Kevin's Tomato taste test: Marianna's Peace - Page 3

KLorentz · September 8, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by psa

Stump of the World is on my trial list for next year as a comparative variety. I am a bit concerned about it not looking as nice as MP, which is important to my customers (not me, I just want it to taste good).

I pulled a beautiful SOTW yesterday at first blush.It was perfect.But my 3 year old niece got a hold of it and took a bite

Good thing I got more coming.It was picture perfect.

Kevin

Fusion_power · September 8, 2010

Maybe it is time to tell the rest of the story. This part of the story to the best of my knowledge has never been told until now.

When that flame thread was going strong, I arranged to get one pack of seed of Marianna's Peace and grew them out the next spring. I got 7 plants and 3 of them were regular leaf indicating a cross. This was with seed straight from Gary Ibsen. I wound up with 4 potato leaf plants of which one plant was totally lacking in vigor and wound up being culled before planting. I set out 3 plants in a bed that had a 4 inch thick layer of rabbit manure applied before planting. Talk about RICH!!!

Those three plants grew and grew and grew eventually reaching 15 feet long for the largest vine. I harvested several hundred tomatoes and saved every single seed right up until frost killed the vines. The final harvest was something in the range of 20,000 seed.

I let a select few people know that I had the seed available. Mischka had also grown several plants but weather and other events pretty much killed his crop. I sent about 6000 or 8000 seed to Mischka who then went public with an offer of 10 seeds to anyone and everyone and he supplied stamps and envelopes. I never knew for sure how many people got seed, but the best I recall they were sent to about 50 different countries.

Carolyn pointed out that Glenn Drowns at Sandhill Preservation would be willing to carry Marianna's Peace if I sent them to him so I sent a pack of about 2000 seed to him. Goto nursery in California was also interested and after contacting Carolyn, I sent him 1500 seed. He sold Marianna's Peace plants all over central California. I also sent seed to 3 other seed vendors eventually including Marianna Jones and I forget who else.

The end result was that thousands of plants were available by the 2004 planting season. It wasn't long before reports of flavor and performance were widely available.

Based on my own experience, the original Marianna's Peace was very smooth shouldered. The ribbed shouldered fruit came from subsequent seed sent out by Tomatofest. I've grown both side by side and have to say that the smooth shouldered is superior though the ribbed shouldered fruit are still better than average. This is one plant that gets a major boost from organic growing methods. It does not do as well if heavily watered and flavor distinctly suffers if grown with commercial fertilizer. Put it in good soil with lots of compost and it will amaze you how good it tastes.

I still maintain the original smooth shouldered Marianna's Peace. This year, I sold so many plants that I only had 2 left for my own garden. I nurtured them carefully and wound up with a few hundred seed for next year. It is odd to think that so many seed came from a small garden in the front yard of an old brick house in Alabama.

DarJones aka Fusion_power aka SnickeringBear

BigdaddyJ · September 9, 2010

OK, what the heck do I have? I have been growing the MP from TGS when TGS offered it as a freebie with your order. It has been consistently ribbed, about a pound each and PL. It has been great in all regards until this year when it was a an almost complete dud. Maybe I planted old Marianna in bad spot, weird. I'll try posting a pic:

BigdaddyJ · September 9, 2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9499829@N02/951130720/

Fusion_power · September 10, 2010

That is the ribbed version bdj. Make an effort to get some of the smooth shouldered seed for next spring. There are several posters here who got original seed from Mischka which is the correct strain.

DarJones

**Mischka** · September 10, 2010

They should be smooth, deep pink and hold on the vine very well.

MP does well for me here, even in less-than-stellar growing conditions. I have two growing in 5 gallon pots on my deck this year, as an experiment to see how well the variety performs growing in containers.

Despite the raids by chipmunks, I still had plenty of fruit and both are still pumping out tomatoes even though summer is drawing to a rapid close here.

KLorentz · September 10, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fusion_power

That is the ribbed version bdj. Make an effort to get some of the smooth shouldered seed for next spring. There are several posters here who got original seed from Mischka which is the correct strain.

DarJones

Mine did not have the pronounced ribbing.just slight ribbing at the shoulders. I would really like to try the other version to see how they compare.

Kevin

recruiterg · September 10, 2010

DarJones. Your story is excellent.

Question: Is it legal to obtain a patent on an OP seed? I know the big ag companies (Monsanto) patent their seeds. Could Tomatofest have obtained a patent on Mariana's Peace and attempted to prevent people from selling and/or reproducing the seed, thereby maintaining their monopoly?

**Mischka** · September 10, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by recruiterg

DarJones. Your story is excellent.

Question: Is it legal to obtain a patent on an OP seed? I know the big ag companies (Monsanto) patent their seeds. Could Tomatofest have obtained a patent on Marianna's Peace and attempted to prevent people from selling and/or reproducing the seed, thereby maintaining their monopoly?

The answer is no, and it's been tried before re: Goose Creek. You must be able to prove that you specifically bred (a) genetically identifiable trait(s).

A plant variety that has been hybridized and then grown out until it breeds true can be patented, however. Johnny's Selected Seeds hold several PVPs on several of their offerings and it's not tomatoes that I'm speaking of.

psa · September 10, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mischka

A plant variety that has been hybridized and then grown out until it breeds true can be patented, however. Johnny's Selected Seeds hold several PVPs on several of their offerings and it's not tomatoes that I'm speaking of.

