We’ve had some nice warm days and I’ve been out in the garden tackling assorted projects and listening to gardening podcasts. I really enjoyed listening to these two gentlemen talk about their tomato season for an hour, even though they are in CA and we are not. Thought I’d share here in case anyone wants to listen: https://gardenbasics.net/episodes/288-t ... w-2023-182

Thanks for sharing!

I read the transcript and having a transcript of a podcast is great. I wish everyone did this. So much less time consuming for me reading a transcript of a podcast rather than listening to a podcast.

Their experience with San Marzano mirrors my own. Why the hype about this particular tomato when there are so many other better ones out there.

Glad to hear Don Shor liked Pineapple. I think it is a terrific tasting and looking tomato and the production isn’t all that bad either.

Interesting about the plus series. Lemon boy plus, Celebrity plus, Big Beef plus. He doesn’t like Celebrity and neither do I for the same reasons.

Seedgate is amazing. So widespread across the country and with different vegetables, not just peppers evidently. Not only mix ups at the retailers but with seed suppliers. Wonder what changed to have such a large and widespread problem with vegetables not being as billed?

Don Shor actually has his own podcast called the Davis Garden Show and I find it an extremely relaxing listen even though pretty much none of it applies to our humid area. I’m also interested in the Rugby tomato he was talking about - I think we’re sticking with Marzano Fire for our paste next year, but tempted to give it a shot.

I'm planning on growing Bodacious next year. It's called Burlesque over here, I can only tell because the seed companies use the same photo of the person in the denim jacket holding the tomatoes. Burpee love to rename varieties for the UK market it seems!

We have the Rugby variety over here too, shame it doesn't have late blight resistance or I would try it. Crimson Plum has done fantastically for me outdoors 2 years in a row and appears impervious to blight.

@rossomendblot You’d think that sticking with one name would make the “marketing” easier, I wonder why they do that? Perhaps Burlesque was considered too risqué for the US consumer.

Here's some more renamings I found thanks to the Burpee Europe catalogue. Makes me wonder how many other companies do the same. Burpee US names on the left, UK on the right.

Madame Marmande - Bountiful
Cloudy Day - Crimson Crush
SteakHouse - Gigantomo
Porterhouse - Knockout
Medium Rare - Rose Crush
Fourth of July - Summer Frolic
Gladiator - Super Mama

Hey, Burpee, we do eat steak over here too you know! The Burpee Europe website was redirecting to an electrical supplies shop for over a month so I don't have too much faith in them.

@rossomendblot oh boy, those are some… interesting choices! Gigantomo?..
Imagine if Sun Gold had different names for different regions, I wonder if it would ever have achieved the level of success that it has now.

I saw steakhouse plants locally for the 1st time yesterday.
It reminded me over the decades of how much money I wasted on world record tomato plants that never quite measured up.
Like delicious,that was supposed to be a record holder.
I haven't seen a tomato over 18oz since global warming kicked in.
If I get a tomato over 10oz I soil myself.

I actually misread the label and the real name of the specimen I bought today was supersteak.
I assume burpee also.
re-potted and kept indoors until the proper planting time here.