Let's talk about Jeff Davis

[Polar_Lace]

To me; it looks like a potato leaf plant!

Jeff Davis Young Plant


Jeff Davis Bottom Leaves


Jeff Davis Upper Branch


Jeff Davis Green Cluster


Jeff Davis Early Blooms


Jeff Davis Bloom Closeup


Jeff Davis Group: Please ignore the invading bean leaves.


Jeff Davis Mature Fruit


Jeff Davis next to a Brandywine (which I got from mt friend 20 miles away.)

[carolyn137]

Robin,

What do you want to talk about re the variety Jeff Davis, which I've grown.

It should be about a 1# pink PL variety and what you show with upper leaves not being as PL as the more mature lower leaves is not unusual for quite a few PL varieties.

But what you show as Red Brandywine sure isn't Red Brandywine.

[Polar_Lace]

Thank you for answering me Carolyn.

Actually I'm glad you asked....

It should be about a 1# pink PL variety

1. Then this looks like the fruit it's supposed to be? With all the mix up of seeds going around; even from Marianna's Heirlooms (with the OP's)- I started to wonder. DG had it listed as a 'Regular Leaf', I asked them to change it to PL.

What you show with upper leaves not being as PL as the more mature lower leaves is not unusual for quite a few PL varieties.

2. Thank you very much for clearing that up for me.

what you show as Red Brandywine sure isn't Red Brandywine.

3. Yes, I know; I found out that it's a -potato leaved- Brandywine which I forgot to rename in the picture- Whoops!

Believing in DG I marked seed packs as RL to give & trade with.

...... Because I really couldn't recognize the difference; till I studied the leaves better

So those of you who received seeds marked as 'RL' must change it to 'PL'

Thank you for clearing this up, Carolyn.

[Polar_Lace]

I forgot to say that I liked the taste very much. Very 'Olde Tyme' & just the right amount of everything.

[amideutch]

Polar, I take it thats a earth box you are growing the JD in. What purpose does the pie tin serve. Just curios. Ami

[Polar_Lace]

Originally Posted by amideutch

Polar, I take it thats a earth box you are growing the JD in. What purpose does the pie tin serve. Just curios. Ami

Yes; that is an EB; 8 years old to be exact. I own 19 of them now, all bought in the same year - 1998. One was stolen from me 2 years ago, tomato crops & all.

The silver reflects heat & light up to the crops from below & has proven remarkably effective in aphid control. Many bugs like to inhabit dark places, under the undersides of leaves. The ants didn't go near those plants that had the pie tins under them = less aphids also. No slugs or hornworms on those that had the reflective pie tins either. It was an experiment that I did after reading about plastic 'Silver Mulch' last year. It worked out real good too! I figured it would help any of the veggie plants I would be growing outside also.

Colored Plastic Mulches for Vegetable Gardening

Brite-N'up Silver Mulch 0.5 Mil (30"X4000' Roll)

Clarke Ag Plastics Research
P.O. Box 238
Greenwood, VA 22943

[amideutch]

Polar, Thanks for the info. Thats something I will have to try next year. Ami

[Polar_Lace]

Just a note to say I found the 'Silver Mulch' at Pine Tree Seeds much cheaper under the Watering & Weather Button; down where the Season Extenders are.

H535. SRM SILVER MULCH .17 PER FOOT
This 4 foot wide .75 mil plastic is black on one side and silver on the other. The silver reflects heat up to the crops while the black plastic prevents weeds. Has proven remarkably effective in aphid control. 20 foot minimum

[jenn_sc]

I got to try Jeff Davis at Tomatopalooza this year and it was one of my favorite tomatoes!!!!

I'd love to hear more about everyone's experiences growing it. That is one of the tomatoes I saved seed from and I'm eagerly awaiting next spring to try them out!

Jennifer

[tjg911]

i would also like to hear about jeff davis. i received seeds and i am uncertain whether to grow it. i do not ever remember reading about it here or at gw, it is not talked about very often is my point, so i was thinking of not trying it.

i love earl's faux, i love dr. lyle.

marrianna's peace is very good, so is stump of the world.

is jeff davis in the ef/dl group for flavor?

is jeff davis in the mp/sotw group for flavor? is it not good enough to be in this group?

those are both good groups but the 1st is better than the 2nd.

tom

[Polar_Lace]

Info I have found on the net:

Tomato Jeff Davis

85 days - This potato leaf foliaged tomato originated in Alabama during the 1890's. The medium sized, oval tomatoes weighs 10-16 ounces, is pink/purple in color, and has a low acid flavor. Has shown signs of having some disease resistance. Indeterminate vines.

http://www.heirloomseeds.com/tomatoes.htm

Jeff Davis - 1890 variety that "hails" from the B&O Railroad path that crossed Alabama. Very high yield of great tasting 1lb.+ purplish-pink beefsteaks. My plants went through every disease of the season and kept producing fruit after fruit. Indet. 85 days.

http://mariseeds.com/2005catalog/pinks.html

A large potato leaf heirloom variety that produces 10 -18-ounce, pink-purple slightly oval fruits that have a creamy flesh, few seeds and are deliciously robust with sweet tomatoey flavors. Although a particularly good variety for the southern, warmer climates I've had very good luck with these in Central California.
Days: 85
Type: Heirloom
Size: Indeterminate
Late Season

http://www.tomatofest.com/cgi-bin/cart.pl

Worth the wait.

[shelleybean]

Here's where my taste buds differ from Tom's. I'd choose Stump of the World over Dr. Lyle. I was under the impression the flavor of Jeff Davis was on the mild side. Opinions? In any case, it really is a pretty tomato!

[shelleybean]

Okay, I just went back and read the comments on taste more carefully. That's really a mixed review. Everything from low acid to old timey flavor. I think of old timey as real, classic tomato flavor, not what I would call low acid, which to me, translates to bland most of the time. I guess the only way to know is to grow it myself. Thanks for the photos. I had never seen any pics of Jeff Davis before.

[Polar_Lace]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

Thanks for the photos. I had never seen any pics of Jeff Davis before.

Neither had I.

I bought the seeds in 2003 directly from a Farm Stand that was on the side of the road in the town of "Deposit" here in NYS. The farmer told me that he was selling them at a low price 'cause people weren't interested in 'those kind' of tomatoes anymore; with no pictures, self-saved seeds that were already 5 years old. Assorted veggies (self-saved) also, 20 packs for $1.00. What did I have to loose.... Time? Not much info on the seeds' envelopes either.

BTW.... most of his seeds germinated very well, & some were from 1998 to 2001 also.

[jenn_sc]

The Jeff Davis I sampled at T'palooza was very rich and sweet tasting...but with what I'd call an "old fashioned" bite, too. I thought it was excellent. The particular fruit I tasted from was quite ripe and dripped all over the place. (That's my kind of tomato )

And it came from Alabama? So maybe, just maybe, it can withstand swampy SC conditions? One can hope! Lots of worthy tomatoes bite the dust quickly around here

Jennifer