[Goldfinger]

Are Alicante, Fernline (or it could be crystal (sp?))  any kind of F1 or 'bred for...' variety?

Am asking because my Alicante and Fernline toms' are doing sooo badly, yet my potato leaf ones are romping away (and I mean romping away!  :blink: ).

The ali's and ferns' are easily only thigh high compared to my PL's. 

So next year, I'm sticking to 'heirloom' kind of stuff.

So stick your F1's next year if this keeps up! [insert rude rasp here  ]

[mumofstig]

Ferline (is this the one you're growing?) is an F1 bred for blight resistance, Alicante is not F1 and has an RHS AGM. It is classed as an Heirloom and usually grows well.

Don't forget the awful weather we've had this year, many old faithfuls are struggling as well as hybrids 

[New shoot]

F1s are bred for all sorts of reasons - bigger crops, more uniform crops, disease resistance ......

I grow mainly old tomato varieties but as Mum says, some really well known ones are not F1, they have just been around for ages because they are usually good producers and people like them.

As well as my older varieties I have a grafted double stem cherry tom in the greenhouse that I bought from work just to trial for myself.  Got asked loads about them this spring and had never grown one so couldn't really speak from experience.  It has gone mad as well - easily matching my potato leaved Black Sea Man plants, but then all mine inside are doing well, so not seeing the big differences you are.

It's worth noting that if you want to save seed for next year F1s don't come true  

[Goldfinger]

Must be ferline mum, guess my dad spelt it wrong on his tags.

And being an F1, I don't know if he's saved the seed either. 

As for the Alicantes, think I'll wait and see with them, maybe it is the weather..

But the potato leafs'.... They seem to be loving this duff weather. 

Just wish I knew which variety they are....

 

[shokkyy]

Alicante is one of my old faithful varieties that I always grow because I know I'll always get a good crop from them, no matter how bad the weather. They did well for me last year when other varieties didn't, and they're doing better than my other varieties this year too.