More productive than Cherokee Purple

[sjamesNorway]

Originally Posted by throwaway

10-12 per plant seems pretty good. Out of curiosity, how many do you typically harvest from indian stripe?

My experience with ISPL is similar to Bill's (b54red). I don't have a count, but I'm sure it produced more than 30. It kept on producing when other varieties were dropping flowers because of the midsummer heat in my greenhouse. Another advantage is that it's fairly compact. I've also grown Spudakee, which is excellent, but I only have room for one, and it will be ISPL.

Steve

[paprika]

I find that in my garden Big Cheef, Indian Stripe(PL &RL), and Spudakee all have more dependable production than Cherokee Purple and have great flavor.

[edweather]

Agree that climate has a lot to do with it. My CP up in Z5 produced like crazy, no complaints. Haven't tried it down here in GA Z9a, but have grown ISPL, and it produced like crazy last year until June, when the bugs and disease got it.

[Gardeneer]

I decond IS, both RL and PL. CP had bigger but fewer tomstoes than IS, grown side by side. Also CP had catfaced fruits, not IS.

[roper2008]

Bill, when you wrote that grey mold affects the black varieties in your garden. I realized
all the tomato plants that have gotten grey mold in my garden have been black tomatoes.
All this time I concluded it was a PL leaf problem. Last year my GGWT tomato which is RL
went down pretty fast with grey mold. My Bull’s Heart, which was right next to it, did not
get grey mold. Only black tomato I’m growing this year is Black Cherry.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by paprika

I find that in my garden Big Cheef, Indian Stripe(PL &RL), and Spudakee all have more dependable production than Cherokee Purple and have great flavor.

I agree. Big Cheef is my favorite purple. Off the charts production, and that flavor!

[jtjmartin]

I've given up on growing CP here. Last year, ISPL and Not Chocolate Stripes (sorry - forgot the new name) were the clear production and taste winners. GGWT was a close second but MC did not impress me.

Black Krim & Black Cherry opened my eyes to dark tomatoes - they will always have a special place in my heart!

I'm excited to see Big Cheef and 1884 Purple on other's lists. Both are up and growing for this year's garden - thanks to the generosity of T-ville seed swaps!

Jeff

[Goodloe]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

I agree. Big Cheef is my favorite purple. Off the charts production, and that flavor!

I grew CP in'16 and '17, but the Southern Blight got em both years before they produced ripe fruit. Big Cheef looks like a good variety, how does it rate for disease resistance? I may give it a try next season...

Thanks,
Jon

[b54red]

Originally Posted by roper2008

Bill, when you wrote that grey mold affects the black varieties in your garden. I realized
all the tomato plants that have gotten grey mold in my garden have been black tomatoes.
All this time I concluded it was a PL leaf problem. Last year my GGWT tomato which is RL
went down pretty fast with grey mold. My Bull’s Heart, which was right next to it, did not
get grey mold. Only black tomato I’m growing this year is Black Cherry.

Despite the weakness that the black varieties have to gray mold the wonderful production and taste that some of them can have during times of the year when other types just slow down or stop producing make them well worth the extra work of controlling the gray mold. From what I have found with all my experimenting with trying to produce tomatoes down here in the hottest months of summer and early fall there aren't that many reds and pinks that can hold a candle to the production that some of the black varieties achieve in those hellishly hot months. Even more important the full rich flavors come out in black varieties during those hot dry months while they may be more subdued or bland in times of "ideal tomato weather". They are my most planted varieties during the later plantings while the less heat tolerant pinks and reds get the majority of spots in my first few plantings.

Keeping the plants sprayed with a copper fungicide will prevent the worst of the gray mold problems as long as you also keep the plant pruned so more light and air can get to it. A bushy thick black tomato variety down here is just a magnet for a terrible gray mold problem. If despite those preventive measures you still get gray mold, it can quickly be brought under control if the diluted bleach spray is used early enough to prevent major foliage loss. The one thing I have learned about gray mold is that as soon as you see it you need to treat it because whatever you see is just the tip of the iceberg. When I first started using the bleach spray I feared it was killing healthy leaves but with experience I found that by waiting too long to treat the plants I was unknowingly allowing it to spread far beyond what I could see. Now when I spray the diluted bleach solution on a plant that has the beginning signs of gray mold I am not surprised to see the shriveled leaves beyond what I thought was infected. Higher humidity and heavy continual rain are very conducive to gray mold starting up. The longer I grow the black tomato varieties the less I am concerned with gray mold because I know how to keep it under some control and still enjoy good production as long as I am able and willing to do the work involved.

Bill

[b54red]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

I agree. Big Cheef is my favorite purple. Off the charts production, and that flavor!

I agree that it is a top producer with excellent flavor. The only downside for me is it is one of the seediest tomatoes I have ever grown. Makes saving seed easy though.

