Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

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heirl00m
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Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#1

Post: # 18019Unread post heirl00m
Wed Apr 22, 2020 8:55 am

Trying to round out my 2020 list, and I'm quite interested in these two varieties. Which should I go with, and why? Have any of you grown them? [mention]Sue_CT[/mention], I know you're a huge fan of BCW!

Here is my list so far:
  • *Polish Giant
    *Aunt Ginny's Purple
    *Sudduth's Brandywine
    *Cowlick's Brandywine
    *Rebel Yell
    *Stump of the world
    *Anna Russian
    *Marianna's Peace
    *Prudens Purple
    *Kellogg's Breakfast
    *Dester
    *Momotaro
Here are my most likely additions--I'm trying to stay around 18 plants.
  • Sunrise Bumblebee
    Aunt Gertie's Gold
    African Queen
    Orange Strawberry
    Orange Russian 117
And here is the list I can shop from! If anything at all catches your eye, please mention it to me!
  • <li>A Grappoli D'Iverno</li>
    <li> Abe Lincoln</li>
    <li> Absinthe</li>
    <li> African Queen</li>
    <li> Amethyst Cream</li>
    <li> Amish Gold</li>
    <li> Ananas Noir</li>
    <li> Anna Russian</li>
    <li> Apricot Brandywine</li>
    <li> Arad's Pink Heart</li>
    <li> Aunt Gertie's Gold</li>
    <li> Aunt Ginny's Purple</li>
    <li> Aunt Ruby's German Green</li>

    <li> Bali</li>
    <li> Barnes Mountain Yellow</li>
    <li> Bedouin</li>
    <li> Believe It or Not</li>
    <li> Best Boy Hybrid</li>
    <li> Bicolor Mortgage Lifter</li>
    <li> Big Rainbow</li>
    <li> Black Beauty</li>
    <li> Black Cherry</li>
    <li> Black from Tula</li>
    <li> Black Krim</li>
    <li> Black Sea Man</li>
    <li> Black Vernissage</li>
    <li> Blondkopfchen</li>
    <li> Blue Berries</li>
    <li> Blue Cream Berries</li>
    <li> Bonny Best</li>
    <li> Boxcar Willie</li>
    <li> Burpee's Big Boy</li>
    <li> Burpee's Globe</li>

    <li> Caro Rich</li>
    <li> Cherokee Purple</li>
    <li> Cherry Princess Sweet Surprise</li>
    <li> Chocolate Cherry</li>
    <li> Chocolate Stripes</li>
    <li> Cousin Frank's Plum</li>
    <li> Cowlick's Brandywine</li>
    <li> Crimson Sprinter</li>

    <li> Daniel Burson</li>
    <li> Delicious</li>
    <li> Dester Amish</li>
    <li> Dixie Golden Giant</li>
    <li> Doochova Yellow Pepper</li>
    <li> Dot's Delight</li>

    <li> Elfin</li>
    <li> Eva Purple Ball</li>
    <li> Everett's Rusty Oxheart</li>
    <li> Evergreen</li>

    <li> Faribo Golden Heart</li>
    <li> Fox Cherry</li>
    <li> Fruit Punch</li>

    <li> Galapagos Island</li>
    <li> Galina Grande</li>
    <li> Gary's Golden Bear</li>
    <li> German Pink</li>
    <li> Ghost Cherry</li>
    <li> Giant Belgian Pink</li>
    <li> Gilbertie</li>
    <li> Glossy Rose Blue</li>
    <li> Gold Medal</li>
    <li> Gold Rush Currant</li>
    <li> Golden King of Siberia</li>
    <li> Golden Queen</li>
    <li> Goldie</li>
    <li> Goldman's Italian American</li>
    <li> Goluboy Les</li>
    <li> Great White Beefsteak</li>
    <li> Green Doctors</li>
    <li> Green Doctors Frosted</li>
    <li> Green Giant</li>
    <li> Green Grape</li>
    <li> Grubb's Mystery Green</li>

    <li> Halladay's Mortgage Lifter</li>
    <li> Hege German Pink</li>
    <li> Hillbilly</li>
    <li> Honeydrop</li>
    <li> Hugh's</li>
    <li> Humph</li>
    <li> Hungarian Heart</li>

