Amish Old Red – Carolyn, et al

[JerryL]

I received some seed of this variety from Carolyn awhile back and am growing it this year. I remember at the time having found a description for it but now I can’t. I know I took notes about it but now can’t find the notes. Maybe my pappy was right when he said I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached.

Anyone have any info on this variety?

[Earl]

Here's some info:

Posted by spudleafwillie 6b sw NM (My Page) on Thu, Jan 26, 06 at 19:09

.......
Amish Old Red -80 days, red beefsteak, from C. Wyatt,5yrs........

[Suze]

And, it's posted to a thread called "Your Favorite Potato Leaf Variety".

I looked in the '05 Yearbook and it is not listed, but it doesn't mean it isn't listed in earlier Yearbooks (I just joined last year). There is only an Amish Red (paste type) and it doesn't look like the same one.

[JerryL]

Earl, Suze – I found that short blurb from spudleafwillie at GW and I think that is what I found back when I got the seed. I too looked through SSE yearbooks ’03 – ’05 and didn’t see anything.

Maybe spudleafwillie or Carolyn, my seed source, will see this and comment.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by JerryL

Earl, Suze – I found that short blurb from spudleafwillie at GW and I think that is what I found back when I got the seed. I too looked through SSE yearbooks ’03 – ’05 and didn’t see anything.

Maybe spudleafwillie or Carolyn, my seed source, will see this and comment.

All I remember off hand was that it was a variety that Chuck found growing in a farmer's field when he and Joyce were out driving one day.

And I don't remember it as being PL either. But Bill collects PL variants of RL varieties so what he lists may well be a PL variant of the original.

What I need to do is to look at some older SSE Yearbooks and/or find my grow out data for back then, which is less likely.

Jerry, what year was the seed saved? I would have written that on the seed pack I sent you. That will help me target info better.

I'll do it later. Right now I have to go out there and turn on the tellie to Wimbledon and get some viewing in before Cathy the PT person comes this AM and makes me do funny things with my body re exercises.

[JerryL]

Carolyn

I don’t have my records available at the moment but they came from Seeds Still on paper plates ( all from 2002 to 2005) according to your original e-mail. When I get home I’ll check to see if I saved the packet or documented the year in my records.

I’m also going to have to take another look at the plant tonight. Now I’m not sure if it is RL or PL.

[carolyn137]

Jerry,

The 2002 to 2005 is close enough.

So now I need to find the vial with the original saved seeds to see what year that was so I have an idea of which SSE Yearbooks to look at.

I doubt I made detailed notes for all those several hundred saved seeds on plates b'c almost all of them were just being grown out for fresh stock.

So I'll see what I can find and you look to see if you have PL or RL foliage, b'c while I tend to think it was RL I sure have been wrong before as regards my memory.

Actually I've had a severe cold since last week and I blow my nose so much I think I'm losing brain cells at a logarithmic rate these days.

[carolyn137]

Unfortunately there are two different varieties named Amish Red.

Chuck listed it as Amish Old Red and that's the one I also call Amish Old Red and the one I sent you Jerry.

But in the 1997 SSE Yearbook I found a listing by Meryl Niedens, a well known breeder of new veggie/fruit varieties, who listed it as Amish Red, from Chuck, and described it as PL with 8-10 oz fruits.

So if there was no crossing I assume that's what you'll get from my seeds Jerry for I haven't grown them out to check them and for sure won't ever be doing that now.

The other one named Amish Red was the result of a cross done by Jeff Dawson in CA between Amish Paste and Sungold(cross, whatever that is) and the selection was a 1 oz plum shaped red fruit with a sharp point, is indet and RL.

This isn't the first time that two varieties have had the same name and it for sure isn't the first time that the name of a variety was not faithfully listed according to what it was initially named.

[JerryL]

Thanks for that info Carolyn.

I’m definitely going to check and document the leaf type tonight. Then I’ll just wait and see what develops.

[spudleafwillie]

Jerry L, Earl, Suze, Carolyn,

The seed for Amish Old Red That I got was from Chuck Wyatt in 2001 and the 3 or 4 times that I grew it out all seeds that I planted were PL. Whether this batch of seed was from one of those varieties that accidently got crossed in Chuck's garden in 2000-2001, I don't know.

I planted my last 6 seeds frim the original envelope from Chuck but only 2 germinated and were wimpy from germination. A critter in my garden in late April decided to eat tomato plants and lopped off the last 2 Amish Old Red PL plants. If anyone has any of the PL variant seed I would appreciate a sample to grow out.

According to my spudleafv database the tomato Amish Old Red is PL, indeterminate, 80 days DTM, 7-10 oz.beefsteak red/orange in color, 5-7 ft. tall

Thats all the info I have on Amish Old Red. Whether it was originally RL or PL I don't know. All the seed I ever grew out was PL

Best regards,
Bill Malin (aka spudleafwillie)

[carolyn137]

And considering that I file by pile I was amazed to find my grow out notes of Amish Old Red from about 2002 or 2003 and I listed two plants in between 2 of Brandywine ( Sudduth) and on the other side 2 of Neves Azorean Red.

And I'd noted in the margin that both plants of Amish Old Red were PL.

Which matches what I found in that 1997 SSE Yearbook and also matches what Bill has said.

So Jerry, you should have PL plants unless the seeds I sent were crossed.

So I'm not going to go back and try to find my original vial of saved seeds and I'm pretty sure I no longer have the seed pack that Chuck sent me with those seeds. I clearly remember him telling me about this variety that he found when he and Joyce were out for a drive and he said he'd send me some seeds and he did.

He wanted anything new that I had and in return he'd just send me seeds and never asked if I already had the varieties or what I might want.

As it is I still have quite a few packs of unopened seed he sent from I don't know what years. He was forever sending me Red Mortgage Lifter and Borgo Cellano and Mortgage Lifter ( Estler) and I remember Korean Love and......well, I'd have to go digging to find all the others.

[JerryL]

I do indeed have a PL plant.



As you can see it is doing quite well. A bit over 3 feet tall. Plenty of blossoms and one tiny fruit so far.



Thanks for all the input everyone. I’ll post again when I have ripe fruit.

[Dunkel]

Looks like a mater seed on the green thing (sorry forgot the technical term!) LOL Jerry were you eating a mater while tending your plants?

[JerryL]

Bill,

I don’t have any seed at the moment but will once I get a ripe fruit. I’ll be more than happy to send you some seed at that time. You might have to remind me though. LOL

Dunkel,

I wish it was a ‘mater seed but I don’t have anything ripe yet. I don’t know what it is/was. Maybe I’ll go back out and see if it is still there.

[JerryL]

I promised Spudleafwillie I’d post a couple of pictures of Amish Old Red.

I can’t say it was the best tomato I’ve ever eaten but it wasn’t to bad. Pretty firm yet juicy. Taste maybe a 8.0. I’ll probably pass on it next year since I have so many I haven’t tried yet. But who knows maybe I’ll find a spot for it down the line.