Paul Robeson vs Cherokee Purple

[alamo5000]

If you had to pick one over the other which one would you grow and why?

[OneoftheEarls]

add Liz Birt in the show down and let me step aside...I do have a fav...let me read for awhile first

[OneoftheEarls]

wow...that's a nice screensaver..lol

ok...ok...I'd do CP because it is consistent for me and grows more fruit. Taste.....whichever I pick first

just don't mention Indian Stripe, Spudakee, JD's Special C-Tex, Gary O'Sena, Brandakee, Vorlon or Carbon

Also, where you grow it and how will make a difference...sometimes seed selection. I know I have two slightly different versions of CP.

[alamo5000]

Now here is why I am asking...

I have my (new) greenhouse and right now I have 40 beautiful plants growing to beat the band inside. 30 some odd of them are brandywine suddith.

With any luck I am going to have suddith's coming due around the end of January. Its sheerly experimental to see if I could grow tomatoes all winter...and so far so good... temps outside have gone down to the mid 20's and my plants are all fine.

What I will do though is come end of January I will start peppers and several types of tomatoes and have an outside garden come spring.

My varieties of choice for this year are as follows:

Brandywine Suddith
Green Giant
Brandywine OTV
Paul Robeson
Cherokee Purple

I have space available (4 acres) and if I did 10 of each variety that would leave me with 50 plants which is fine. I am just brainstorming about how much and of what to plant. If I went all out then thats 150 plants!

I have no idea WHAT I would do with that many plants LOL!

I know for sure the two brandywines will be good, I might double up on them...the rest of them are experimental. I have not tried any of them.

I might do half and half... half spring and save the rest of the seeds for another half for a fall garden...with this greenhouse now that is completely realistic. Heck, its December and I am getting vine ripe tomatoes 2 weeks from Christmas....

[alamo5000]

I have never heard of Liz Bert. Whats so special about that one? OK...go on...play salesman LOL!

You sell me too much though and you are gonna complicate my plans! LOL!!

[alamo5000]

Speaking of 75 plants... in the opinion of the resident experts here...

if I was going to make a rectangle (or square) plot, how big of an area would I need to till up for 75 plants?

How many feet by how many feet?

[Bama mater]

I have a 100' X 30' plot across town that I put 440 in.

[goodwin]

hi alamo -

40'X40' We don't plant much in rows anymore - noting wrong with it, but we've gone to planting in beds of 6 with room all around.
Good luck with everything - looks like you've got a fine selection of varieties.
CP will outproduce Paul Robeson, in my experience, but Paul Robeson has great flavor.
goodwin

[OneoftheEarls]

just figure out how much space you want between plants and if you till, distance between.....I rowed and tilled last year



First day of many to get them all out...

[OneoftheEarls]

Why not grow both CP and Paul...then about 2 of each plant I listed and see what works for you. BTW I grew about 150 varieties in the garden posted (tomatoes).

[b54red]

I prefer the taste of Paul Robeson but I have only grown CP once and that was this fall. I have had a hard time getting Paul Robeson to live long enough to produce good. Out of around ten plants over the last two years I only had one big beautiful healthy one and our climate is similar to yours. Why not try some Indian Stripe plants. They out produced both and were more hardy for me. The fruits are not as large but flavor is very similar.

[FILMNET]

Paul Robeson by far, beautiful color and taste, My fav's now are PR, Black Krim, Carbon, Berkeley Tie, Black cherry, Sungold cherry. And some Red,pink ones.

[tomakers]

For some reason I have yet(5 seasons) to get a CP that I would call outstanding. They always show great promise early and then seem to tire out. The PR on the other hand have been good every time I grow them, and so far the taste goes to the PR.
JMO,
Tom

[OneoftheEarls]

almost forgot....slightly smaller but making the list for abundance and taste for me in MI was Amazon Chocolate...I know....add another one to the mix...lol

Photo from Tradewindsfruit.com I can send you seeds of this Alamo for a SASE request.

[travis]

I guess I've already chosen between Cherokee Purple and Paul Robeson since I've never grown Paul Robeson and can't imagine any tomato really tasting better than Cherokee Purple. Some come close, or even seem nearly identical, but none have ever topped that flavor, in my opinion, especially no Russian tomato I ever ate.