Topic: olivade tomatoes

[macmac]

has anyone grown "olivade" tomatoes ?iI thought thet were smaller than this but it's a cracking crop








2

[Barnowl]

First grew them last year. Like you I was surprised by their size, having expected them to be rather smaller. Good croppers and one of the varieties on my permanent list.

[caroline7758]

I've got some, I think (too much foliage to find the labels!),but all my toms are still small at the moment.

[Deb P]

Another one to add to my 'wants' list by the looks of it! ;D

[valmarg]

We've been growing this variety for several years, and can add to the recommendations.  Very good cropper, nice and fleshy rather than seedy.  Makes lovely passata when passed though the tomato squisher.

We will be having our first this year for breakfast tomorrow, grilled with some sausages. ;D

We usually get our seeds from Moles, but D T Brown also supply them.

valmarg

[valmarg]

And the bad news is, I've received my Moles and D T Brown catalogues for 2110, and olivade is no longer in either.  D T Brown do have a replacement - Zip F1.

valmarg

[Barnowl]

Simpsons seeds have them - or at least they did a couple of weeks ago.

[valmarg]

And the good news is that the 2010 catalogue of Simply Vegetables from Seeds of Distinction has them.  £2.95 for 10 seeds.  A bit expensive, but an extremely good variety.

valmarg

[Eristic]

Seeds of Distinction has them.  £2.95 for 10 seeds.

Name and shame. Seeds of Distinction is a ripoff. 30p for a tomato seed is a disgrace.

[.]

Fee

   F1
     
       Hoe

            mmmm   .
                               ....   Sungold 

[Baccy Man]

T&M are charging £3.49 for 6 olivade seeds (58p per seed).
Seeds-By-Size are charging £4 for 10 seeds (40p per seed) or £7 for 25 seeds (28p per seed).
Nicky's Nursery are charging £2.75 for 10 seeds (28p per seed).
Simpsons Seeds are charging £1.60 for 8 seeds (20p per seed).
Tozer offer them in bulk from £7.75 for 50 seeds(16p per seed) to £104.40 for 1000 seeds (11p per seed).

[caroline7758]

Better save some seed!

[Baccy Man]

They are hybrids, saved seed will not come true.

[saddad]

I knew there must be a reason why I didn't have them... looks like another Wyvale rummage ... 6 seeds for 50p sounds much better... at the end of 2010.
 :-\

[valmarg]

Well, Eristic, when you read Baccy's post on the various seed companies and their prices for Olivade, Seeds of Distinction is not the most expensive.  Expensive, but not the most expensive. ;D ;D  Dear old T&M can usually be relied upon to be the most expensive, and this was no exception.

I had the foresight to buy a packet of 50 seeds from Moles last year for roughly 20p per seed, which is roughly the middle of Baccy road.  (I do apologise, but I couldn't resist.  Sorry Baccy.)

The picture on the first post by macmac has been removed, but it did show why this was such a good variety to grow.

valmarg

[Eristic]

They are all ripping the public off. The price is nothing short of theft and any seed co that condones it is equally guilty whether it is 20p, 40p or anything in between. There is nothing magical about f1 seeds and they only carry a modest overhead over open pollinated tomatoes. The close spread of the price range suggests either collusion and price fixing or all seed companies are buying from one rouge producer.

As an aside, tomato seeds really ought to be donated to gardeners free of charge as the seeds themselves are a waste byproduct of the tomato sauce industry. We reduce their overheads by taking away their waste.  :P

[valmarg]

Calm down dear.

Eristic, the price range for Olivade is 58p per seed (T&M) down to 11p per seed (Tozer).  The down side with Tozer is that you have to buy 1,000 seeds.

It is a variety we have grown for several years, and have had extremely good results.  It is a variety we would want to continue to grow.  To that end the price of the seed is not entirely immaterial, but we would want to get the 'best buy'.  Having bought my packet of 50 seeds from Moles last year, OH and I think we have a good supply for quite a few years (bearing in mind tomato seeds are indestructable). ;D

When you have found a variety you really like, it is difficult to be told the variety is no longer available.

You may consider it a ripoff Eristic, but you have to take into account those people who love that variety, and are prepared to grow it, irrespective of price.

valmarg

[Chrispy]

There is nothing magical about f1 seeds and they only carry a modest overhead over open pollinated tomatoes.

The cost of producing F1 seeds vary from plant to plant.
The real cost is not the cost of production, but the cost of the breeding program that produced it.
As F1 seeds do not come true if you save your own seeds, this helps the breeder protect their product, and so can charge the higher prices, which make the investment worth while.
If they did not do this, then they would not be developed.

[Eristic]

Regardless of whether you like the variety or not, it is still way overpriced even at 10p a seed. £1.00 for 50 is reasonable.

Have any of you aficionados of the variety actually tried to grow the seeds of your produce to see what you get? Some so called f1 seeds are heirloom seeds relabelled for an added buck and even if the tomato is truly an f1 it is only a few years messing about before you can reproduce the original.

[cleo]

You pay your money,you take your choice.

I grow very few F1 hybrids-Sungold is the only `regular`-well yes Sweet Million but that`s not really an F1.

As for Plants of Distinction-they do offer many non F1 types and prices this year are the same as last year-about 6-9p a seed.