Almost every catalogue I've read have different tomato names. I was wondering
if these tomatoes are specially bred by the growers such as Territorial or
Burpee or do these growers change names of the same tomatoes to suit their own
promotional purposes?

/z.

Zphysics1 said:


Almost every catalogue I've read have different tomato names. I was wondering
if these tomatoes are specially bred by the growers such as Territorial or
Burpee or do these growers change names of the same tomatoes to suit their own
promotional purposes?

There are hundreds of named varieties (including both hybrids, heirlooms, and
more modern open pollinated types). Most catalogs only carry a few varieties.
Some catalogs specialize in particular regions (such as the northwest for Territorial)
so carry varieties they determine to be best suited for that region. Others (like
Burpee) aren't so regional, and carry varieties that should do well over a broad
area, along with a few that are either trendy or were developed in-house.

Specialty tomato catalogs (like Tomato Growers Supply) carry the widest range of
varieties, though even they don't (or can't, really) carry everything.

There *are* companies who change the names of varieties -- they usually make
extravagant claims and tag them with a name that fits the claim, offer to sell
you these miracle plants, then, in tiny print at the bottom, list an actual variety
name. They always have artist conceptions of these 'miracle tomatoes'
rather than photos. (These firms also make other common garden plants seem
precious and rare, too.)
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)