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**carolyn137** · May 2, 2015

I'm of two minds of what you've said. And yes I've had a lot of tomato hail experience.

Yes, the surface area of PL leaves is almost always larger than RL leaves and yes PL rugose leaves have ridges and ruffles if you will.

But the epidermis of PL leaves in my opinion is thicker than RL leaves and that's shown in my experience since they are less susceptible to foliage diseases and at the end of the summer thay are the last ones standing when the RL's are down and out.

Which is one reason that I prefer growing PL varieties when I have a choice.

I've seen hail damage holes on RL leaves as well, and that never set them back much at all. For both I suggest you don't take off such "holy" leaves which leaves an open wound at the attachement site, just let them fall off naturally, if they do, and sometimes they do turn yellow and fall off, but again, in my experience, never ALL of them.

Carolyn

May 2, 2015	#3
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I'm of two minds of what you've said. And yes I've had a lot of tomato hail experience. Yes, the surface area of PL leaves is almost always larger than RL leaves and yes PL rugose leaves have ridges and ruffles if you will. But the epidermis of PL leaves in my opinion is thicker than RL leaves and that's shown in my experience since they are less susceptible to foliage diseases and at the end of the summer thay are the last ones standing when the RL's are down and out. Which is one reason that I prefer growing PL varieties when I have a choice. I've seen hail damage holes on RL leaves as well, and that never set them back much at all. For both I suggest you don't take off such "holy" leaves which leaves an open wound at the attachement site, just let them fall off naturally, if they do, and sometimes they do turn yellow and fall off, but again, in my experience, never ALL of them. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn