German Johnson ?

b54red · April 27, 2014

When I planted my German Johnson seed this year I got a mix of potato leaf and regular leaf plants. As a matter of fact I got more regular than potato leaf and so I went ahead and grafted most of them. It seems that the regular leaf ones fared better in the grafting and I only was able to plant out one graft with potato leaves so I went ahead and planted out a couple with regular leaves. I'm hoping they aren't some cross but rather regular leaf versions of German Johnson since it was one of my best tomatoes in both production and taste. Of course there is always the possibility that I mislabeled them when grafting.

I was very careful this year but it is a possibility. Oh well I guess I can just wait and see what I get.

Bill

Delerium · April 27, 2014

I thought German Johnson is regular leaf. That's what it says on Tatianna. The German Johnson i grafted was regular leaf. Is there a potato leaf version as well?

**carolyn137** · April 27, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delerium

I thought German Johnson is regular leaf. That's what it says on Tatianna. The German Johnson i grafted was regular leaf. Is there a potato leaf version as well?

Tania lists both an RL and PL German Johnson.

And my memory is that both are legitimate and came from different areas of NC and/or Virginia.

And both should be the same except for leaf form.

No different, I guess, when comparing with the RL and PL versions of Indian Stripe, and I could give some other examples as well.

Bill, if you bought them as RL and got PL from the same seeds from the same pack, I'd have to wonder about that.

Or were they traded seeds or whatever?

My point being that what you got as PL's could well be from crossing with a PL not German Johnson.

Amd I making sense here?

Carolyn

b54red · April 28, 2014

Carolyn it has been a while since I bought the original seed and they were potato leaf but I have had a hard time growing them down here because of fusarium problems until last year when I grafted one and had great success with it. Since I already have both planted I will just watch and see what develops. So far the regular leaf plant is way ahead in growth but that could be from the different rootstock.

Bill

camochef · April 28, 2014

Bill,
Its been too many years since I've grown regular German Johnson's for me to recall leaf type. I have grown German Johnson-Benton strain constantly for the last seven years or so.
My original seed from Dana produced R.L. plants. When I received a German Johnson-Benton strain grafted to maxifort rootstock, the saved seed produced P.L. plants. Its too soon to tell what this years saved seed will produce, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on them.
I noticed no difference in taste between the two leaf types, and while both produced huge tomatoes, it seemed that the potato leafed produced more... for a longer period also.
enjoy!
Camo

ChrisInNC · May 1, 2014

Every German Johnson I've ever planted was a regular leaf, not a potato leaf.

**carolyn137** · May 1, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisInNC

Every German Johnson I've ever planted was a regular leaf, not a potato leaf.

Chris, I think that is determined by wherever you bought your seeds or plants from.

Even TGS in the 2014 catalog/website is offering both the RL and PL versions.

Carolyn

April 27, 2014	#1
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	German Johnson ? When I planted my German Johnson seed this year I got a mix of potato leaf and regular leaf plants. As a matter of fact I got more regular than potato leaf and so I went ahead and grafted most of them. It seems that the regular leaf ones fared better in the grafting and I only was able to plant out one graft with potato leaves so I went ahead and planted out a couple with regular leaves. I'm hoping they aren't some cross but rather regular leaf versions of German Johnson since it was one of my best tomatoes in both production and taste. Of course there is always the possibility that I mislabeled them when grafting. I was very careful this year but it is a possibility. Oh well I guess I can just wait and see what I get. Bill

April 27, 2014	#2
Delerium Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: California Posts: 942	I thought German Johnson is regular leaf. That's what it says on Tatianna. The German Johnson i grafted was regular leaf. Is there a potato leaf version as well?

April 28, 2014	#4
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Carolyn it has been a while since I bought the original seed and they were potato leaf but I have had a hard time growing them down here because of fusarium problems until last year when I grafted one and had great success with it. Since I already have both planted I will just watch and see what develops. So far the regular leaf plant is way ahead in growth but that could be from the different rootstock. Bill

April 28, 2014	#5
camochef Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Posts: 707	Bill, Its been too many years since I've grown regular German Johnson's for me to recall leaf type. I have grown German Johnson-Benton strain constantly for the last seven years or so. My original seed from Dana produced R.L. plants. When I received a German Johnson-Benton strain grafted to maxifort rootstock, the saved seed produced P.L. plants. Its too soon to tell what this years saved seed will produce, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on them. I noticed no difference in taste between the two leaf types, and while both produced huge tomatoes, it seemed that the potato leafed produced more... for a longer period also. enjoy! Camo

May 1, 2014	#6
ChrisInNC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: North Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 16	Every German Johnson I've ever planted was a regular leaf, not a potato leaf.