First Pik

Does anyone know what this variety is like? I did not purchase from a garden center rather got from a garden club sale. (Should of asked questions). I've had them in pots in the basement under lights. Some already have buds of flowers. I've risked a few by putting in garden under "wall of water" things. Last year raised Beefsteaks and took so long to get a ripe one. Taking a chance on this variety which I know nothing about.

Don't know of it thru personal experience...only knows that it's an early type, and I believe a "patio" type.

Thanks Horseshoe. I did some searching and found out it is a hybird, heavy producer, medium sized fruit. Harvest 64 days. Determinate. This all leads to a couple of other questions. Is it 64 days from when flower buds appear? And I don't know what "determinate" means vs. "indeterminate".

This all leads to a couple of other questions. Is it 64 days from when flower buds appear? And I don't know what "determinate" means vs. "indeterminate".

Days to maturity (DTM) means the time between -planting out and the time of first ripe fruits.


It's a guesstimate at best, considering all the different gardenng methods used and the weather in different areas of the country.

You are living in Rochester, NY. I hope you know that one of the oldest seed firms in the US is still in Rochester and that's Harris Seeds.

First Pik is one of their hybrids and while I don't intend to grow it, because I don't normally grow determinates and especailly early determinates, I think that the Harris hybrids are some of the best tasting hybrids around.

Varieties such as Moreton Hybrid, Supersonic and Jet Star are pretty darn good, for hybbrids.

A determinate variety is bushlike and does not have long vines and fruit set is concentrated, time-wise.

Whereas indeterminates have long vines and set fruit continually until frost stops them

Carolyn, who spent many years in Rochester in grad school at Strong and the River Campus and who wishes she was at Highland Park right now for the fabulous Lilac Festival.

The value of "days to maturity" is for comparison among different varieties, as it is indeed an estimate from time of transplanting into the garden.

Carolyn, yes Rochester has quite a seed producing history as well as being the origins of the mail order nursery business. We also are in close proximity to the early Shaker settlements. Their first settlement was near Albany then they spread to Sodus but later moved to Sonyea. We owe our seed packet design to the Shakers. Also currently about 80% of the seed packets are printed today in Rochester. I use to work for the company.

The lilacs are beautiful now. The festival is over and it is the best time to go. Less parking problems and competing distractions.

Thanks for the information. I will have to try the indeterminates next time. We share our first name as I am a Carolyn too.

Carolyn,

Carolyn coming back at ya. LOL

I was raised in a Shaker Farmhouse just south of the Albany airport where Mother Ann Lee formed her first community. My grandfather bought the 90 acres from the Shakers in 1905.

My grandmother visited with the last remaining Shakers at that settlement many times.

So I'm Shaker savvy and have also designed and developed a Shaker period Historical Garden, circa 1850, for the Shaker Historical Society.

And of course we both know that the Shakers were amongst the first to distribute and sell veggie seeds, primarily in the NE.

I have quite a few Shaker items, some rescued from the attic of our house, and one of my prized possessions is a framed wrapper from a tin can of veggies, since the Shakers were also the first to can veggies in tin cans, and what would that can wrapper depict?

Right. Tomatoes. LOL

Carolyn, who of course also had to select period specific tomatoes for that Shaker garden. (smile)

This is too weird. I got interested in Shakers when I volunteered to work at the Genesee Country Museum. I was assigned the Shaker house and garden. I had to dress up in an old dress and weed the garden and answer questions from visitors. I did a lot of reading. I also used to live in Nashville. There is a shaker settlement not far from there in Pleasant Hill, KY. I really got into the reading about it but did not continue the volunteer work. I didn't feel the museum was very authentic with the costumes (come on, a floral print dress that exposed my neck and shoulders!!!). I think they really just wanted weeders.

I'm impressed by your knowledge and you are so close to the origins of it all. I read that the Shakers sold the Sodus property because the canal was proposed to be nearby. They didn't want to be near it so sold out and moved to Sonyea where the canal eventually was put.

It's a small world, two Carolyn's interested in the Shakers and bumping into each other in the Tomato Forum! :)