Paul Robeson question

luke · July 13, 2011

If any of you have grown Paul Robeson, I'd like your thoughts.

This year I have planted several new varities (to me) from seed. I got caught in some high temperatures and had the worst fruit set I've ever seen. My best plant is a volunteer that emerged after several tillings, along with a Better Boy.

Most of my plants never got the chance to set any fruit. I have a Homestead 24F that is doing its best to set fruit, and a few scattered fruits here and there (Aussie, Omar's Lebanese, Tidwell German, Purple Calabash and Mule Team).

But what I've noticed is that the Paul Robeson is clucking along with the rest of them, and appears to be at least as heat tolerant as the others that have set some fruit. Have any of you noticed this with the Paul Robeson?

TZ-OH6 · July 13, 2011

I've grown it a couple of times and it always lagged behind until cooler fall temps hit.

b54red · July 13, 2011

It was one of my best plants a couple of years ago; but it did make most of the tomatoes fairly late. I have real trouble with it because it seems to have very little if any ability to hang on once a little fusarium hits it. I love the taste and it is a beautiful tomato; but it is too hard for me to grow successfully. I have much better luck with Indian Stripe, JDs Special C Tex, Gary O' Sena, Big Cheef, Dana's Dusky Rose, Carbon, and Spudakee.

attml · July 13, 2011

Paul Robeson has been good for me so far this year. Believe it or not out of over 40 different varieties it was the first ripe fruit that I got back on June 2nd. So far I have only pulled 2 ripe fruit off of that plant, but I have 4 or 5 tomatos growing on the vine currently. The two that we have eaten have been very good tasting.

It has been very warm here in the mid-atlantic. I have been flicking the stems just below the flowers in the morning and evening on all of my plants and I believe it has been helping. I gave some of my plants to my in-laws and co-workers from the same seed packets and their productivity hasn't been nearly as high. I realize enviroment can play a big role in that but it never hurts to manually get the pollen moving with a good hard flick. When the heat and humidity make the pollen sticky this time of year the plants can use all of the help they can get to the pollen moving.

Mark

July 13, 2011	#1
luke Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Mississippi Posts: 177	Paul Robeson question If any of you have grown Paul Robeson, I'd like your thoughts. This year I have planted several new varities (to me) from seed. I got caught in some high temperatures and had the worst fruit set I've ever seen. My best plant is a volunteer that emerged after several tillings, along with a Better Boy. Most of my plants never got the chance to set any fruit. I have a Homestead 24F that is doing its best to set fruit, and a few scattered fruits here and there (Aussie, Omar's Lebanese, Tidwell German, Purple Calabash and Mule Team). But what I've noticed is that the Paul Robeson is clucking along with the rest of them, and appears to be at least as heat tolerant as the others that have set some fruit. Have any of you noticed this with the Paul Robeson?

July 13, 2011	#2
TZ-OH6 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mid-Ohio Posts: 847	I've grown it a couple of times and it always lagged behind until cooler fall temps hit.

July 13, 2011	#3
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	It was one of my best plants a couple of years ago; but it did make most of the tomatoes fairly late. I have real trouble with it because it seems to have very little if any ability to hang on once a little fusarium hits it. I love the taste and it is a beautiful tomato; but it is too hard for me to grow successfully. I have much better luck with Indian Stripe, JDs Special C Tex, Gary O' Sena, Big Cheef, Dana's Dusky Rose, Carbon, and Spudakee.

July 13, 2011	#4
attml Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Annapolis, Maryland Posts: 222	Paul Robeson has been good for me so far this year. Believe it or not out of over 40 different varieties it was the first ripe fruit that I got back on June 2nd. So far I have only pulled 2 ripe fruit off of that plant, but I have 4 or 5 tomatos growing on the vine currently. The two that we have eaten have been very good tasting. It has been very warm here in the mid-atlantic. I have been flicking the stems just below the flowers in the morning and evening on all of my plants and I believe it has been helping. I gave some of my plants to my in-laws and co-workers from the same seed packets and their productivity hasn't been nearly as high. I realize enviroment can play a big role in that but it never hurts to manually get the pollen moving with a good hard flick. When the heat and humidity make the pollen sticky this time of year the plants can use all of the help they can get to the pollen moving. Mark