Does that patent restriction apply to the seedling offspring of the plant?

BigdaddyJ · September 10, 2010

Thanx fusion and I already have what I hope are the real deal MP's sent to me a couple weeks ago by a generous long time tomato friend and it's on next year's list!

roper2008 · September 10, 2010

Back in 2002, all I knew was Johnny seeds. Maybe I should not be
laughing, but the exchange between you and Amy was funny.

rxkeith · September 12, 2010

first and only time i grew mariannas peace, was when i lived in calumet, mi. seeds came from craigs free seed offer. every single fruit had blossom end rot, and was not fully developed. some varieties just do not grow well in the U.P. and MP was one of them. i haven't had the interest to try it again. maybe some day, just not today.

keith

September 9, 2010	#33
BigdaddyJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Zone7 Delaware Posts: 399	OK, what the heck do I have? I have been growing the MP from TGS when TGS offered it as a freebie with your order. It has been consistently ribbed, about a pound each and PL. It has been great in all regards until this year when it was a an almost complete dud. Maybe I planted old Marianna in bad spot, weird. I'll try posting a pic: __________________ Farmer at Heart

September 9, 2010	#34
BigdaddyJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Zone7 Delaware Posts: 399	http://www.flickr.com/photos/9499829@N02/951130720/ __________________ Farmer at Heart

September 10, 2010	#36
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	They should be smooth, deep pink and hold on the vine very well. MP does well for me here, even in less-than-stellar growing conditions. I have two growing in 5 gallon pots on my deck this year, as an experiment to see how well the variety performs growing in containers. Despite the raids by chipmunks, I still had plenty of fruit and both are still pumping out tomatoes even though summer is drawing to a rapid close here. __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

September 10, 2010	#41
BigdaddyJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Zone7 Delaware Posts: 399	Thanx fusion and I already have what I hope are the real deal MP's sent to me a couple weeks ago by a generous long time tomato friend and it's on next year's list! __________________ Farmer at Heart

September 8, 2010	#32
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Maybe it is time to tell the rest of the story. This part of the story to the best of my knowledge has never been told until now. When that flame thread was going strong, I arranged to get one pack of seed of Marianna's Peace and grew them out the next spring. I got 7 plants and 3 of them were regular leaf indicating a cross. This was with seed straight from Gary Ibsen. I wound up with 4 potato leaf plants of which one plant was totally lacking in vigor and wound up being culled before planting. I set out 3 plants in a bed that had a 4 inch thick layer of rabbit manure applied before planting. Talk about RICH!!! Those three plants grew and grew and grew eventually reaching 15 feet long for the largest vine. I harvested several hundred tomatoes and saved every single seed right up until frost killed the vines. The final harvest was something in the range of 20,000 seed. I let a select few people know that I had the seed available. Mischka had also grown several plants but weather and other events pretty much killed his crop. I sent about 6000 or 8000 seed to Mischka who then went public with an offer of 10 seeds to anyone and everyone and he supplied stamps and envelopes. I never knew for sure how many people got seed, but the best I recall they were sent to about 50 different countries. Carolyn pointed out that Glenn Drowns at Sandhill Preservation would be willing to carry Marianna's Peace if I sent them to him so I sent a pack of about 2000 seed to him. Goto nursery in California was also interested and after contacting Carolyn, I sent him 1500 seed. He sold Marianna's Peace plants all over central California. I also sent seed to 3 other seed vendors eventually including Marianna Jones and I forget who else. The end result was that thousands of plants were available by the 2004 planting season. It wasn't long before reports of flavor and performance were widely available. Based on my own experience, the original Marianna's Peace was very smooth shouldered. The ribbed shouldered fruit came from subsequent seed sent out by Tomatofest. I've grown both side by side and have to say that the smooth shouldered is superior though the ribbed shouldered fruit are still better than average. This is one plant that gets a major boost from organic growing methods. It does not do as well if heavily watered and flavor distinctly suffers if grown with commercial fertilizer. Put it in good soil with lots of compost and it will amaze you how good it tastes. I still maintain the original smooth shouldered Marianna's Peace. This year, I sold so many plants that I only had 2 left for my own garden. I nurtured them carefully and wound up with a few hundred seed for next year. It is odd to think that so many seed came from a small garden in the front yard of an old brick house in Alabama. DarJones aka Fusion_power aka SnickeringBear

September 10, 2010	#38
recruiterg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edina, MN (Zone 4) Posts: 945	DarJones. Your story is excellent. Question: Is it legal to obtain a patent on an OP seed? I know the big ag companies (Monsanto) patent their seeds. Could Tomatofest have obtained a patent on Mariana's Peace and attempted to prevent people from selling and/or reproducing the seed, thereby maintaining their monopoly?

September 10, 2010	#42
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	Back in 2002, all I knew was Johnny seeds. Maybe I should not be laughing, but the exchange between you and Amy was funny.

September 12, 2010	#43
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,839	first and only time i grew mariannas peace, was when i lived in calumet, mi. seeds came from craigs free seed offer. every single fruit had blossom end rot, and was not fully developed. some varieties just do not grow well in the U.P. and MP was one of them. i haven't had the interest to try it again. maybe some day, just not today. keith