    <li> Italian Ice Hybrid</li>

    <li> Janet's Jacinthe Jewel</li>
    <li> Japanese Oxheart</li>
    <li> Jet Star Hybrid</li>
    <li> Joe's Pink Oxheart</li>
    <li> Jubilee</li>

    <li> Korol' Londana</li>
    <li> Kumato</li>

    <li> Lush Queen</li>

    <li> Malachite Box</li>
    <li> Mama Leone</li>
    <li> Mamie Brown's Pink</li>
    <li> Mammoth Geran Gold</li>
    <li> Manyel</li>
    <li> Marianna's Peace</li>
    <li> Marvel Stripe</li>
    <li> Mary Reynolds</li>
    <li> Momotaro Hybrid</li>
    <li> Monkey Ass</li>
    <li> Mr. Stripey</li>
    <li> Mullen's Mortgage Lifter</li>

    <li> Nebraska Wedding</li>
    <li> Northern Lights</li>

    <li> Oaxacan Jewel</li>
    <li> O'Driscoll's Mortgage Lifter</li>
    <li> Old German</li>
    <li> Old Ivory Egg</li>
    <li> Old Kentucky</li>
    <li> Old Time Red and Yellow</li>
    <li> Orange Banana</li>
    <li> Orange Russian 117</li>
    <li> Orange Strawberry</li>
    <li> Oregon Spring</li>
    <li> Owen's Purple</li>

    <li> Paul Robeson</li>
    <li> Peach Blow Sutton</li>
    <li> Persimmon</li>
    <li> Pineapple Pig</li>
    <li> Pink Grapefruit</li>
    <li> Pink Honey</li>
    <li> Pink Icicle</li>
    <li> Pink Princess Gene Pool</li>
    <li> Pink Tiger</li>
    <li> Plan 9 from Outer Space</li>
    <li> Polish Giant</li>
    <li> Pruden's Purple</li>
    <li> Purple Calabash</li>
    <li> Purple Passion</li>
    <li> Purple Russian</li>

    <li> Quisenberry's Mortgage Lifter</li>

    <li> Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter</li>
    <li> Rebel Yell</li>
    <li> Red Brandywine</li>
    <li> Red Currant</li>
    <li> Red Grape</li>
    <li> Red Rose</li>
    <li> Rosella Crimson</li>
    <li> Rutgers</li>

    <li> Santa Clara Canner</li>
    <li> Sherrill</li>
    <li> Speckled Peach</li>
    <li> Spoon</li>
    <li> Striped Sweetheart Dark</li>
    <li> Stump of the World (Big Ben)</li>
    <li> Sudduth's Brandywine</li>
    <li> Sugar Cherry</li>
    <li> Summer Sunrise</li>
    <li> Sunrise Bumble Bee</li>
    <li> Sunsugar</li>
    <li> Sweet Appertif</li>

    <li> Tangerine</li>
    <li> Tlacolula Pink</li>
    <li> Tommy Toe</li>
    <li> Traveler</li>
    <li> True Black Brandywine</li>

    <li> Uluru Ochre</li>

    <li> Vilms</li>
    <li> Vinson Watts</li>
    <li> Vintage Wine</li>
    <li> Virginia Sweets</li>

    <li> Wapsipinicon Peach (Yellow Peach)</li>
    <li> White Cherry</li>
    <li> White Wonder Beefsteak</li>
    <li> Wild Sweetie</li>
    <li> Yellow Mortgage Lifter</li>
    <li> Yellow Pear</li>
    <li> Yellow Plum</li>
    <li> Yellow Vernissage!!</li>
There's no good reason for parsley. None.

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Labradors
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Re: Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#2

Post: # 18030Unread post Labradors
Wed Apr 22, 2020 9:53 am

Anna Russian, Pruden's Purple and Momotaro are all good. I would add Orange Strawberry as it is very tasty. I liked Eva Purple Ball and Sweet Aperitif :).

Linda

FarmerShawn
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Re: Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#3

Post: # 18039Unread post FarmerShawn
Wed Apr 22, 2020 11:46 am

Your list is heavy on larger beefsteak tomatoes. I'd go with Eva Purple Ball for variety, because it's a very tasty, pink, medium sized, round, productive tomato. Can you tell I like it a lot?

