Hafize Baliç Turkish Pink

[chancethegardener]

This is a very unique tomato of which seeds I am trying to obtain to include in the ANATOHUM project. Home gardeners and tomato addicts speak highly of it. It is not commercially available. The rumor is that the seeds were brought to Northwest Turkey by the Bulgarian immigrants, after (or just before) Ottoman Empire lost Bulgaria. This dates the tomato to early 1900s to the period between 1908 and 1913. Hafize Baliç grew the tomato for more than 50 years in her life time until she died a few years ago. The seeds are passed on through the Pink Tomato Network in Turkey.

[carolyn137]

First, if there's a pink tomato network does that mean there's a network for other colors as well?

Seond, have I shared with you that there's not one Bulgarian variety that I don't love and go after them with great zeal.

[chancethegardener]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

First, if there's a pink tomato network does that mean there's a network for other colors as well?

Seond, have I shared with you that there's not one Bulgarian variety that I don't love and go after them with great zeal.

Carolyn I will make sure to send you some pics of me eating Hafize Balic with joy when I grow it, and no I currently don't have the seeds for this tomato . I was especially surprised when I heard about this tomato first because it is called by its life-long grower's name. This is quite uncommon for Turkish tradition.

At the following link you can see the countrywide distribution of the people who are connected through the pink tomato network: http://www.pembedomates.org/harita.asp. I am very impressed with the extent of the distribution. I can't say all locations represent Turkish varieties; however, there have to be quite a few varieties which are waiting to be discovered. Such a hidden treasure thinking that Turkish heirlooms haven't been exposed to international community as much as other European heirlooms.

Pink Tomato Network was founded in 2006 to promote and spread pink tomato seeds all around the country, such a nice obsession. There isn't another type of tomato network as far as I know although I wouldn't be surprised to find black tomatoes growing in Northern Turkey. After all, all those black tomatoes come not far from this area. I am currently growing a red tomato from Akcaabat, a town right next to the Black Sea coast. If the plant doesn't fail, hopefully I can get the results before it gets cold (I mean Florida cold ).

[carolyn137]

Do you remember this thread from 2011 that we had about Turkish black tomatoes?

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=20525

And I do agree that somewhere in Turkey near the Black Sea there must be some individuals growing black varieties that came from the Crimea region.

I think you need to return to Turkey and do some traveling next summer and Fall and look for them. I'm more than willing to send a dollar to help defray the expenses associated with that, well, at least the round trip plane tickets.

[chancethegardener]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Do you remember this thread from 2011 that we had about Turkish black tomatoes?

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=20525

And I do agree that somewhere in Turkey near the Black Sea there must be some individuals growing black varieties that came from the Crimea region.

I think you need to return to Turkey and do some traveling next summer and Fall and look for them. I'm more than willing to send a dollar to help defray the expenses associated with that, well, at least the round trip plane tickets.

Carolyn, I have realized that chasing heirlooms can easily become costly so I accept your offer regarding the tickets . I have located three black tomatoes so far: One is a large meaty variety, other one is a mid-size variety, and the last one is a cherry variety. I don't have any idea how genuine they are; however, they deserve to be grown. I will see if I can obtain some seeds.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by chancethegardener

Carolyn, I have realized that chasing heirlooms can easily become costly so I accept your offer regarding the tickets . I have located three black tomatoes so far: One is a large meaty variety, other one is a mid-size variety, and the last one is a cherry variety. I don't have any idea how genuine they are; however, they deserve to be grown. I will see if I can obtain some seeds.

With few exceptions, I'm not one who is in love with the so called blacks, that's just the way it is. But if do think they have great taste I'm all tastebuds here.

I need to send you the seeds for the Turkish one that Mike Dunton at Victory seeds donated, 100 seeds, and since you said you already had that one I'll take out maybe 12 seeds, 6 to Craig and 6 to the person doing seed production for me next season.

I have your address and when I send the seeds, which won't be ASAP, I'll slip a dollar bill in there for your upcoming trip to Turkey.

[chancethegardener]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

With few exceptions, I'm not one who is in love with the so called blacks, that's just the way it is. But if do think they have great taste I'm all tastebuds here.

I need to send you the seeds for the Turkish one that Mike Dunton at Victory seeds donated, 100 seeds, and since you said you already had that one I'll take out maybe 12 seeds, 6 to Craig and 6 to the person doing seed production for me next season.

I have your address and when I send the seeds, which won't be ASAP, I'll slip a dollar bill in there for your upcoming trip to Turkey.

Carolyn, thanks much for the seeds and 1 dollar bill but 50 cents would be more than enough .

[chancethegardener]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

With few exceptions, I'm not one who is in love with the so called blacks, that's just the way it is. But if do think they have great taste I'm all tastebuds here.

I need to send you the seeds for the Turkish one that Mike Dunton at Victory seeds donated, 100 seeds, and since you said you already had that one I'll take out maybe 12 seeds, 6 to Craig and 6 to the person doing seed production for me next season.

I have your address and when I send the seeds, which won't be ASAP, I'll slip a dollar bill in there for your upcoming trip to Turkey.

Carolyn, I forgot to say. Please pass my thanks to Mike for his generosity. Also do you think that we can rename this tomato so that location-wise it will be more specific? Also, for your seed share do you always share 6/person?

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by chancethegardener

Carolyn, I forgot to say. Please pass my thanks to Mike for his generosity. Also do you think that we can rename this tomato so that location-wise it will be more specific? Also, for your seed share do you always share 6/person?

