Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
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jaykray
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- Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2024 7:56 am
- Location: Pittsburgh, PA zone 6B
Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Hi, my name is Jen and I am from Pittsburgh.
Around 10 years ago, a friend of a friend of a friend bought the contents of a storage unit at auction. In that unit was a pretty big seed collection, and a number of these seeds made their way to me. I ended up with around 40+ heirloom tomato varieties, mostly dated 2010. Every year since then, I have been picking a few random varieties to grow, which has been fun and tasty. But since the seeds are getting pretty old now (I have been testing germination rates and getting around 50% still), I decided this year I would work on growing for sake of saving seeds and starting a new generation of fresh seeds.
Looking forward to learning as much as I can and sharing some seeds if I am successful.
Around 10 years ago, a friend of a friend of a friend bought the contents of a storage unit at auction. In that unit was a pretty big seed collection, and a number of these seeds made their way to me. I ended up with around 40+ heirloom tomato varieties, mostly dated 2010. Every year since then, I have been picking a few random varieties to grow, which has been fun and tasty. But since the seeds are getting pretty old now (I have been testing germination rates and getting around 50% still), I decided this year I would work on growing for sake of saving seeds and starting a new generation of fresh seeds.
Looking forward to learning as much as I can and sharing some seeds if I am successful.
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pepperhead212
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- Location: Woodbury, NJ
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Yak54
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- Location: zone 6 Madison, Ohio
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AKgardener
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Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome sounds like a fun ..
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MissS
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- Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Hello and welcome @jaykray. I'm so happy that you have found us here. That is a fun story and a neat way to get some heirloom seeds. I too have saved seeds from those first few heirlooms that got me started and now I am saving seeds of those that I find are going by the wayside before they are lost to us forever.
~ Patti ~
AKA ~ Hooper
AKA ~ Hooper
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Whwoz
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- Location: Trafalgar, Victoria, Australia
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome to the Junction from Down Under @jaykray
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bower
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- Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
- Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome! 
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
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Harry Cabluck
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- Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2020 8:40 pm
- Location: Austin, Texas
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Yo! jaykray! Wishing you a successful 2024 season! Gardened in Greentree for eight years. Great place for tomato-growing. In the 1970's collected paunch manure at a slaughter house a few miles up the Allegheny River and sawdust/shavings from a cabinet maker in the West End...made great compost...to which was added trace elements.
Refrain from calculating the total number of poultry...before the process of incubation has fully materialized.
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GoDawgs
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- Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
- Location: Zone 8a, Augusta GA
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Georgia sends a big Welcome! Great story about the seeds. You've come to the right place where even the oldest seeds are encouraged to grow!
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Cornelius_Gotchberg
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- Location: Madison, WI
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome from the Land of Cheese and Beer!
The Gotch
The Gotch
Madison WESconsin/Growing Zone 5-A/Raised beds above the Midvale Heights spade-caking clay in the 77 Square Miles surrounded by A Sea Of Reality
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PlainJane
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- Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 8:12 pm
- Location: N. FL Zone 9A
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome, and best of luck with your season!
“Never try to outstubborn a cat.”
- Robert A. Heinlein
- Robert A. Heinlein
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FatBeeFarm
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- Location: New Hampshire, Zone 5A
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AZGardener
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- Location: Arizona, USA
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome to the Junction!
USDA Zone 9b, Sunset Zone 13
Average Rainfall 9.5 inches
Climate: Sonoran Desert
Average Rainfall 9.5 inches
Climate: Sonoran Desert
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JRinPA
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- Location: PA Dutch Country
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
How's yinz tomatoes growin'?
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Tormahto
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Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome to the forum.
We're always looking for more enablers.
We're always looking for more enablers.
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WoodSprite
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- Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 6:18 pm
- Location: center of Pennsylvania, USA, Zone 6b
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome from central PA (though I’m originally from near Pittsburgh). What a fun project! There are old posts here about soaking older seeds in water with a little plant food to aid in germinating old seeds. I’m trying it this year with tomato seeds that a former coworker shared with me in 2001. Hope it works. Anyway, welcome to Tomato Junction. We are happy to have you join us.
~ Darlene ~
I garden in 19 raised beds made from 6' diameter x 24" tall round stock tanks located in a small clearing in our woods in central Pennsylvania. Hardiness zone 6b (updated). Heat zone 4.
I garden in 19 raised beds made from 6' diameter x 24" tall round stock tanks located in a small clearing in our woods in central Pennsylvania. Hardiness zone 6b (updated). Heat zone 4.
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Gardadore
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- Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:15 am
- Location: NE PA zone 6
Re: Hello from Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome Jen! I have been out of the loop for several months and just saw this. How wonderful that you got these seeds! How is the germination going this year? Would be interested to know some of the varieties you got? I am from NE PA and a bit behind the seed starting this year but wish you good luck and look forward to hearing about your grow outs!