Amakko Cherry and a random act of kindness
 

We all know that tomato people are pretty good people, except for those 2 or 3 whose initials I won't list here.:)

Anyway I have been interested in Amakko for a couple of years. Somewhere down the line I read it was an excellent tomato, a cherry and a favorite in Japan. Actually I am not sure of any of that, but I decided I wanted to try it. I got 6 seeds in one of those general swaps on another site. Those swaps where you send in x number of packets of seed and get the same number back with maybe a bonus packet or two. You can send in a want list but you really never know what you will get back.

Anyway, I got 6 seeds of Amakko. I tried to germinate them and only 1 germinated. For about two weeks in the germination cup, it did not grow beyond an inch high. So I put it in the garden and watched it a week and still no growth. I then put an ice cream bar stick beside it and market it height on the stick and decided if it didn't grow any in a week, then I would pull it. It did grow slowly and produced a few fruit= about 6 oz, definitely not cherry size.

Anyway, I digress (as old men sometime do), I found the email address of a Japanese gentlemen in an heirloom seed publication. I emailed him and asked for description information on Amakko and Sekai Ichi (seeds I acquired a few day before).
I heard nothing back and assumed either the email didn't get through or went into his spam folder or he maybe just didn't choose to answer. Then a couple of days ago, I got a letter from Japan. Inside, you guessed it, were seeds for Amakko and Sekai Ichi. The Amakko seeds had a green commerical coating on them were labeled Amakko F1.

It was a very nice surprise and a nice unexpected act of kindness. I of course am returning the favor.

Great story - thanks for sharing!

Reply
 

That is incredible! I think Tomato people are some of the best in the world. I will brag on you kygreg. If I remember correcly you sent me seeds for Atkinson Tomato a few years ago. I grew them out and took two midsized tomatoes to settfest. I almost didn't take them but Suze encouraged me to bring. Everyone there loved them! Great flavor! I tried to grow them the next year but after a total tomato failure lost all my seeds and tomato plants. I ony harvested a few cherry tomatoes.
Suze then sent me some replacement Atkinson seeds. Troad and Kath have also been very generous with sharing seeds. OK there is the tomato war 2011 with Len but deep down he is good :P Others have sent diferent varities as well as few I have bought. I am back on track with my garden this year due mostly to peope on Tomatoville!

The reason I was so intrested in Atkinson to begin with was it was bread for the south, Created in 1966 and it name
I was created in the South in 1966 and my last name is now Atkinson. What I got was a favorite that will never leave my garden again. Thnks for starting my love with the Atkinson Tomato, Kygreg!

On a side note my husband experienced a random act of kindness. He was in line getting lunch for all our workers and us. It was a nasty day and they were trying to build my office. A person ahead of him put $10.00 on our order. It was awesome!

Kat

I think I had many random kindness act here at tomato ville :D .

I try the seed offer thats others member posted and they end up sending me more seed than their offer :surprised: .

Even today when in general discussion someone offer me seed through PM and we are not discussing about seed offer. Its really heart warming and I really lucky find this site ;) . I hope someday I can pay back all thats kindness.

I think virtually every variety I grow came from a trade or SASE. I know I have purchased very few varieties. This site is phenomenal! I have a friend who laughs because she says "what could all of "you people" (tomato-philes...) possibly find to talk about that actually requires a forum format to say?" She also laughed at me walking around my tomato patch with a pad and pen taking notes...she finds the collective "us" bizarro. My theory is is that we are all "special" or completely nuts but either way HAPPY! :P