2015 Mostly Mystery 'Mater Mailing

Tormato · August 28, 2015

The swap is now open for joining.

Next week I'll post about deadlines, packaging and postage, the three main parts of the swap (wish lists, mystery categories, bonuses).

For now, just an outline for the categories...

Beefsteak

Black

Blue

Cherry/Grape/Currant

*Cool Weather

Determinate/Dwarf (mostly "Dwarf Project")/Micro Dwarf - I may split this into three different categories

Eastern European

Experimental

*Giant (2 lb +)

Green

Heart

Hot Weather

Italian

Knock-Your-Socks-Off

*Novelty

Paste/Canner

Pink

Red

Striped

Very Early (55 DTM or less)

Yellow/Gold/Orange/Bi-color/Tri-color/White

I'm not sure if I'm missing any categories from last year.

*Cool Weather, *Giant, and *Novelty are three categories that could use 10 people, each with a different variety, to happen fully.

Any suggestions for new categories are welcome.

I usually have at least one theme in my garden every year. So, I'm thinking of something like a "Doctors" category, any variety with Doctor in the name.

And, I'd really like to have a "Bratka's" category one of these years, of all varieties introduced by Joe Bratka.

Another would be an "Oldies But Goodies" category, as there are many varieties that were popular decades ago, even up to about 10 years ago, but are rarely talked about today.

PhilaGardener · August 28, 2015

Sounds great! Looking forward to it this year, Tormato!

AlittleSalt · August 28, 2015

Would "Experimental" include crosses that grew out really cool like the multiflora VHS Cherry?

I really like the, "Oldies But Goodies" idea

Tormato · September 2, 2015

Wish lists can now be posted in the thread of the same name in the Wanted Varieties forum. I'm deep into fermenting this week, so posting of "rules " may be delayed a bit.

Tormato · September 3, 2015

Bumping this past the 2014 MMMM thread. And I forgot about wish list peppers, up to 5 varieties that you can request.

Tormato · September 15, 2015

The first package arrived, 170 packs (10 X 17 varieties), with no specific varieties on a wish list.

So, I'll post the types of tomatoes wanted...

Reds
Cherries/Currants
Canners (old time types)... this sounds like a good idea for a category itself
(intensely) Sweet
Knock Your Socks Off

Ricky Shaw · September 16, 2015

^ I've not saved seeds. Is it poor form to buy seeds and re-package them for the swap?

Seems like swaps are about comradery more than anything. Say you're going to buy particular seeds anyway, and you get extra for other people. Do people do that?

BackyardFarm · September 17, 2015

After reading through the threads from 2013 and 2014 I'm so excited! This sounds so fun!

Are commercial seeds and common seeds still okay?
I'd really like to participate so I will buy some! I also have JPT and Black Cherry fermenting right now (and hopefully will have Aunt Gertie's Gold and Cherokee Green soon!) this is my second attempt at tomato seed saving (first was an utter failure

) so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it works!

BackyardFarm · September 17, 2015

Oh and I have some flower seeds I'm saving I can send as a bonus too?

Tormato · September 17, 2015

Black Cherry is one of those super common varieties that should only be sent in a few packs at a time. The others are perfect for the swap. Hopefully you can make up 10 packs of the flowers?

Gary

Tormato · September 17, 2015

Would anyone who's a member of Houzz/Gardenweb consider posting there (Growing Tomatoes forum, and maybe last years Round Robin forum Incredible Edibles Totally Tomatoes thread) about the swap here?

I don't know if the policy there is still a warning or a banning for mentioning Tomatoville.

Gary

habitat_gardener · September 17, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormato

Would anyone who's a member of Houzz/Gardenweb consider posting there (Growing Tomatoes forum, and maybe last years Round Robin forum Incredible Edibles Totally Tomatoes thread) about the swap here?

I don't know if the policy there is still a warning or a banning for mentioning Tomatoville.

Gary

I haven't looked at gardenweb since it changed ownership, but apparently I still have an account there and can post. Once you post the details, I can repost there. Or shall I be bold and just refer people to tomatoville instead?

**carolyn137** · September 22, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormato

Would anyone who's a member of Houzz/Gardenweb consider posting there (Growing Tomatoes forum, and maybe last years Round Robin forum Incredible Edibles Totally Tomatoes thread) about the swap here?

I don't know if the policy there is still a warning or a banning for mentioning Tomatoville.

Gary

Gary, I'm still a member there and just went to check who the moderator is, it used to be Tamara, and you could contact her and ask any questions you had.

