New Variety - Ben Gantz - Seed for Trial

paul2101 · February 28, 2009

SORRY - OFFER IS NOW CLOSED

I'm ready to put seed out for trial on this new variety. I will send a small amount of seed to the first 25 people who message me with their mailing address.

There is no cost. However, I would like you to provide information on what you think of the tomato and its maturity date with respect to other early tomato varieties. Please do not request this seed unless you are willing to provide some growout information.

Ben Gantz is a stabilized cross between Stupice and Cherokee Purple. It's a smallish indeterminate that sets medium sized tomatoes. It is intended as a very early variety so I would appreciate if you would grow it alongside Stupice, Early Girl or some other well-known early variety so that I can get some idea about how it competes.

Some background information can be found here :
http://www.tomatosite.com/index.php?...ul/SxC_project

I couldn't decide what to name this variety but I finally decided to name it after my son. In the last few years, Ben has struggled with Marfan Syndrome, a brain tumor, and a broken hip. He's hanging in there and is a real inspiration to me. He is a teenager now and wants to get into the field of genetics. I hope my rudimentary genetic explanations and this tomato give Ben some inspiration on his career path.

Paul

**nctomatoman** · February 28, 2009

Hi, Paul - a great project with a touching and inspiring story - thanks for sharing. I'd love to try it - I've grown Matina, Kimberly, Kotlas and Stupice for very early reds, so can give you a pretty honest opinion on how it does for me. Watch your PM with my address.

**mdvpc** · February 28, 2009

Paul-Great story! I would be happy to honor your son by growing this out this spring. I have grown lots of earlies, because of the heat we have here in El Paso, I usually grow stupice, matina, kotlas, kimberly and some Russian earlies on a rotating basis. I have already started plants, but plenty of room for one more!

February 28, 2009

Hi Paul,

Best wishes to Ben on a challenging path of study! I would be delighted to grow this tomato and provide feedback. Thanks, I will PM my address.

Steve

**Lee** · February 28, 2009

Paul,

I'd love to try it out as well. Sounds like a real good one.

Lee

dice · February 28, 2009

Count me in. You have a PM.

**nctomatoman** · February 28, 2009

Paul, to save on postage, you may want to either combine my/Lee's request, or if you get lots of requests, send a small sample - Lee and I won't need many seeds to get a plant for each of us (Lee, sorry I am chiming in without asking you!)

montanamato · February 28, 2009

Ben...Sending a message too...I have also grown out many earlies, and can provide feedback.

Jeanne

Tania · February 28, 2009

Paul,

I would love to try it as well, if it is not too late. Will send you my address via PM. I am growing both Stupice and Cherokee Purple this year, and will have an opportunity to compare all three.

Thank you so much for this new tomato, it sure sounds very promising!

Tania

sirtanon · February 28, 2009

I would definitely love to give this one a try. Here in Phoenix, we sort of have two growing seasons, with a paint-melting summer in between. I usually start a 2nd crop around August 25th or so on through late December.. so an early producer would be very useful to me. I would actually be able to also give you some feedback as to the heat tolerance (if any) of this plant. I will be sending you a PM.

PNW_D · February 28, 2009

Always looking for a good early here in the PNW, please add me to your list.

I'll be comparing to Kimberly.

Thank you.

akgardengirl · February 28, 2009

Earlies, especially good tasting ones, are always wanted here in Alaska. I can compare it to other earlies I am growing.
Sue

pacmanJohn · February 28, 2009

I would be honored. If there are any left I will give it a shot as well. Sent a PM.

Thanks Paul.

recruiterg · February 28, 2009

Paul,

I would like to participate as well. I am growing Stupice, so I could do a side by side comparison. Sending you PM.

paul2101 · February 28, 2009

Wow, lot's of interest here. I've just reached the cut off. Sorry to those who didn't get in soon enough. I will distribute more next year. Also, maybe some others will save seeds.

