Quarter Century

[mdvpc]

This is one of my favorite varieties. Does very well for me in containers in the desert. Its compact, about 4 feet tall usually for me. Wonderful tasting fruit every time I have grown it. Here is a photo taken yesterday, May 8. No flower buds yet, its still quite small. Its usually mid-season.

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

I did a quick google search and did not find a ton of information about this tomato I did see it for sale at Reimer seeds. Is it OP? I am interested in it due to the size of plant and tomato and the fact that it is heat tollerant.

[mdvpc]

I think Sandhill has it, know Burpee has it. I have grown seed both from Burpee and from Craig. It was misidentified in Carolyn's book as Matchless, Austin Strain, but it is clearly Quarter Century. It is op for sure.

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

I'll have to look at Carolyn's book when I get home as well as my seed catalogs. I think this one might be going on next years list.

[mdvpc]

I quickly checked Burpee online and didnt see it. Sandhill has it for sure.

[velikipop]

I bought seed from Sandhill and will be growing it this year. Glad to hear it is worth growing and will do well in a container. How big of a conatiner do you grow it in? If I do put it in a container it will be a 7 gallon one.

Alex

[mdvpc]

I have 3 plants in a 15 gallon container. I have grown it in a 5 gallon container before and it did well.

[velikipop]

Michael.
Excellent...thanks.

[mdvpc]

Pls post your experience with it this summer.

[carolyn137]

Explanation.

The USDA was the source for what was supposed to be Matchless and seeds for it were sent to several folks. When you check my book you'll see that I got my seeds from Dave Austin, who called it Matchless.

I didn't do enough background research in order to know that with the rugose foliage that it was Quarter Century.

Glenn Drowns also had Matchless but it was really Quarter Centruy. Actually he was contacted by Burpee who recognized it was QC, and wanted seeds.

Craig finally got true Matchless out of the mixed seeds sent out by the USDA and it's a typical indet, RL, with med sized red fruits with no outstanding qualities. I grew it.

So what's pictured in my book is Quarter Century, not the Matchless it's IDed as.

Hope that helps.

[mdvpc]

Carolyn-thanks for posting the story-I was hoping you would chime in.

[KKinAL]

I have grown QC for the last several years--it is my favorite! It has always been very heat & disease tolerant for me & great flavor too. I got the seeds originally from Burpee about 5 years ago & have saved seed. ( I planted the last of my Burpee seed pack this year---still good after 5 years) It is definitely worth growing!

[mdvpc]

Definitely agree-to me, it has that old-time tomato taste.

[korney19]

I haven't grown it in about 5-6 years but here it is with some other stuff...



Quarter Century is the same as Matchless in Carolyn's book...

Here's from Burpees Heirloom only catalog, with early 1900's artwork, as well as a description about it being found again mistakenly under a different name...

[carolyn137]

Quarter Century is the same as Matchless in Carolyn's book

*****

Mark, I don't think you read the post I did above about what I called Matchless in my book that turned out to be QC and how that came about and how it differs from Matchless, who I also subsequently grew and also described in that post.

Also, in the Burpee blurb where it says QC was almost lost and was found in a private collection, well, I spoke to that also in my post above and that private collection was Glenn Drowns at Sandhill.