Seeing no Mod and no other way to contact anyone, I am assuming that anyone could still get banned as it was when it was still GW and there never were any warnings either. Spike, who started GW wanted no competiton at all. And yes, I do know some were banned and one, a friend of mine is now the Lead Mod at another site.

GW was going bankrupt, they were lucky that Houzz bought them out, but so much has changed.

I was the Coordinator when we wrote some darn good FAQ's and I had saved several. But now when I open one pictures are missing, data is missing, just awful.

I still get e-mails from H saying that someone had posted in a thread where I did, but more often than not that thread was one that had revived, if you will, from many years ago.

No, for several reasons I will not go back to Houzz, nee GW, where I was since about 2000 and started making my own large seed offers there. But then it got very nasty there as you might know and when Mischka started Tville in Jan of 2006 there was a huge migration to Tville and many are still here.

Carolyn, who started out at the AOL tomato Forum in the early 80's and some of them followed me from there to here and there and some are still here at Tville. So it's been several decades at message sites for me and a Mod at several of them. I have learned a LOT about message sites, how they are run, who owns them and what their philosophies and goals and motivations have been and IMO Tville is THE best.

BackyardFarm · September 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormato

Black Cherry is one of those super common varieties that should only be sent in a few packs at a time. The others are perfect for the swap. Hopefully you can make up 10 packs of the flowers?

Gary

Definitely! I was surprised how many seeds I got from the moss roses I grew this year.

raindrops27 · September 18, 2015

As usual Tormato, I will join and thank you for doing this again..

August 28, 2015	#1
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,959	2015 Mostly Mystery 'Mater Mailing The swap is now open for joining. Next week I'll post about deadlines, packaging and postage, the three main parts of the swap (wish lists, mystery categories, bonuses). For now, just an outline for the categories... Beefsteak Black Blue Cherry/Grape/Currant Cool Weather Determinate/Dwarf (mostly "Dwarf Project")/Micro Dwarf - I may split this into three different categories Eastern European Experimental Giant (2 lb +) Green Heart Hot Weather Italian Knock-Your-Socks-Off Novelty Paste/Canner Pink Red Striped Very Early (55 DTM or less) Yellow/Gold/Orange/Bi-color/Tri-color/White I'm not sure if I'm missing any categories from last year. Cool Weather, Giant, and Novelty are three categories that could use 10 people, each with a different variety, to happen fully. Any suggestions for new categories are welcome. I usually have at least one theme in my garden every year. So, I'm thinking of something like a "Doctors" category, any variety with Doctor in the name. And, I'd really like to have a "Bratka's" category one of these years, of all varieties introduced by Joe Bratka. Another would be an "Oldies But Goodies" category, as there are many varieties that were popular decades ago, even up to about 10 years ago, but are rarely talked about today.

August 28, 2015	#2
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Sounds great! Looking forward to it this year, Tormato!

August 28, 2015	#3
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Would "Experimental" include crosses that grew out really cool like the multiflora VHS Cherry? I really like the, "Oldies But Goodies" idea

September 2, 2015	#4
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,959	Wish lists can now be posted in the thread of the same name in the Wanted Varieties forum. I'm deep into fermenting this week, so posting of "rules " may be delayed a bit.

September 3, 2015	#5
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,959	Bumping this past the 2014 MMMM thread. And I forgot about wish list peppers, up to 5 varieties that you can request.

September 15, 2015	#6
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,959	The first package arrived, 170 packs (10 X 17 varieties), with no specific varieties on a wish list. So, I'll post the types of tomatoes wanted... Reds Cherries/Currants Canners (old time types)... this sounds like a good idea for a category itself (intensely) Sweet Knock Your Socks Off

September 16, 2015	#7
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	^ I've not saved seeds. Is it poor form to buy seeds and re-package them for the swap? Seems like swaps are about comradery more than anything. Say you're going to buy particular seeds anyway, and you get extra for other people. Do people do that?

September 17, 2015	#8
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	After reading through the threads from 2013 and 2014 I'm so excited! This sounds so fun! Are commercial seeds and common seeds still okay? I'd really like to participate so I will buy some! I also have JPT and Black Cherry fermenting right now (and hopefully will have Aunt Gertie's Gold and Cherokee Green soon!) this is my second attempt at tomato seed saving (first was an utter failure ) so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it works!

September 18, 2015	#15
raindrops27 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: long island Posts: 327	As usual Tormato, I will join and thank you for doing this again..