I would like to see how this performs before I distribute lots of seeds and make too much hype. If it doesn't perform well, or people don't like it, I plan to back up and retrace my steps through some of the discarded seed lines. I wanted to keep this first group small enough that I could manage the communications.

I'll be mailing seed in the next few days. Thanks for all the interest - and good luck with the seed.

Paul

February 28, 2009	#1
paul2101 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 19	New Variety - Ben Gantz - Seed for Trial SORRY - OFFER IS NOW CLOSED I'm ready to put seed out for trial on this new variety. I will send a small amount of seed to the first 25 people who message me with their mailing address. There is no cost. However, I would like you to provide information on what you think of the tomato and its maturity date with respect to other early tomato varieties. Please do not request this seed unless you are willing to provide some growout information. Ben Gantz is a stabilized cross between Stupice and Cherokee Purple. It's a smallish indeterminate that sets medium sized tomatoes. It is intended as a very early variety so I would appreciate if you would grow it alongside Stupice, Early Girl or some other well-known early variety so that I can get some idea about how it competes. Some background information can be found here : http://www.tomatosite.com/index.php?...ul/SxC_project I couldn't decide what to name this variety but I finally decided to name it after my son. In the last few years, Ben has struggled with Marfan Syndrome, a brain tumor, and a broken hip. He's hanging in there and is a real inspiration to me. He is a teenager now and wants to get into the field of genetics. I hope my rudimentary genetic explanations and this tomato give Ben some inspiration on his career path. Paul Last edited by paul2101; February 28, 2009 at 10:47 PM.

February 28, 2009	#2
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Hi, Paul - a great project with a touching and inspiring story - thanks for sharing. I'd love to try it - I've grown Matina, Kimberly, Kotlas and Stupice for very early reds, so can give you a pretty honest opinion on how it does for me. Watch your PM with my address. __________________ Craig

February 28, 2009	#3
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Paul-Great story! I would be happy to honor your son by growing this out this spring. I have grown lots of earlies, because of the heat we have here in El Paso, I usually grow stupice, matina, kotlas, kimberly and some Russian earlies on a rotating basis. I have already started plants, but plenty of room for one more! __________________ Michael

February 28, 2009	#5
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	Paul, I'd love to try it out as well. Sounds like a real good one. Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

February 28, 2009	#6
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Count me in. You have a PM. __________________ -- alias

February 28, 2009	#4
red Guest Posts: n/a	Hi Paul, Best wishes to Ben on a challenging path of study! I would be delighted to grow this tomato and provide feedback. Thanks, I will PM my address. Steve

February 28, 2009	#8
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	Ben...Sending a message too...I have also grown out many earlies, and can provide feedback. Jeanne

February 28, 2009	#9
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Paul, I would love to try it as well, if it is not too late. Will send you my address via PM. I am growing both Stupice and Cherokee Purple this year, and will have an opportunity to compare all three. Thank you so much for this new tomato, it sure sounds very promising! Tania __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

February 28, 2009	#10
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	I would definitely love to give this one a try. Here in Phoenix, we sort of have two growing seasons, with a paint-melting summer in between. I usually start a 2nd crop around August 25th or so on through late December.. so an early producer would be very useful to me. I would actually be able to also give you some feedback as to the heat tolerance (if any) of this plant. I will be sending you a PM. __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

February 28, 2009	#11
PNW_D Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Coast, Canada Posts: 961	Always looking for a good early here in the PNW, please add me to your list. I'll be comparing to Kimberly. Thank you. __________________ D.

February 28, 2009	#12
akgardengirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anchorage, AK zone 3/4 Posts: 1,410	Earlies, especially good tasting ones, are always wanted here in Alaska. I can compare it to other earlies I am growing. Sue

February 28, 2009	#13
pacmanJohn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Frankfort, KY Posts: 143	I would be honored. If there are any left I will give it a shot as well. Sent a PM. Thanks Paul. __________________ John

February 28, 2009	#14
recruiterg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edina, MN (Zone 4) Posts: 945	Paul, I would like to participate as well. I am growing Stupice, so I could do a side by side comparison. Sending you PM.