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Posted by Russ (U14778543) on Wednesday, 2nd March 2011
I cannot find Jack Hawkins Tomato seeds anywhere. They are a delicious beef variety but only Waitrose sell them and they won't be on sale until April.
Can anyone please tell me where I can get the seeds of if I can sow fresh seeds straight from the fruit?
Russ
Jack Hawkins is a hybrid variety developed by one of the seed companies. Saving seeds won't work because, as a hybrid, it won't grow true to type.
Russ, Google tells us that Jack Hawkins is a Simpson's Seeds-created variety. From their website, it looks like you can't buy seeds, just plants. They're obviously very proprietorial about their product!
Bless Simpsons Seeds, they supply a wonderful range of tasty tomates.
I imagine they haven't been able to produce enough seeds to sell, plugs don't take as many. Friends who have had plugs from them say they're very good.
Lottie
Lottie, I think it's more a case of the company making more out of the sale of an exclusive variety than they would out of the sale of seeds. It's £1.55 a plant grown from one single seed.
I cannot find Jack Hawkins Tomato seeds anywhere. They are a delicious beef variety but only Waitrose sell them and they won't be on sale until April.
Can anyone please tell me where I can get the seeds of if I can sow fresh seeds straight from the fruit?
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Thanks very much for all this advice. I've asked Simpsons if they will sell me one plant as I can't afford (and don't need) 6 plants. I'm not holding my breath for them to do this, though.
Even though it's a hybrid, might I not take my chances and sow straight from the fruit and see what I get? They might at least be tasty.
Russ
Always worth a try, Russ. Depends how many crosses are in the mix, but the first generation of a hybrid grow out will usually produce a mixture of something pretty close to, in this case, Jack Hawkins, along with variations. If you were to save seed from that lot and plant them out again you'd end up with a weird collection of fruit as the gene pool starts to unravel.
I know a few tomato desperates who make a hobby of growing out hybrids to try to identify the original crossed varieties. Too much time on their hands!
That's fascinating and amusing, Italophile. As you say, it's worth a try, but I won't go any further than that.
Simpsons tell me that a variety called Big Beef is, in their words, 'very good' and they sell the seeds. I think they're available elsewhere too.
Beef tomatoes are commonly not very flavourful but I might give these a go.
I don't need many so I want to limit the amount I get. I don't, for example, want a minimum of 6 plants which I can barely afford. I would be happy to swap any seeds/seedlings with anyone on here. Is that something that is done and is allowable?
Russ
I've get seeds for all sorts of heirloom toms, Russ, all shapes, sizes and colours. Happy to share them. I'm not sure how you go about organising it on a forum like this.
Update. Checking the forum's FAQs, it looks like it's just about impossible to organise contact. Posts containing email addresses will be blocked.
I guess the rules are reasonable and I don't want to break them. However, I'm going to join an online swap shop (being careful not to break the rules and give the website address here).
Perhaps I'll see you there, Italophile.
Russ
You could always join Allotments4all. Great site & they have a swap section too.
Thanks, 2Jays. I probably will as I am getting nowhere with the swapshop site - can't log in.
Russ
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