2016 Tomato and Pepper Reviews - Page 4

bower · August 31, 2016

I didn't grow a lot of OP's this year and most of them are just coming in, and I've been selling all the fruit that are marketable so I haven't tasted most of these I can only comment on production in a not great year with some soil quality challenges too.
Desyatku - semi determinate early yellow loaded up and ripened early. The first fruit I saved seeds and the remains were mushy not great, I took one to a party though and it was decent tasting. Lots of fruit and early, I made two crosses to it but I would grow itself again just for the production of not bad fruit.
Mazarini - pretty awesome production of large fruit - really liked the vigour and health of the plant, first fruit over a pound, not seeing a lot of defects as the smaller fruit are ripening and no issues with mold. Definitely worth growing again and looking forward to a taste...!
Altajskij Urozajnij (AU). Given better root space than last year and greenhouse protection, bigger plant lots of fruit larger fruit, very nice production. Taste is very sweet as last year, but the density smooth texture and complex depth of taste was better last year, not so remarkable in 'better' conditions or perhaps it is the soil? In any case, very nice performance, loaded with enjoyable fruit.
Owen's Purple - has ripened three fruit each close to 300 g. No defects except one is cracked so I kept it for seed. Just tasted it - nice but not special. Maybe the bad soil/bad year. Owen's has a couple more large fruit on it and some smaller ones. The plant looks like it's just getting started but too bad, our season will be over before that happens.
VB Russia - has ripened a first fruit - a double close to 300 g - and three more. There are half a dozen half grown fruit on the plant. Had to do a 'lower and lean' on it because it's enormous and wanting to put out suckers and get started now - too late!
Royal Purple - bust this year. Fruit are not shaped as expected. Lots of vegetation had to be hacked back and the dropping blossoms were big fluffy mold bombs. Nothing ripe, few set.
Orange Minsk: so promising but dropped fruit first in the cold, then in the heat, then the compacted soil issues kicked in and got blossom end rot on every fruit but one. I finally hacked the plant down and bagged the lone fruit survivor to ripen green.
Those are new here, so to be fair, the regulars:
Pervaya Lyubov - always so early and compact, this year she was last of all to set, and grew a tall vine. Half dozen fruit nothing even ripe yet. Biggest is catface-arama.
Oaxaca JewelPL - loaded. Grateful rain of sweet perfect bicolours.
The rest are crosses and some outdoors are later - lots of good taste and decent set in mostly small fruit, besides my own I have Mark's F1 to mention - spritely tart/sweet medium sized red fruit full set and grew up the fruit nicely once it went outdoors into 'daylight'! Definitely a fine F1 even in our tough conditions.

Peppers: I only grew a few and even indoors the set was not great this year except Santa Fe was decent. They all had to be moved out due to aphids - and yet another computer crash I can only blame on the amount of pollen they shed in the office....

On quest for computer parts... thanks peppers.

Mini Bells: Not impressed with size nor taste.
Jimmy Nardello: Love this pepper will always grow it.
Santa Fe: Ditto
Zolotoy Telets: Not bad, ripened a couple days after Jimmy. Nice set but sadly once put outdoors the greens turned black/purple, this is never a good sign. Not so cold tolerant...
Italian Pepperoncini: Fave, love it. Again sadly outdoors stressed peppers tend to purple and that means bitter to me.
Piment D'Esplette: The taste of this pepper is amazing so I'm glad to say it ripened a couple nicely after going outdoors so I'll have a taste and some fresh seeds.
Early jalapeno: One ripe! Desperate for fresh seeds so I hope there's some in it. The plants from very old seed are kinda mules...??

August 31, 2016	#46
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I didn't grow a lot of OP's this year and most of them are just coming in, and I've been selling all the fruit that are marketable so I haven't tasted most of these I can only comment on production in a not great year with some soil quality challenges too. Desyatku - semi determinate early yellow loaded up and ripened early. The first fruit I saved seeds and the remains were mushy not great, I took one to a party though and it was decent tasting. Lots of fruit and early, I made two crosses to it but I would grow itself again just for the production of not bad fruit. Mazarini - pretty awesome production of large fruit - really liked the vigour and health of the plant, first fruit over a pound, not seeing a lot of defects as the smaller fruit are ripening and no issues with mold. Definitely worth growing again and looking forward to a taste...! Altajskij Urozajnij (AU). Given better root space than last year and greenhouse protection, bigger plant lots of fruit larger fruit, very nice production. Taste is very sweet as last year, but the density smooth texture and complex depth of taste was better last year, not so remarkable in 'better' conditions or perhaps it is the soil? In any case, very nice performance, loaded with enjoyable fruit. Owen's Purple - has ripened three fruit each close to 300 g. No defects except one is cracked so I kept it for seed. Just tasted it - nice but not special. Maybe the bad soil/bad year. Owen's has a couple more large fruit on it and some smaller ones. The plant looks like it's just getting started but too bad, our season will be over before that happens. VB Russia - has ripened a first fruit - a double close to 300 g - and three more. There are half a dozen half grown fruit on the plant. Had to do a 'lower and lean' on it because it's enormous and wanting to put out suckers and get started now - too late! Royal Purple - bust this year. Fruit are not shaped as expected. Lots of vegetation had to be hacked back and the dropping blossoms were big fluffy mold bombs. Nothing ripe, few set. Orange Minsk: so promising but dropped fruit first in the cold, then in the heat, then the compacted soil issues kicked in and got blossom end rot on every fruit but one. I finally hacked the plant down and bagged the lone fruit survivor to ripen green. Those are new here, so to be fair, the regulars: Pervaya Lyubov - always so early and compact, this year she was last of all to set, and grew a tall vine. Half dozen fruit nothing even ripe yet. Biggest is catface-arama. Oaxaca JewelPL - loaded. Grateful rain of sweet perfect bicolours. The rest are crosses and some outdoors are later - lots of good taste and decent set in mostly small fruit, besides my own I have Mark's F1 to mention - spritely tart/sweet medium sized red fruit full set and grew up the fruit nicely once it went outdoors into 'daylight'! Definitely a fine F1 even in our tough conditions. Peppers: I only grew a few and even indoors the set was not great this year except Santa Fe was decent. They all had to be moved out due to aphids - and yet another computer crash I can only blame on the amount of pollen they shed in the office.... On quest for computer parts... thanks peppers. Mini Bells: Not impressed with size nor taste. Jimmy Nardello: Love this pepper will always grow it. Santa Fe: Ditto Zolotoy Telets: Not bad, ripened a couple days after Jimmy. Nice set but sadly once put outdoors the greens turned black/purple, this is never a good sign. Not so cold tolerant... Italian Pepperoncini: Fave, love it. Again sadly outdoors stressed peppers tend to purple and that means bitter to me. Piment D'Esplette: The taste of this pepper is amazing so I'm glad to say it ripened a couple nicely after going outdoors so I'll have a taste and some fresh seeds. Early jalapeno: One ripe! Desperate for fresh seeds so I hope there's some in it. The plants from very old seed are kinda mules...??