a couple Al-Kuffa plants. If need be I may be able to send seeds in the fall. I hope to have an SASE offer for a few varieties this year.Gonna bag blooms to make sure I have pure seed.

Kevin

Jeannine Anne · May 27, 2011

Could someone who grew this last year tell me what height to expect.I know it is dwarf but would like to know just how dwarf if possible

Thank you XX Jeannine

**mdvpc** · May 27, 2011

Height is about 3-3.5 feet.

Jeannine Anne · May 27, 2011

Thank you so much XX Jeannine

clara · May 27, 2011

My Al-Kuffa was about 1 meter. clara

April 29, 2011	#2
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Cloz I have grown this variety 3 times now, once in the fall from Baker Creek seed, germination was good, but slow. Once in the winter greenhouse, from saved seed, germination was good. Now I am growing it outside this spring, germination was slow, but good-probably 7 out of 10 germinated from my saved seed. I did send some saved seed to a couple of folks, and they have had germination problems, and short plants. I think I posted photos in my winter dwarf posts in the undercover forum. This variety is a dwarf so it should be quite short, but it is an early variety. Your plant on the right, as you know, isnt healthy. I would dump that. The middle cup looks better and your cup on the left looks right at this stage. How long has your cup on the left germinated? __________________ Michael

April 29, 2011	#4
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	3 weeks is small for the container on the left, but I have found they kind of sit there real small until transplanted. Hope that is your experience too. But they only get about 2.5 feet tall in a 5 gallon container. __________________ Michael

May 1, 2011	#7
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Ted-Glad things turned out well for you. __________________ Michael

May 27, 2011	#11
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Height is about 3-3.5 feet. __________________ Michael

April 29, 2011	#3
cloz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Southern Connecticut Posts: 435	mdvpc: The ones on the left that look normal are doing fine. They are probably about 3 weeks from when they germinated. The one on the right just has the cots and never developed any true leaves. The one in the middle looks like a "twin" leaf with no place for a growing tip. It just keeps getting a thicker stem but does not grow or develop any new leaves. Neither one of those 2 will grow into a plant. Very odd. I started 5 or 6 seeds each of 50 varieties. I had 2 varieties with zero germination. On the rest I had over 90% germination so I don't think it is me causing the problem. I will be giving away lots of tomato plants since that is way more than I have room for. The Al-Kuffa is one I wanted because it is a dwarf to plant at my mother-in-law's. I will plant 2 at my mother-in-laws and keep 2 for myself and save seed.

May 1, 2011	#5
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	mdvpc, I'm one of the gardeners you generously sent some Al-Kuffa seed to. As I told you in a PM, I got zero germination from the first six seeds I planted in three cells. I then bleach treated my remaining two seeds and planted them in the same cells as the original seed. Those two seeds germinated after about fourteen days. After one more week, one of the original seed I planted five weeks earlier germinated in the same cell as one of the bleach treated seed. I had intended planting the seedlings from both cells, but the seedlings were damaged by an unexpected frost. The single seedling was killed. The double seedling survived barely without any leaves. Both the original seed/seedling and the treated seed/seedling produced new leaves and were planted out on March 15. I left them as they germinated without attempting to separate them. They are doing beautifully with both plants at about 20" tall, looking like a single plant with a double main stem. Both are now generating bloom buds. Not expecting them to survive or do well, I planted them too close to some Tumbling Tom, hybrid plants and I can't realistically expect the Al-Kuffa seed to not be cross pollinated by the Tumbling Toms. I may be asking you for more seed for next year. Thank you so very much for the seed. It has been a fun experience. Ted

May 1, 2011	#6
clara Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Germany Posts: 1,351	My experiences with Al-Kuffa are totally different! A good tomato-friend from TV (thanks D.!) sent me original Baker Creek seeds which germinated in the same time than other varieties. This year, I'm using my own saved seeds and they are as quick as the others. The only thing to remark is that the plants are developing a bit slower than others, but it is determinate (about 1 meter), clara

May 5, 2011	#8
KLorentz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Stryker, Ohio Posts: 995	From my own experience with Al-Kuffa I have noticed they are a bit slow at first. Once they get big enough for the garden they will speed up and before ya know it will start forming flower buds. I would be patient.Trust me you will be rewarded by some very tasty tomatoes. Also I advise putting a small stake next to them as they tend to be overloaded as they do produce an abundant crop. Kevin

May 27, 2011	#10
Jeannine Anne Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,553	Could someone who grew this last year tell me what height to expect.I know it is dwarf but would like to know just how dwarf if possible Thank you XX Jeannine