Purple Haze questions

jsvand5 · March 13, 2011

I have a few seeds that are F3's. I have read over some old posts about purple haze, but I am wondering if there is any new info on if I should be keeping the RL or PL seedlings? I am hoping to get something as close to the original in size and taste. I would like to just order an F1 plant from Selected plants but I don't think I really have room for enough plants to make another order worth it. Thanks for any info.

travis · March 13, 2011

Because the parents of Purple Haze are so different from one another, when you grow out the F2s and F3s, you will get many diverse results.

Of course you will get both potato leaf and regular leaf plants, but the leaf shape makes no difference with regard to fruit shape, fruit size, flavor, or color, so whether you keep the regular leaf or the potato leaf is up to you.

Some of us who have grown out F3s have gotten larger, lumpier, much different sizes and shapes in the F3s from seeds we saved from F2 plants that had given us shapes and sizes nearly identical to the F1s, so things can and will change even after you think you got it.

Additionally, the color can change from the nice greenish purple color characteristic of the gf genes donated by both parents to the F1. Some of us now have pink, and even bicolor pink/yellow fruit rather than the color shown in the F1 or F2s.

There are many variables that will affect your results when growing out the filial generations of Purple Haze while seeking "something as close to the original in size and flavor," and the leaf shape will be the least of your worries. The flavor probably will be the hardest thing to capture especially since it can change or diminish as generations go along.

Bottom line, if you want something identical to Purple Haze, buy a Purple Haze F1 plant from selectedplants.com

jsvand5 · March 13, 2011

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll just see what happens this season and grab a couple F1 plants from selectedplants.com next season.

What Fx are people up to now? Has anyone gotten anything close to a stabilized variety that is close to the original?

travis · March 13, 2011

I've seen pictures from Raybo showing fruit that appears close to the original and I'd guess he's at least at F4, maybe F5.

I've grown F2s, F3s and F4s but only had two F4 plants that I'd consider comparable to the F1 in size and shape, but not flavor. I ate some F2s grown by someone in Texas last summer that tasted nearly identical and looked the same. I'm just saying the results are all over the map. Don't expect instant success.

rnewste · March 13, 2011

I am about to plant a Purple Haze F6 PL plant that Damon (sprtsguy) started for me. I know he is growing out a few of the F6 plants as well. Last Season, the F5 plants were pretty stable in terms of fruit size and taste. A keeper for me.

Raybo

lumierefrere · March 13, 2011

I'll be growing F5 this year and they've been stable all along. Since I got the F1s from Keith, I know what the originals look like. Taste has seemed the same to me every year. An anomaly, I know.

Barb

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · March 13, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumierefrere

I'll be growing F5 this year and they've been stable all along. Since I got the F1s from Keith, I know what the originals look like. Taste has seemed the same to me every year. An anomaly, I know.

Barb

Would love to try these next year if you have RL puple haze F1 size fruits have lots to trade or SESE. Will wait to hear your results from this year.

Craig

Sunsi · July 6, 2011

I got my Purple Haze from two different sources this year--two plants from Laurel and a few from Selected Plants. Laurel's have a PL and Selected Plants is a RL--both sources are progressing along at the same rate with tomatoes starting to develop. I hope the taste is the same because it's my favorite.

I was hoping to save seeds but seeing what travis mentioned about taste diminishing as generations go along was discouraging. rnewste said, "F5 plants were pretty stable in terms of fruit size and taste" so it might be worth my time and I am curious to see what I would get. Of course, I'll still buy the real thing because I can't imagine a summer without these fantastic tomatoes to eat.

travis · July 6, 2011

Sunsi, I didn't mean to imply that taste diminishes in all cases as generations progress, but yes it has diminished in the majority of cases that I happened to pursue. Other folks have been luckier than I in that regard. I went backward and am growing some F3s this year from seeds out of tomatoes that were nearly identical to and I thought tastier than the F1. Fingers crossed.

By the way, if the plants you got from Laurel are potato leaf, that is not true Purple Haze F1, since one parent is the regular leaf variety Black Cherry, and I would suspect then she is selling something from a segregating filial generation.

Sunsi · July 7, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by travis

Sunsi, I didn't mean to imply that taste diminishes in all cases as generations progress, but yes it has diminished in the majority of cases that I happened to pursue. Other folks have been luckier than I in that regard. I went backward and am growing some F3s this year from seeds out of tomatoes that were nearly identical to and I thought tastier than the F1. Fingers crossed.

By the way, if the plants you got from Laurel are potato leaf, that is not true Purple Haze F1, since one parent is the regular leaf variety Black Cherry, and I would suspect then she is selling something from a segregating filial generation.

