Best of the potato-leaf varieties?

[b54red]

Originally Posted by indigosand

Yes, I expect something deeper in color than the brandywine but not quite a true blue-purple. red-violet if you will. I haven't been enticed by the reviews of the true purples yet although I do find the appearance of purple smudge appealing. The cherokee has my eye because it also falls under PL's which have done quite well in my location. I bought some seed last night. My season is long here, so I can start as late as mid May and still expect good crops.



I like the description of Trifele too, sounds like it would also be a winner for me. Since it is obviously not a big slicer type, how is it for fresh and cooked applications? I may grow KBX simply so I can compare it side by side with a Dr. Wyche's.

I grow them both every year. KBX is a better tasting tomato but is less dependable and struggles more in late summer and fall than does Dr. Wyches. Dr. Wyches is far more tolerant of fusarium than KBX which is a major factor in its production for me. If I could only pick one then it would be Dr. Wyches just because I have more faith in it surviving and producing tomatoes. After having said that KBX is my favorite gold tomato by far. I just wish I had better luck with it.

[indigosand]

Originally Posted by halleone

I use Trifele for making a black roasted-tomato tomato sauce, usually blended with another black (Black Sea Man or maybe a Wild Boar something). The black sauces have such a depth of flavor that I can't get with the reds, and I wouldn't be without it.

For fresh eating, mmmmm!

I do have another favorite for fresh eating that surpasses it; it was supposed to be Black and Red Boar, but didn't quite come out as described, so I can't be sure what it is. I bagged seeds last year and hope I get the same thing, because I sure wouldn't be without it, whoever it is!

Thanks for the info! That sounds delicious.

Originally Posted by feldon30

Yep for years everyone thought they were growing "Purples" until the real purple tomatoes came around -- Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, etc. Then the entire category of "Purple" had to be renamed to Pinks. It's immensely confusing when going back through SSE Yearbooks and seed catalogs around the time of the transition.

QUITE confusing to a newbie, I feel like I've stepped in the middle of a war zone a bit sometimes. LOL!

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Yes, I expect something deeper in color than the brandywine but not quite a true blue-purple. red-violet if you will. I haven't been enticed by the reviews of the true purples yet although I do find the appearance of purple smudge appealing. The cherokee has my eye because it also falls under PL's which have done quite well in my location. I bought some seed last night. My season is long here, so I can start as late as mid May and still expect good crops.

&&&&&&&

Since Cherokee Purple is RL, do you mean that you bought seeds for either Cherokee Purple Potato Leaf ( Jere Gettle) or for Spudakee, both of which are PL?

Yes, Purple Smudge and Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge look appealing, but about taste? Well, I'll let you be the judge and yes, I've grown the original Purple Smudge.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Purple_Smudge

Take a look at the genetic background of Purple Smudge as noted at Tania's page in the link above.

Carolyn

Oh rats, I didn't check because I didn't realize there were two different types. I bought it from Tatiana's, which means I have RL coming. Oh well, I will probably enjoy it anyhow and some time I can compare it to a PL.

Re: purple smudge Gah.. the dreaded san marzano. Well I suppose with that, and the reading that I have done that suggests it is in best form when exposed to cold and stress that it would not be a keeper in my hot, dry garden. Thanks for the heads-up.

Originally Posted by b54red

I grow them both every year. KBX is a better tasting tomato but is less dependable and struggles more in late summer and fall than does Dr. Wyches. Dr. Wyches is far more tolerant of fusarium than KBX which is a major factor in its production for me. If I could only pick one then it would be Dr. Wyches just because I have more faith in it surviving and producing tomatoes. After having said that KBX is my favorite gold tomato by far. I just wish I had better luck with it.

Well I purchased some seed for KBX. It wasn't an easy one to find this time of the year. I plan on growing both to see which I prefer. I can patiently wait out a good tomato as my growing season is Apr. - Sept. but one that falls prey to disease easily (and thus infects the whole garden) is certainly not a keeper. I'll just have to wait and see.