Bill

[efisakov]

My best producers out of black varieties last year were:

GGWT (18.8, 7.8, 6.5, 10.9, 16.1, 10.8, 7.3, 6.7, 8.3, 7, 12.6, 10.9, 6.1, 12.2, 12.5, 15.6, 11.5, 10.7, 11.5, 13.8, 7.4, 5.1, 5.9, 3.2, 11.5, 9, 14.5, 8.4, 11.5, 11, 9, 34.8(6 fruits total), 9.9, 9.7, 13.4, 3.8, 4.7, 6.3, 8.2, 6.4, 11, 12.7, 9, 9.5, 11.7, 7.3, 8, 4.3, 3.7, 6, 5.4, 5.5, 5.2) 490.6 total ounces

Danna’s Dusky Rose, excellent (5.5, 9.3, 9.2, 16.9, 20.2, 11.3, 9.6, 11.6, 20.5, 15.1, 12.8, 10.4, 9.8, 12.9, 10.3, 9.9, 13.2, 12.2, 10.4, 12.2, 4.8, 5, 3.9, 9.7, 9.2, 11, 4.4, 5.9, 7.9, 8.8, 10.2) 324.1 total ounces

GGWT second plant (6.9, 9.9, 10.6, 6.9, 9.6, 10.3, 7.9, 7.3, 7.4, 6.1, 9.9, 4.7, 10.7, 6.7, 9.8, 10.2, 6.7, 6.2, 3.6, 7.5, 6.6, 7.7, 4.7, 5.4, 6.6, 6.8, 4.9, 7.2, 9.8, 5.2, 4.8, 6.3, 5.9, 10.1,14.2, 9.4, 10.7) total 285.2 ounces

Not Purple Strawberry (9.3, 6.1, 12.2, 6.4, 12.5, 7.4, 16.2, 11.4, 9.1, 7.6, 6.9, 8.7, 9.3, 17.8(3 fruits total), 10.3, 6.5, 6.7, 6.9, 6.3, 7.7, 16.9(4 fruits), 7.4, 4.9, 4.8, 5.6) 224.9 total ounces



And this is from 2016:

Spudakee: 9.2, 12.1, 5.6, 11.6, 6.7, 12.1, 4.8, 17, 22.2, 15.4, 3, 16.2, 9.1, 12.6, 11.9, 8. 8.4, 8.9, 12.2, 10.3, 8.2, 11, 9.1, 8.7, 10.7, 7.5, 14, 9.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9, 2, 5.4, 6, 6.7, 9.6, 6.8, 4, 6.4, 8.3, 6.8, 5, 3, 1.7 = 392.8 total

Black Krim PL: 3.4, 8, 8.9, 6.9, 6.9, 7.5, 6.7, 8, 10.9, 5.9, 10.5, 9.1, 10.2, 12.3, 5.9, 4.3, 7.9, 10, 6.9, 3.9, 7.7, 7.1, 8.5, 8.6, 16(3), 23.2(6) = 225.2 total

Indian Stripe (victory): 5.1, 12.5, 10.9, 5.5, 7.3, 7.3, 3.7, 7.7(2), 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 19.8(3), 9.8, 6.2, 2.2, 8, 3.4, 8.6, 5.4, 9.1, 7.6, 5.4, 5.4, 2.9, 5, 6.6(2), 2.2, 4.1 = 188.3 total

Black Master: 12.6(3), 9.8, 9.7, 7.4, 10.3, 2.9, 7.5, 6.3, 3.7, 3.9, 6.7, 6.6, 6.4, 4.6, 6.7, 6.8, 5.9, 6.3, 9.1, 8.1, 4.6, 5.3, 11.4, 14.3(4), 4.3 = 181.2 total

Girl Girl's Weird Thing: 12.5, 7.4, 9.3, 12.6, 9.7, 10.3, 18.7, 11.5, 20.8, 13.4, 9.8, 14.9, 10.4, 8.8(2), 10.7, 4.9(2) = 185.7 total

Carbon: 6.6, 6.8, 6, 2.5, 2.9, 7.3, 11.9, 7.2, 8.7, 3.3, 4.3, 4.8, 3.7, 5.6, 4.1, 5.2, 2.3, 6.1, 6.3, 11.7, 9.9, 4.2, 9.4, 4.6, 6.6, 9.7(3), 8.8, 7.7 (2), 2.6, 10.2(3), 2.5, 7.3(2) = 200.8

Cherokee Chocolate: 7.8(2), 6.1, 9.1, 12, 6.5, 6.6, 6.1, 7.1, 8.7, 10.2, 4.8, 5.1, 5.7, 6.0, 5.4, 10.7, 3.4, 5, 8.2, 6.7, 4.6, 3.8, 9.2, 3.9, 6.8, 2.3 = 171.8



In 2015 GGWT gave 255.5 ounces from the only plant and JD's Special C-tex 286.6 ounces


I posted individual fruit weight as well as total to show variations.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by b54red

I agree that it is a top producer with excellent flavor. The only downside for me is it is one of the seediest tomatoes I have ever grown. Makes saving seed easy though.

Bill

I never noticed!

[roper2008]

Thanks Bill. I remember you posting about bleach spay for grey mold awhile back.
I have grown black tomatoes before with no grey mold at all. It just appeared about
3 or 4 years ago. I think I can live without growing black tomatoes. My favorites are
the hearts and most of those are pink and red. I just hope my Black Cherry doesn't get
it. Last time I grew it 2 years ago it didn't.

[NarnianGarden]

Yes the black tomatoes are wonderful. I believe they can survive at almost any weather. The grey mold has affected some of my black variety plants as well, but - Noire de Crimee was a superstar in 2015, when everytone else was being infected and sying around it. Super flavor, super productivity, lush green leaves that just kept on growing and living.

This year, I am having Indian Stripe, a repeat offender. Never tried the original Cherokee purple, as everyone advised here that IS is better.

[BigVanVader]

After growing most of the blacks recommended here I keep sticking with ISPL. It has been the most consistent for me and my climate. If I had to choose a different one I'd have to go with GGWT. To me the flavor is just as good and can be very productive. The one downside for me is that the plants are always enormous.