I will thank Mike for you and it was his wife Denise who actually sent the seeds with an update of the family doings, and that b'c she and Mike and two of their kids were East for a USDA Conference and stopped by to visit me.

I did ask Mike when I e-mailed him if he could find out more information about the variety and where it was from and his response to me was:

Regarding Turkish varieties . . . I will get some seeds in the mail to you. Everything that I know about the variety is listed in the description. The older man that we got the variety from gave me its history and since it has been 40 years now since it was given to him, there is no way to further trace where in Turkey the original person collected it from.

So no, it looks like a good idea NOT to rename it since Mike knows nothing more and has been listing the way he has for, what, a couple of years now. In addition, I'm not an advocate of renaming a variety no matter what it started out as name wise. If additional info comes along I feel it can be stated in the blurb that accompanies the variety.

For my seed offer, like this last one in Jan of 2012, I would send out 5-6 seeds for fresh 2011 seeds and then more for other varieties depending on the age of seeds. The whole purpose of my seed offer is to give folks access to some new varieties that would be new to all or most folks. And started doing that when I fell, got put in this walker in Dec of 2004 so no longer could grow the several hundreds of plants and varieties that I used to.

So take a look at my last seed offer and see how I do it. I think it's really important to state that ALL seeds must be sowed since the ability of folks to get good germination varies considerably which you could see if you looked at my germination thread for the 2012 seed offer. Actually I require that folks who want to participate post both their gerrmination results when I put up that thread as well as post in the Fall performance thread. And suggest that if they can't do that then my seed offer probably isn't for them.

And I think that's even MORE important for the seeds you are going to distribute since they are rare hard to find, if even one could, varieties.

So you might want to think about actually requiring feedback for both germination and later in the season performance, before you even send out seeds. And I mean seeds not just of tomatoes, but the other kinds you've talked about.

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=20848

Above is my 2012 seed offer posted in Jan so you can see how I do it. I've been doing seed offers for many years so know what to expect. This last one was a disaster as far as I'm concerned. And since I don't have a clue as to seed production this year from the folks who do the major production for me that for me, I don't know how I'll change that offer and I probably will offer some new ones, and actually some new ones have already been sent to me.

Does that help?

[chancethegardener]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I will thank Mike for you and it was his wife Denise who actually sent the seeds with an update of the family doings, and that b'c she and Mike and two of their kids were East for a USDA Conference and stopped by to visit me.

I did ask Mike when I e-mailed him if he could find out more information about the variety and where it was from and his response to me was:

Regarding Turkish varieties . . . I will get some seeds in the mail to you. Everything that I know about the variety is listed in the description. The older man that we got the variety from gave me its history and since it has been 40 years now since it was given to him, there is no way to further trace where in Turkey the original person collected it from.

So no, it looks like a good idea NOT to rename it since Mike knows nothing more and has been listing the way he has for, what, a couple of years now. In addition, I'm not an advocate of renaming a variety no matter what it started out as name wise. If additional info comes along I feel it can be stated in the blurb that accompanies the variety.

For my seed offer, like this last one in Jan of 2012, I would send out 5-6 seeds for fresh 2011 seeds and then more for other varieties depending on the age of seeds. The whole purpose of my seed offer is to give folks access to some new varieties that would be new to all or most folks. And started doing that when I fell, got put in this walker in Dec of 2004 so no longer could grow the several hundreds of plants and varieties that I used to.

So take a look at my last seed offer and see how I do it. I think it's really important to state that ALL seeds must be sowed since the ability of folks to get good germination varies considerably which you could see if you looked at my germination thread for the 2012 seed offer. Actually I require that folks who want to participate post both their gerrmination results when I put up that thread as well as post in the Fall performance thread. And suggest that if they can't do that then my seed offer probably isn't for them.

And I think that's even MORE important for the seeds you are going to distribute since they are rare hard to find, if even one could, varieties.

So you might want to think about actually requiring feedback for both germination and later in the season performance, before you even send out seeds. And I mean seeds not just of tomatoes, but the other kinds you've talked about.

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=20848

Above is my 2012 seed offer posted in Jan so you can see how I do it. I've been doing seed offers for many years so know what to expect. This last one was a disaster as far as I'm concerned. And since I don't have a clue as to seed production this year from the folks who do the major production for me that for me, I don't know how I'll change that offer and I probably will offer some new ones, and actually some new ones have already been sent to me.

Does that help?

Carolyn, thanks much. This is very helpful. I will look at the thread in the link in more detail but based on what you wrote in the message above, I think I am following similar rules to those of yours. My seed offer rules are initially totally based on my intuitions although my previous formal training in following a scientific method might also help to structure such a project. Since I am nowhere close to your experience level, I will make sure to consult you when I need help. I have a feeling that this might easily become overwhelming as the count of varieties I offer increases .
Also, thanks for letting me know regarding the origin of Special Turkish.

[chancethegardener]

An update on this topic: Special Turkish has never provided fruits for me. I grew it from the seeds I had purchased in the past from Victory Seeds and also recently from the seeds which you received from Mike and sent to me (basically, seed source was the same for both grow-outs). Plants grew and grew and grew with beautiful dark green coverage but never set fruits. Someone I know who grew this variety in the past also provided mixed results (for him, fruit shapes weren't consistent so he thinks that Special Turkish may not be a stable variety). I will give it another chance to it who knows when. Maybe it didn't like the Florida weather. Please thanks Mike again for taking his time and sending seeds over.

Also, I have finally found Hafize Balic after a painful search. Very excited to try it. I am hoping to do Fall tomatoes this year. Getting prepared for the battle with Florida diseases .