[Ken4230]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

...Over the years I've noticed that thePL varieties, at least some of them, are more tolerante of the common foliage diseases and have suggested that perhaps it's b'c the PL leaves have a thicker epidermis, with no documantion to offer other than my observation. Some would agree with me, others would not.

Carolyn

I grow mostly Pl plants and have almost no foliar diseases that i recognise. It could be that i don't know the difference between a foliar disease and the normal (to me) dying of the lower limbs as the tomato ages.
Being an aggressive pruner of any damaged or even suspicious looking leaves and stems may mitigate any damage from the diseases, if i have them. Lots of times, my plants will look like a tomato tree, with no stems or leaves below 2'.
Reading some of the comments on here, especially those of b54red and others, has made me realise just how lucky i have been.

[tam91]

KBX has had no diseases, and been vigorous and productive for me. I suspect different climates and different years...

One of my very favorite tomatoes!

[b54red]

I have never really noticed a difference in the level of foliage diseases between potato leaf plants and regular leaf plants. I have noticed that tomato varieties with the darker green leaves don't get TSWV as frequently as plants with lighter colored foliage. It seems that disease concentrations are more affected by where the plant is in relation to many variables like the amount of sunlight, denseness of the foliage, exposure to wind, exposure to rain, and location in the garden. I have a small bed where I plant a single row of tomatoes that is completely protected from the prevailing winds by a very tall dense hedge and plants in that bed always have far less foliage diseases than my main garden; but fusarium problems are the same. I think this is because so many disease carrying pests miss these plants by and large and disease carried on the wind and rain has less chance to land on them. It took me a few years to notice this but since I first started watching for it I have been amazed at the difference in foliage disease concentrations between the two locations.

Bill

[ContainerTed]

Respecting the original title of this thread, I grow African Queen every year because it just makes bacon taste better.

I would also add Soldacki to the list of good/great tasting potato leaf varieties.

[housemouse]

I now have to grow on my apartment patio, faces southeast, Minneapolis, and want to grow a Brandywine. (Johnny's Sudduth seeds). I am thinking of a large "SmartPot". I am guessing it will get pretty hot in the middle of summer.

Will it do ok there? Not sure exactly what conditions Brandywines like the best.

[indigosand]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

Respecting the original title of this thread, I grow African Queen every year because it just makes bacon taste better.

I would also add Soldacki to the list of good/great tasting potato leaf varieties.

oooooh... lovely shape on those! I like how the seed cavities do not extend to the middle of the fruit in the photos I saw. I bet it's a nice one for sandwiches. *scribbles on growing list*.

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by indigosand

QUITE confusing to a newbie, I feel like I've stepped in the middle of a war zone a bit sometimes. LOL!

When in doubt, I'd look at Tatiana's Tomatobase. She's done an incredible job building and maintaining this online encyclopedia of tomato varieties. With all the pictures, details, and origin information, it really helps clear up a lot of the confusion that you get when looking at outdated sources.

[SharonRossy]

Just wanted to say that I grew the Black Trifele last year - I really liked it and it was prolific. Didn't grow it this year because I caught the seed starting bug and went nuts on other varieties.

[ScottinAtlanta]

I am also one of the few who love Japanese Black Trifele.

[huntoften]

Brandywine Sudduth, Kimberly, and KBX are easily my top three potato leaf plants.

[Tapout]

So far for me KBX is kicking butt as a seedling. I am about ready to plant in the garden is the next 2 days or so and KBX is a very healthy strong thick stemmed tall plant.

[halleone]

Originally Posted by Tapout

So far for me KBX is kicking butt as a seedling. I am about ready to plant in the garden is the next 2 days or so and KBX is a very healthy strong thick stemmed tall plant.

Same here; my sister wanted to try KBX, so I gave her the ones that had been planted with the rest of my varieties. I planted a second pot of them for myself and even though they were planted two weeks later, they are taller than the older ones.

[indigosand]

All my seeds from Tatiana and Remy are on the way, I'm excited to try these! Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far.