Haley's Purple Comet!

I would appreciate any negative or positive comments you may have about Haley's Purple Comet cherry tomato from Wild Boar Farms. Along with Sungold, Juliet, Jaune Flamme, and Improved Porter; I grew Black Cherry this year and haven't been impressed with it. It is the slowest of the varieties mentioned to provide ripe fruit though the vines are loaded with green fruit. The occasional ripe fruit harvested hasn't had a taste that I find pleasing. I understand Haley's Purple Comet has some parental connection to Cherokee Purple and may be interesting as a replacement for Black Cherry next year or this fall.

Thanks

Ted

[Sun City Linda]

Wow, cant imagine anyone would have a negative comment about SunGold! I didnt care for Black Cherry either and am growing HPC this year for the first time. LOVED Jaune Flammee. Never stopped producing wonderful, tasty juicy salad size maters. Also, a real beauty!

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Wow, cant imagine anyone would have a negative comment about SunGold! I didnt care for Black Cherry either and am growing HPC this year for the first time. LOVED Jaune Flammee. Never stopped producing wonderful, tasty juicy salad size maters. Also, a real beauty!

I've read and reread my question and I can't find where I mistakenly made a negative comment about Sungold. I love Sungold. I wasn't really trying to make a negative comment about Black Cherry. I just haven't been able to appreciate the flavor other folks seem to love. It may be the fault of my taste buds or the fact that I'm not letting them ripen enough before eating them. I will continue eating them through the summer searching for the sweetness and other flavors people seem to love in them.

I will admit I am not a fan of the Juliet's I grow every year. My daughter loves them so I guess I am stuck with them.

Ted

[Sun City Linda]

LOL, Ted, looks like maybe I misread your initial question, I thought you were asking for negative or positive feedback on all the toms listed, which is why I thought, who doesnt love SunGold?

Thanks Linda, that was fun trying to figure out how I could have insulted Sungold.

Ted

[ChrisK]

I tried to grow HPC last year in Raleigh. Apparently the WBF varieties do poorly in our climate. Yield was very poor in our heat and humidity as the plants languished.

The fruit that it did produce were larger than a golf ball but smaller than a tennis ball. Every single fruit had extensive concentric cracking and were unusable for the most part (Some may have made it into the sauces and soups though)

Wont be growing it again here.

Thanks Chris, I've grown a few of the WBF varieties and have wondered what they mean in some of their descriptions when they say "Marginal tomato climate recommended". I guess it's possible the HPC proved the point in your case.

Kath,

I really like cherry tomatoes, but I've never considered myself much of a "berry picker". While tomatoes like Sungold have outstanding taste, I really don't like picking the little jewels. I really would like a cherry which I can harvest a handful at a time like Juliet, but tasted like Sungold.

Ted

[kath]

Originally Posted by tedln

I really like cherry tomatoes, but I've never considered myself much of a "berry picker". While tomatoes like Sungold have outstanding taste, I really don't like picking the little jewels. I really would like a cherry which I can harvest a handful at a time like Juliet, but tasted like Sungold.

Ted
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In our family DH is the berry picker, thankfully, but I don't find picking Sungolds to be tedious probably because I don't harvest a bunch to be used later- they just get eaten in the garden every time I walk by. Picking Matt's Wild Cherry can get annoying because I find that I have to bend the stem back to snap it off attached to each fruit to prevent splitting...lots of work for a little bite. I grew it for a few years and got tired of working so hard to keep it within bounds- I'm giving it another chance this year since I have a trellis for it to grow on and because it seems impervious to disease and is always still hanging on in the fall until the first good frost.
Hope you find your perfect cherry tomato!

kath

[remy]

Originally Posted by tedln

I really would like a cherry which I can harvest a handful at a time like Juliet, but tasted like Sungold.

Ted

That's not asking too much. When someone develops it, I think we will all know about it! Having said that though, I've found that the more the season progresses, the more I have lots ripe at the same time from Sungold.
I'm glad you figured out that the Black Cherries tasted better left longer. I've wondered why some people don't like them much (not that they have to be someone's favorite, but to say they don't taste very good) and that may be why.
Remy

If I eat a Black Cherry when it only looks ripe, but is still firm; it's a spitter. If I eat it when it looks ripe and has become soft to the touch, it tastes great.

Ted

[maf]

Originally Posted by Tania

See History section at http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/H...s_Purple_Comet

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

LOL baaaaad Brad!

Brad Gates' daughter is called Haley, which puts the name in a different context. I bet he has a good chuckle at people thinking he doesn't know how to spell Halley's Comet.

[janezee]

So glad you brought this up, because I do believe that I'm in that "Marginal tomato climate" that Brad recommends. I'll be giving it a go in 2013.
Thanks!

j

Originally Posted by tedln

Thanks Chris, I've grown a few of the WBF varieties and have wondered what they mean in some of their descriptions when they say "Marginal tomato climate recommended". I guess it's possible the HPC proved the point in your case.

Ted

[hardwaterbob]

I love black cherry tomatoes as do all the people who I sold plants to. Last year I grew about 8 plants even with the dry weather they did well and are one of my favorite cherry tomatoes. I would also recommend peacevine cherry, sungold, and
prize of the trials. This is my opinion.

HWB

[kath]

My one time experience with HPC was similar to ChrisK's- the splitting was frustrating and I got few ripe fruits that were usable. I also find that I like cherry tomatoes to be more bite-sized. Black Cherry was one I grew a second time because, like you, I liked the taste of some of them. But the second year I grew tired of the huge plant that produced so late and was plagued with splitting fruits.

I love Sungold F1 but didn't care for Juliet or Jaune Flamme either...picky, picky, picky. I am still searching for open-pollinated cherries that are "worth the space"- hopefully even in hues other than Sungold's. This year I'm triaing Maskotka, Fruhe Liebe, Blush, "Dark Striped Cherry F2", Marko's Flortis Cherry, Honeydrop Cherry, Jan's, Josefina, Matt's Folly, Matt's Wild Cherry, Sweet Beverley, Vince P1 F5 and Zima F2 against Sungold and each other.

[RobinB]

I'm growing HPC for the first time this year. I was only going to grow ONE (in one of my raised beds), but my backup plant really, really wants to live. It's been outside, neglected mostly, and darned if it isn't the sturdiest thing with lots of new growth. It's still in a plastic cup, but it will be put into a large pot in the next week. I just can't bear to kill it. I can't wait to taste this one. I too, have been a bit disappointed with black cherry the last two years. I used to love it. Hmmmm.