Topic: Blight resistant tomato varieties

[Jayb]

My outdoor Crimson Crush are still battling away against LB and there are still lots of fruit developing. They certainly do have some resistance and perhaps in an area that isn't so prone as here they would do better. It's a shame that although they are able to grow through the disease, fruits are affected and really find it annoying to pick them and then find they going brown and horrid in a few days. 

Taste has improved with the season and they are producing well as an outdoor variety. I've been slack on keeping them pruned and they are growing very much as a bush, perhaps with better ventilation and a few less leaves they would have done better. They certainly aren't the blight proof tomato that the blurb claimed, so bad on them for making them out to be. I certainly wouldn't buy plants again and feel cheated. But knowing now they are somewhat resistant and a good cropping outdoor variety, I have bought seeds to grow next year. I've also saved seeds and I'll likely sow some next year.

[sparrow]

That's a shame. Mine is still showing no blight on the tomatoes, though there is a touch of it on the stems. There is a huge amount of blight on my site and the plants are just being left, unfortunately.

My sideshoots are showing signs of blight. I am not sure whether keeping them going is a good thing. Last thing I want to do is to transfer it onto my seedlings or spuds next year.

[Jayb]

Side shoots on the plants or ones you have taken for cuttings?

[Jayb]

I've wondered if growing resistant potato varieties such as Sarpo Mira might lead to infecting other plants. But as far as I understand from the bits I've read, the resistant plant starts to block blight and although leaves may start to show some signs of infection, it is prevented from advancing further or making spores, thus preventing it spreading further a field. I think this would be the same for Crimson Crush, though I'm not sure.

[tricia]

My three Crimson Crush plants are also still cropping well and show no sign of blight yet even though all my other outdoor tomatoes succumbed more than a week ago. Unfortunately, the side shoot I had growing outdoors got blight a few days ago and was speedily consigned to the bin. Three small side shoot plants in my mini greenhouse are still okay. The shoots were just stuck into the soil of other tomato plants in the g.h. so they have been receiving the same treatment all summer. Once the tomatoes have finished cropping I can plant up the C.C. in suitable   pots and try to over-winter them

Tricia .

[sparrow]

Side shoots on the plants or ones you have taken for cuttings?

Sideshoots taken for cuttings. I will see if there are any more on the original plant, but also I'll keep an eye on the others and probably bin the worst.

The other info you posted is really handy, thank you. I was thinking that's next year's toms jiggered.

[Jayb]

Glad your plants have done well for you and hope you have success with the cuttings Tricia, I've no space for more cuttings or I might be tempted.

Sparrow, you could always try topping or tailing depending on where the signs of blight are and how big your side shoots are? Either let the cutting reshoot at a lower level leaf joint or restrike the top of the cutting. Alternatively let your cuttings grow on, and take further cuttings later on and ditch the older ones with any possible lasting spores.

If I'm unsure about an infected looking spot on potato leaves, I pick the suspect, wet it and seal it in a plastic bag for 24 hrs in a warmish place, it brings on LB symptoms no end. Using a clear plastic bag means you can view without spreading spores about and easily dispose of the sealed bag. I'd think the same would work for a tomato leaf, might need longer incubating as it's resistant variety. But it's possibly a way to check the health of your overwintered plant before you start your other ones in the spring.

[johhnyco15]

still no blight here on the sunshine coast we had a blind taste test at the week end my T&M 2016 experimental  came out tops but in my opinion they all tasted winter shop bought but they hold well on the plant and still firm even when signal red so with tweaking they could do well

[sparrow]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  :)

Will try both methods and see how I get on.

[Jayb]

Will try both methods and see how I get on.

Let us know how they do.

[Jayb]

still no blight here on the sunshine coast we had a blind taste test at the week end my T&M 2016 experimental  came out tops but in my opinion they all tasted winter shop bought but they hold well on the plant and still firm even when signal red so with tweaking they could do well

Shame the taste isn't there. It's not been the best year for testing LB for many.

[laurieuk]

I have been growing Crimson Crush from plants got from Suttons when they gave them away for just postage. They seem to be blight free but I would never grow them again , the taste is not good.