Potato Leaf

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by nctomatoman

Here are some PLs that I didn't care for (flavor-wise)

but that is a small percentage of the PLs I've grown, so oddly, whether it is because I've selected carefully or been lucky, most I've tried are very good to superb in flavor, no matter what the color.

Oh, there will always be some PLs that suck.

Marianna's was good for me, but I know it's been rather unpredictable. And I won't even get into the pre-sales hype.

But I'm to the point now where if someone hands me an impressive-tasting tomato, I want to know if it's PL or RL for my own edification.

[BigdaddyJ]

Put me down as a PL lover. All things considered, I'd rather grow PL. I agree with Camo who I think is about 2 hours north west of me that PL's last longer into the season. I swear they are better at disease resistance but I defer to Craig who has grown way more varieties than I have. For instance, this year I had a choice as to whether or not grow a Granny Cantrell RL or PL and it's a no brainer for me...

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by BigdaddyJ

Put me down as a PL lover. All things considered, I'd rather grow PL. I agree with Camo who I think is about 2 hours north west of me that PL's last longer into the season. I swear they are better at disease resistance but I defer to Craig who has grown way more varieties than I have. For instance, this year I had a choice as to whether or not grow a Granny Cantrell RL or PL and it's a no brainer for me...

I'm one who has said several times that I think PL varieties are more tolerant of foliage diseases and have suggested it's b'c the leaf epidermis of PL's is thicker, but have no data to support that at all. And there are others who have not had that same experience. My experience is based on growing about 2600 varieties and for sure I love the PL's. Actually the first thing I do when germinating a brand new variety is to get excited when I see it is a PL.

Daddy, when it comes to growing a PL or an RL of Granny Cantrell, for instance since there are many varieties out there now that show both PL and RL at different times, how can you be sure that a leaf variant of an original variety is the same as the original except for leaf form?

And I've asked that same question here many times since only if the leaf variant arose by a single spontaneous mutation would that be true. But there are other molecular mechanisms than single mutations that can accomplish the same and in those cases MORE than ONE gene can be lost or affected.

[travis]

Of course the chances of cross pollination are exponentially greater than spontaneous mutation.

[BigdaddyJ]

Carolyn, I have no idea! The only genetics from school I remember is some monk named Mendel grew some purple peas...LOL I let that all up to you guys (Keith, Craig, you, Bill, Gary, etc who know your stuff and enjoy the growout process and results. I just grow to eat em and grow and sample different varieties in the never ending quest of finding a super early, disease resistant, nah, disease FREE, production monster that's a long keeper, looks beautiful, are the size of Porterhouse or Big Zac and tastes better than Brandywine! See, I'm not asking for much...;-)

What I meant was two very kind individuals sent me GC seeds. One sent RL and the other sent PL. Clearly marked as such. I chose only to grow the PL's. I kept two plants for myself and gave a third to a fellow T'Viller who lives near me. I planned on saving seeds. Am I correct in reading between the lines that those seeds won't necessarily breed PL true for next year?

[BigdaddyJ]

I should add that all three plants grew out PL. I can take pics. They are outside enjoying a beautiful 81F day while I'm in here taking a break from weed pulling. I bought a straw bale that is full of baby straw plant weeds. I gotta find a salt hay provider or something weed free!!!!

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by travis

Of course the chances of cross pollination are exponentially greater than spontaneous mutation.

Absolutely true, but with a natural cross one doesn't usually get fruits back that look like the original.

I'm referring to the situation where someone says I have the variety Hot Day ( which it is here) and some seedlings were PL and some Rl and the plants with the two leaf forms gave me the exact same fruits except for leaf form.

One good example is those who at the same time grow Spudakee ( from Bill Malin), Cherokee Purple Potato leaf ( from Jere Gettle) and normal RL Cherokee Purple ( From Craig) and say that the two PL ones arent' the same and one or both PL's aren't the same as the original RL.

OTOH most folks, and I agree, say that KBX (PL) and Kellogg's Breakfast (RL) have the same fruits that taste the same and look the same as to size, shape, etc,m and I'd put that one up as a candidate for a spontaneous single mutation, not a change in leaf form due to DNA looping out, or DNA inversions, or repeats, etc., which can involve a leaf form change but can involve more than one gene at the same time.

[Flame of Bodensee]

Hi,

i like PL Tomatoes but i have not much Sorts till yet, but the main positive thing why i like them is the foliage is sturdily. well last year and this year too, my plants are too big already ( growlamps light is too much who i have ) till plant time and the foliage tangle all together mostly, so the PL Plants i can easily move away without hurting the sheets. the bad thing is that the sheets grow sometimes very big..... perhabs too much fertilizer

greetz Matthias