[Growster...]

Since John wangled some of us a few Crimson Crush cuttings two years ago, I've been trying an experiment.

Although most of us here thought they could be F1s, I sowed fifteen from seed from one particular cutting, and started them off again last year. Chums here might remember that two particular plants just motored away, and stayed blight free right up to October. Others from the same batch faded pretty early on, as did some Marmande. Everyone on the allotments got some blight.

The roots on one of the pair of plants were just enormous, and the leaves looked leathery with no bifurcations and stayed strong the whole time. The fruit was just a bit better than OK, but when there's blight about, anything's better than nothing at all!

So today, I've popped in twenty-five seeds from that particular plant, and we'll see what happens...

(Yeah yeah, I know I said I wouldn't, but it's a nice sunny day and the fingers start itching..;0)

[whitehill1]

Growster..Have you got more seeds ? I want to give it a go if yes

[sunshineband]

I bought more seeds Growster as I forgot I was going to try this for the next season. Good luck, and hope it works well!

[Growster...]

Growster..Have you got more seeds ? I want to give it a go if yes

Hi Whitehill - I've PMd you!

[whitehill1]

Growster,

Could you please send PM to 'whitehill1' , if you have sent to 'Whitehill' instead!

[Growster...]

Sowed about twenty, as I want to try and put them in strategic places where they might be among blight (like down at the Patch), and then carry on as normal!

The seedlings all have similar leaves to the parent from last year - so far that is...

How are yours Sunny and White?

[sunshineband]

Sowed on 9th April. All "new" seeds I bought are up, plus one so far from the second generation. Look the same, but tbh so do most of the other varieties too lol

[gobs]

Is this supposed to be blight resistant?

[juvenal]

'Blight resistant' is the claim in the packet. Mine are 1" high, and after potting up will be in a cold conservatory until May. Thence onto allotment as a trial.

[Growster...]

Is this supposed to be blight resistant?

Gobs, the 'trial' is to use some seed from a couple of plants last year, which were seeded from a parent the year before and seemed to have different characteristics from the others planted last year, also from the same saved-seed collection.

We had blight all over the allotments, but just two plants didn't get affected, and went on for ages, such that I took some seed and dried as many as I could for this year. I've got a few left for next year, but Sunny and White also are trying some as well.

The plants' leaves look more like spuds, (not surprising), but I'm going to give them my best shot both here and down at The Patch, where blight usually gets going later on in the summer.

Crimson Crush were developed to be blight-resistant, and the two plants (from several), last year, definitely were, so it seemed worth a pop to see if they do the same this year!

There's no science involved, there's loads of evidence that they'll revert to something else; I'll hold both hands up if they fail, but heyho - what's it all about!

[gobs]

Thanks guys, I shall be following with interest.

However, the problem is, that the pathogen mutates fast. Another strain will be around most likely, than what they are resistant to. At least, so I am told... But then, we get resistant pots. So, go for it!

[sunshineband]

100% germination this morning.... I did only sow four seeds, but looks like I could grow four plants, fingers crossed. I have their space all marked out at the plot, where every year tomatoes are decimated by late blight towards September. Last year's Crimson Crushes survived despite a few affected leaves (which I picked off)

How many are you and Whitehill growing Growster?

[victoria park]

A bad germination record for my Crimson crush so far this year. Managed a germination of 5 from 14 sown in a heated propagator on 23 March. Since I have sown another 18 seeds in modules in a sunny cold greenhouse on 3 April, and so far only 3 have germinated. Not very good at all. Am going to do a last sowing today/tomorrow in the heated propagator in different compost to cobble together a viable outside sauce crop. Very very poor attrition rate this year, when last year virtually all seeds germinated.
At least I'm confident that these reliable monsters will provide some sort of crop that makes it through the blight to my freezer. With a bit of basil/onion, they'll be great and outshine most shop sauces.  I only hope I have somewhere to plug my freezer in when the time comes. 

[Growster...]

100% germination this morning.... I did only sow four seeds, but looks like I could grow four plants, fingers crossed. I have their space all marked out at the plot, where every year tomatoes are decimated by late blight towards September. Last year's Crimson Crushes survived despite a few affected leaves (which I picked off)

How many are you and Whitehill growing Growster?

I popped in twentythree seeds, Sunny, so I can place them in the various parts of the garden, and the Patch, to try some sort of experiment... (two have been slugged - never no more, although one is trying to recuperate...).

As a humble Growster, it'll be just me doing the biz, but HEY! That's what we're all here for isn't it!

[sunshineband]

Yes well, 23 sounds a perfect number really lol

I do have a significant number of plants of other varieties so had to settle for the four of Gen2e as they are labelled, which btw are now called The Penguins hehehe