Get free 3945 tomato seedlings 6/16 at Hahn Nursery plus Doug Oster will help you shop
Posted on: June 14, 2019 | Written By: Doug Oster |
I’ll be giving away seedlings of the 3945 tomato at 11 a.m. Sunday at Hahn Nursery in Ross. It was found on the battlefield during WWII by the late Joe Roberts. The tomatoes are huge, sometimes reaching four pounds and are a reddish orange with a texture that’s both meaty and juicy, and a wonderful old-fashioned flavor.
After the seedlings are gone, I’ll be at the nursery as your personal shopper to help you find some cool plants. We can walk around together and look over what’s available. There is a lot of stuff on sale, too.
Dan Cummings of West Mifflin had been growing the ‘3945’ tomato discovered on a battlefield by a friend during WWII. Photos by Doug Oster
‘3945’ tomato.
It was my friend Dan Cummings who introduced me to 3945, he has since passed away too. “When I plant the tomatoes, I usually make a sign of the cross, bless them and ask the good Lord to make them grow so I can share them with everybody,” he said to me in 2016. Cummings had patriotic decorations throughout his garden and reflected on why he kept this historic tomato alive for all these years.
“I fly a flag every day in my yard in memory of those who fought and died for us,” he says proudly. “Can you imagine a unit of soldiers going across a battlefield and seeing a field of tomatoes? They took time out from protecting themselves to stop and eat some tomatoes and then to bring the seeds home and to grow them. It’s just mind-boggling.”
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