HC

About the Potato Tops. I got some a couple of years ago from Oster too late to start for that year and started them this spring. Four germinated, and two were RL, two PL. The RLs are smaller plants, though started at the same time. Both leaf-types have much larger blossoms (and uniformly so) than any of the other varieties I'm growing. They aren't double blossoms, so I suspect the tomatoes will be very large and not scrungled up like some brandywines and other heirlooms. I just hope they'll grow well in this area so far south of Pennsylvania.

The plants with PLs have extremely large leaves. I imagine that with no controls for Oster's Potato Top, there are going to be some seeds returned to him for distribution that are certainly mixed in leaf-type. I'm not going to save any of the seeds this year since they aren't planted far enough away from other RLs to preclude cross-pollinization, but I will do that next year if I plant them again. I'll have more space then.

Anney,

Yes, the flowers on this plant are large, single blossoms and the one fruit that set so far is smooth looking.

I suspect you're right about the rest of what you say. Tom really liked his potato leaf version of Potato Top last summer. He'll probably poke a picture in here if he reads this thread. If he does, tease him about how it looks as if he waxed the tomato for the photo shoot :::grin:::

Anney, if you get time, post up some pictures of your Potato Top plants.

Bill

Bill

Here are a few of the PL pics I snapped. You can't tell the comparative size of either since I didn't put my hand in the pic, but the leaf shape is visible. Morning dew is still on them.

All three are Oster's Potato Top, PL.

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Anney,

Very nice! I'm jealous :::darn:::

Maybe next year for me.

Bill

See what kind of maters you get this year from what came up. I'm curious about how the Potato Top RLs will compare in taste and production to the PLs. If you'd like, I can send you some of the seed batch I got. I have a lot of them left. You can always start them all next year and cull out the RLs. Or you can do that with what you've already received. SURELY there are some PLs somewhere among them!

bump--missed this thread...

Thanks for the bump, Mark ... reminded me to update with some of the fruit off those vines.

Cherokee Purple Potato Leaf

Novikov's Giant Potato Leaf

Novikov's Giant Normal Leaf

The PL version should be called "Pink Potato Top", not "Osters Potato Top" -
We shouldn't take any credit away from Fred Limbaugh ~

Personall, I think it should be called
"Limbaughs Potato Top" ...

~ Tom

Here is a link that might be useful:

The tomato commonly is known as Potato Top. The correct color is pink and the correct leaf form is potato leaf. So frequently you see it listed as Pink Potato Top, etc. I agree with TomTrees ... it should be called Limbaugh's Potato Top, but apparently Mr. Limbaugh is aware and acquieces to the commonly used name.

Doug Oster always has given 100% credit to Fred Limbaugh for the development of Potato Top.

Mr. Oster distributes the seeds free, and only asks the grower to cull out the regular leaf occurances and return the seed from the first fruit of the correct potato leaf form vines to replenish his supply for future free seed offers.

Luckily for TomTrees (the dog), he has gotten wonderful potato leaf plants with delicious pink tomatoes!!! I keep getting big bull regular leaf plants with gnarly red tomatoes, dangit!

Apparently there are some stray seeds, crossed seeds, or mutt genes wandering around in this particular cultivar. After two years of experience with it, I strongly suggest culling out anything that isn't a true potato leaf vine with nice big smooth pink tomatoes.

Bill