Thanks, travis for clarifying that--I really want to save seeds from these two different types and see what I get.

I believe Laurel mentions on the Purple Haze description how her plants came to be although I don't have it set to memory--paraphrased--she knows someone who stabilized it and sells plants from those seeds.

Again, thanks for your time and information, travis.

ddsack · October 8, 2011

Raybo, how did your F6 PL Purple Haze plant do this season? Was it consistent with what you were expecting? I think I am up to F6 as well with the seeds you sent me a couple of years ago. I started seeds from the ping pong sized PL plant of last year, and kept two seedlings, both were purple PL's but one plant had just slightly larger fruit. I tasted the fruit from the smaller plant late in the season, and it had almost a hint of grape sweetness to it that I have not noticed before. Hope it can keep that flavor next year. One of these years I'll have to get the F1 plant to compare, since I have no idea what the real Purple Haze is supposed to taste like.

rnewste · October 8, 2011

ddsack,

Yep, it grew out well for me this year (Sprtsguy had started the seedling for me). I have 3 original Purple Haze F1 seeds, so in a couple of years, I will grow out the F1 and compare it to the F7 or F8 at that time.

Right now, I am focused on Soren's MarNar (Marianna's Peace x Neves Azorean Red) as I was able to grow out F2 tomato seed earlier this Summer, and now, an F3 seed cache from the Fall plants.

Raybo

March 13, 2011	#1
jsvand5 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: FL Posts: 47	Purple Haze questions I have a few seeds that are F3's. I have read over some old posts about purple haze, but I am wondering if there is any new info on if I should be keeping the RL or PL seedlings? I am hoping to get something as close to the original in size and taste. I would like to just order an F1 plant from Selected plants but I don't think I really have room for enough plants to make another order worth it. Thanks for any info.

October 8, 2011	#11
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Raybo, how did your F6 PL Purple Haze plant do this season? Was it consistent with what you were expecting? I think I am up to F6 as well with the seeds you sent me a couple of years ago. I started seeds from the ping pong sized PL plant of last year, and kept two seedlings, both were purple PL's but one plant had just slightly larger fruit. I tasted the fruit from the smaller plant late in the season, and it had almost a hint of grape sweetness to it that I have not noticed before. Hope it can keep that flavor next year. One of these years I'll have to get the F1 plant to compare, since I have no idea what the real Purple Haze is supposed to taste like. __________________ Dee **************

March 13, 2011	#2
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Because the parents of Purple Haze are so different from one another, when you grow out the F2s and F3s, you will get many diverse results. Of course you will get both potato leaf and regular leaf plants, but the leaf shape makes no difference with regard to fruit shape, fruit size, flavor, or color, so whether you keep the regular leaf or the potato leaf is up to you. Some of us who have grown out F3s have gotten larger, lumpier, much different sizes and shapes in the F3s from seeds we saved from F2 plants that had given us shapes and sizes nearly identical to the F1s, so things can and will change even after you think you got it. Additionally, the color can change from the nice greenish purple color characteristic of the gf genes donated by both parents to the F1. Some of us now have pink, and even bicolor pink/yellow fruit rather than the color shown in the F1 or F2s. There are many variables that will affect your results when growing out the filial generations of Purple Haze while seeking "something as close to the original in size and flavor," and the leaf shape will be the least of your worries. The flavor probably will be the hardest thing to capture especially since it can change or diminish as generations go along. Bottom line, if you want something identical to Purple Haze, buy a Purple Haze F1 plant from selectedplants.com

March 13, 2011	#5
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	I am about to plant a Purple Haze F6 PL plant that Damon (sprtsguy) started for me. I know he is growing out a few of the F6 plants as well. Last Season, the F5 plants were pretty stable in terms of fruit size and taste. A keeper for me. Raybo

March 13, 2011	#6
lumierefrere Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Zone 4 NY Posts: 772	I'll be growing F5 this year and they've been stable all along. Since I got the F1s from Keith, I know what the originals look like. Taste has seemed the same to me every year. An anomaly, I know. Barb

July 6, 2011	#8
Sunsi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: New York Outback 5b Posts: 107	I got my Purple Haze from two different sources this year--two plants from Laurel and a few from Selected Plants. Laurel's have a PL and Selected Plants is a RL--both sources are progressing along at the same rate with tomatoes starting to develop. I hope the taste is the same because it's my favorite. I was hoping to save seeds but seeing what travis mentioned about taste diminishing as generations go along was discouraging. rnewste said, "F5 plants were pretty stable in terms of fruit size and taste" so it might be worth my time and I am curious to see what I would get. Of course, I'll still buy the real thing because I can't imagine a summer without these fantastic tomatoes to eat.