Gardadore
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Re: Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#4

Post: # 18057Unread post Gardadore
Wed Apr 22, 2020 1:29 pm

Since it is getting late in the season are you starting these as seeds or buying transplants? If you can get Joe's Pink Oxheart do get that because it is very difficult to find and a very large late delicious heart. I only know one vendor who has the seeds so I grow it every year. Who are you getting these varieties from? Everything on your top list is excellent but I have given up on Brandywines because they produce so little despite being delicious and can be disease prone for me.
From your second list all are good but no matter what you decide keep Orange Russian 117 - awesome bi-color. You have no real blacks (your "purple" ones on the top list are actually deep pinks) so if you are not familiar with them you might want to consider Cherokee Purple, a favorite standard for many people. I also like Black Seaman. For Green When Ripe tomatoes Malachite Box is superb tasting although early and sort of fades out. Green Giant is another great alternative but produces later in the season - also awesome flavor.
You have a great start list - reducing it to 18 would be impossible for me - too many good ones! But you should be happy with what you have and maybe add a couple more of the suggestions that intrigue you! There is always next year for the ones you leave out!! I already have my list for next year started since there is no more space for more this year! Good luck!!

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heirl00m
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Re: Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#5

Post: # 18066Unread post heirl00m
Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:19 pm

Thanks to all who've chimed in so far! Eva Purple Ball has made the list.

[mention]Labradors[/mention], I'm looking forward to Orange Strawberry, as it's supposedly originated from a Pineapple, which I grew and loved last season.

[mention]FarmerShawn[/mention], EPB looks very promising! I've read nothing but positive things about it and I'm looking forward to growing it.

[mention]Gardadore[/mention], the huge list is transplants available to me from a farm about 30 minutes away. Definitely too late to germinate my own, but their list has great variety. And yes, I have a lot of large beefsteaks on my list. That's why I'm searching for something a bit smaller, earlier, and more productive. I grew CP, BK, and JBT last season and all were amazing. For some reason, I feel compelled to grow different varieties this season, although I harvested my first 3 CP a mere 53 days after transplanting! Maybe I should find space for one of them... :o
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Shule
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Re: Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#6

Post: # 18084Unread post Shule
Wed Apr 22, 2020 5:58 pm

Eva Purple Ball and Boxcar Willie are two that interest me. I haven't grown either in years past, but I'm growing Boxcar Willie this year. I'm curious how they compare in productivity, acidity, and how early they turn out to be in my garden. I've heard they're both supposed to be prolific and tasty.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

Gardadore
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Re: Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#7

Post: # 18130Unread post Gardadore
Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:33 am

How lucky you are to have this farm so near you. Fantastic list. I envy you as I don’t know how much longer I will be starting everything from seed. Understand your compulsion to grow new varieties this year. I go through that every year. There are just too many great varieties available and it makes sense to want to try them all! Whatever you decide they will all be great! Have fun! That’s the main thing!

Booerry85
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Re: Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#8

Post: # 18138Unread post Booerry85
Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:54 am

I wish the places around here had that much variety! I have grown Black Cherry, Black Sea Man, Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Golden King of Siberia, Jet Star, Manyel, Rutgers and Yellow Pear and have had great luck with all of them. Most I've grown several times. They are all favorites and I'd grow them again. Why am I not growing most of these this year? I like to try new varieties (to me) each year. I tend to only have a couple of repeats each year.

This year I'm trying Box Car Willie, Evergreen, Pruden's Purple and Red Current. I'm also grow yellow pear, a repeat.

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JohnJones
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Re: Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#9

Post: # 18165Unread post JohnJones
Thu Apr 23, 2020 3:24 pm

I haven't grown BCW, but I grow EPB every year. It's reliable, pretty early, tasty and the fruit is consistently nicely shaped and often blemish free. A great variety.

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Sue_CT
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Re: Eva Purple Ball vs Boxcar Willie, as well as many other choices!

#10

Post: # 18189Unread post Sue_CT
Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:11 pm

I haven't grown ePB that I remember but they sound very similar. Medium sized, round, nicely shaped, good production and taste good. It sounds like you can't go wrong with either one.

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