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TalkingDog

(9,001 posts) Fri Feb 8, 2013, 11:59 AM Feb 2013

There used to be 408 varieties of tomato. Guess how many we have now. [View all]

From National Geographic dot com

40 replies

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There used to be 408 varieties of tomato. Guess how many we have now. [View all] TalkingDog Feb 2013 OP

What could possibly go wrong? Berlum Feb 2013 #1

Surely not a blight or disease that wipes out an entire species because of a lack TalkingDog Feb 2013 #2

this is the exact reason I start with in opposing Monsatos GM crops. KittyWampus Feb 2013 #34

By 83? el_bryanto Feb 2013 #7

It's not quite the "ZOMG! MONSANTO!" conspiracy some think. trotsky Feb 2013 #9

Yeah - it's one of those things - el_bryanto Feb 2013 #12

Yep. trotsky Feb 2013 #13

I've been noticing more in our local store laundry_queen Feb 2013 #16

yummm I have noticed alot more herilooms littlewolf Feb 2013 #31

Like the ones commercially grown and sold in stores taste good. n.t TexasProgresive Feb 2013 #15

So True. The store-bought were never as good as what we grew in our garden. /nt dballance Feb 2013 #27

Oh and you can bet they probably never will be. trotsky Feb 2013 #33

But at least they used to taste like a tomato TexasProgresive Feb 2013 #37

I Love it in the Spring and Summer When the Farmers' Markets are Open dballance Feb 2013 #38

Yes Farmers` Markets rock! Sadiedog Feb 2013 #40

How many of those 408 varieties were in fact MattBaggins Feb 2013 #22

a key question is how many "true" varieties have been replace by hybrids. dixiegrrrrl Feb 2013 #25

That's why I love organizations like Seed Savers... Earth_First Feb 2013 #3

A: 3,000 heirloom varities and 10,000+ known KurtNYC Feb 2013 #4

Yep. Tomatoes are in fact expanding in number The Second Stone Feb 2013 #17

exactly. i try anf grow out one rare heirloom type a year.nt Mojorabbit Feb 2013 #20

I am hopeful that flavorful, great textured tomatoes will rise in availabilty thanks to KurtNYC Feb 2013 #23

In April, our town will host TomatoMania, a 2-day event DollarBillHines Feb 2013 #28

I have suggested updated "sod roofs" in urban areas. KittyWampus Feb 2013 #36

My current Totally Tomatoes catalog lists over 250 varieties Retrograde Feb 2013 #35

That is chilling. nt Mnemosyne Feb 2013 #5

NRaleighLiberal is the man to ask about tomatoes. nt OnyxCollie Feb 2013 #6

Here's a site that lists 4,385 drm604 Feb 2013 #8

I was going to say - I'm pretty sure I could find more than 79 in my seed catalogs bhikkhu Feb 2013 #10

And your average supermarket tomato these days is almost tasteless. marmar Feb 2013 #11

Yep laundry_queen Feb 2013 #14

There were more than 408 varieties of tomatos if you count the wild tomatoes from South America Brother Buzz Feb 2013 #18

Only a narrow few varieties are grown commercially Gman Feb 2013 #19

"found in the National Seed Storage Laboratory" Spider Jerusalem Feb 2013 #21

Still waiting for this one thelordofhell Feb 2013 #24

what do we do about it? Liberal_in_LA Feb 2013 #26

i am pretty sure jung's offers more varieties than that. pansypoo53219 Feb 2013 #29

Why does this matter? oberliner Feb 2013 #30

Gardner, tomato junkie here. I've grown over 100 different varieties in my life. Lone_Star_Dem Feb 2013 #32

Victory seeds has 345 tomato varieties listed. politicat Feb 2013 #39