Fashionable (?) Heirloom plants at the farmers market

geoguy_TN · May 8, 2006

We spent about 15 minutes at the Chattanooga Market this Sunday (just long enough for a very quick stroll through to get the local Soddy Daisy stawberries and replenish the sourwood honey - I liked the market better before it was "discovered" by the large crowds). There were at least 4 people selling heirloom tomato plants where in the past couple of years there has been one. Is this the newest fad/craze?

The only plant that I was tempted by was the "Rainbow Blend"

It even had the catalog picture and description.

**carolyn137** · May 8, 2006

And Rainbow Blend was one specific variety?

Ouch!!!!

geoguy_TN · May 8, 2006

Yes, someone is going to be surprised

that they don't have a rainbow of tomatoes on their plant. But it showed 'em in the picture...

bigcheef · May 11, 2006

The pic even showed different colored friut on the same plant?

Ouch indeed

RIK

kimpossible · May 11, 2006

Some people/businesses will say or do anything to make a quick buck

They don't care about facts or accuracy.

Heirlooms indeed!!!!

geoguy_TN · May 11, 2006

To be fair, I don't think that this fellow was deliberately implying that one plant had multiple tomato types. I'm guessing that he meant well. He just bought the rainbow blend and either wasn't able to or didn't specify which tomato in the blend was being sold. I don't know where his seeds came from, but it might be something like this from Tomato Growers Supply:

Rainbow Tomato Collection - #1038 Assortment $9.80
This collection offers a sampling of some of the wonderful flavors with colors available in tomatoes. Fill your harvest basket with a rainbow of these beautiful fruit and enjoy their unique tastes. Includes one packet each of : Pineapple (bicolor), Green Zebra (green), Cherokee Purple (black), Orange Strawberry (orange), Golden Queen, USDA Strain (yellow).

I just got a real kick out of seeing an individual plant labeled as Rainbow Blend.

**carolyn137** · May 11, 2006

And there's a Rainbow Collection of cherry tomatoes and the seed is colored coded, but again, one person somewhere in the East also reported buying plants labelled just Rainbow Blend. Triple Sigh.

So are we talking large fruited Rainbow derivatives of the type in the blurb above or cherry size stuff?

HeirloomNewb · May 11, 2006

hey GEODUDE... did you hook a brother up with some honey?...... mmmm honey!

How does this years crop of sourwood taste/look?

geoguy_TN · May 12, 2006

My little brother is going to have to be awfully nice to end up with some of this :wink: . The honey lady told me "that's good sourwood honey". That means it's good. Last year's batch she said was good and it was good. The year before it got mixed in with some clover and sumac honey (those darn bees don't work hard enough without supervision - that is a Doctor Suess reference for all of you non-parents out there) and it wasn't as good, but it was still good.

May 8, 2006	#2
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	And Rainbow Blend was one specific variety? Ouch!!!! __________________ Carolyn

May 8, 2006	#3
geoguy_TN Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 63	Yes, someone is going to be surprised that they don't have a rainbow of tomatoes on their plant. But it showed 'em in the picture... __________________ Place clever signature here

May 11, 2006	#4
bigcheef Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: TN Posts: 316	Wahh? The pic even showed different colored friut on the same plant? Ouch indeed RIK

May 11, 2006	#5
kimpossible Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Z5b SW Ont Canada Posts: 767	Some people/businesses will say or do anything to make a quick buck They don't care about facts or accuracy. Heirlooms indeed!!!! __________________ *So Many Tomatoes ... So Little Time*

May 11, 2006	#6
geoguy_TN Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 63	To be fair, I don't think that this fellow was deliberately implying that one plant had multiple tomato types. I'm guessing that he meant well. He just bought the rainbow blend and either wasn't able to or didn't specify which tomato in the blend was being sold. I don't know where his seeds came from, but it might be something like this from Tomato Growers Supply: Rainbow Tomato Collection - #1038 Assortment $9.80 This collection offers a sampling of some of the wonderful flavors with colors available in tomatoes. Fill your harvest basket with a rainbow of these beautiful fruit and enjoy their unique tastes. Includes one packet each of : Pineapple (bicolor), Green Zebra (green), Cherokee Purple (black), Orange Strawberry (orange), Golden Queen, USDA Strain (yellow). I just got a real kick out of seeing an individual plant labeled as Rainbow Blend. __________________ Place clever signature here

May 8, 2006	#1
geoguy_TN Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 63	Fashionable (?) Heirloom plants at the farmers market We spent about 15 minutes at the Chattanooga Market this Sunday (just long enough for a very quick stroll through to get the local Soddy Daisy stawberries and replenish the sourwood honey - I liked the market better before it was "discovered" by the large crowds). There were at least 4 people selling heirloom tomato plants where in the past couple of years there has been one. Is this the newest fad/craze? The only plant that I was tempted by was the "Rainbow Blend" It even had the catalog picture and description. __________________ Place clever signature here

May 11, 2006	#8
HeirloomNewb Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Elwood, IL Posts: 53	hey GEODUDE... did you hook a brother up with some honey?...... mmmm honey! How does this years crop of sourwood taste/look?

May 12, 2006	#9
geoguy_TN Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 63	My little brother is going to have to be awfully nice to end up with some of this :wink: . The honey lady told me "that's good sourwood honey". That means it's good. Last year's batch she said was good and it was good. The year before it got mixed in with some clover and sumac honey (those darn bees don't work hard enough without supervision - that is a Doctor Suess reference for all of you non-parents out there) and it wasn't as good, but it was still good. __________________ Place clever signature here