Legend, Ferline & Fantasio

[HayleyB]

Sick to death of this and last year's blight (still ripening greens in cupboard and on windowsills ) I am considering the three supposedly blight resistant tommys for next year.

Can anyone tell me how they taste and have they resisted blight as stated?

[bluemoon]

We grew Ferline and Legend this year as they were on offer if you bought them together from T&M. They haven't caught blight, but then neither have our potatoes and no-one at the allotments is whinging about blight like they were last year, so perhaps we've avoided it in this area anyway. The Legends are growing outdoors and even without taking blight into consideration they've done better than any other outdoor tom I've tried, (Gardener's Delight excepted) and the foliage has certainly been healthy and vigorous. I'm allergic to tomatoes so can't comment on the flavour, but OH and Mum, who've eaten the bulk of them, say they're; "OK, but nothing special, but even so, better than a supermarket tom". Sorry I can't be a little more accurate. Crop size on both has been nothing to write home about, probably the best that can be said is it's average, but that could be due to the weather.

[oldie]

My Ferline survived longer than any others but have finally succumbed.

[bramble]

Growing Legend and Ferline this year in the greenhouse.
I grow ferline every year and get a good crop of medium sized toms from them. They are nothing special but suit my OH who eats most of them.
Legend, what can i say, they are not worth the space in my greenhouse. Have produced a very poor crop, which took forever to ripen although they are supposed to be early.
I think both of these will succumb to blight if surrounded with the disease but will go down kicking and screaming as a last resort.
sorry, can't be more helpful but i too lost all my outdoor toms for the last two years and the Ferline were the last to go and put up a great fight.

[womble]

Grown both for a few years, I love Ferline, grows well and tastes nice, not out of this world taste, true, but certainly good enough for me.
I haven't grown Legend this year, I can't remember the exact reason, I think something to do with the crop and taste. I do remember saying it's not worth growing them anymore.

I grew some Ferline this year as the main crop and some other better tasting ones because I like them.

[Alison]

Grew Ferline for a couple of years and it never got blight (but then again, neither did my other toms those years) but found them really rather ordinary in taste. Don't grow them anymore as I'm not that fussed about them in comparison with lots of other varieties - they're a bit tasteless to me.

[HayleyB]

groan................. maybe I'll just have to stick with marmande and cherries or sommat, at least most of the crop was saved by taking everything off immediately they have all pretty much ripened anyway, it's just so frustrating for tommy lover like me

[mrs moustoir]

This is my second year growing Fantasio and they are the only outside tomatoes of mine that have survived the blight (with help from the Bordeaux Mix spray). The plants themselves were not too vigorous to start with but are cropping well - I grew them from seed. The taste isn't spectacular though compared to the larger tomatoes. I've grown Saint Peter instead of marmande in the greenhouse this year and they taste gorgeous in comparison. Nobbly, not very attractive but tasty.

[HayleyB]

Merci beaucoup Madame Moustoir and a very hearty welcome to the Grapevine.

[vicky]

I grow Feline and Legend every year in the ground outside and all other toms in pots. Usually they are great and get blight in october when everything is going off anyway...this year they have blight already (not as badly as Moneymaker, Tigerella, Tamina etc others), but I was late anyway and therefore the crop is pretty poor. Legend is an unruly bush but you can leave them to get on with it a bit.
They are worth growing as they do resist normally, and the taste is good - not as great as others but mine normally end up in sauces in the freezer and they are fab for that.

[jogette]

I got some Bejbino seed from Browns which they said was blight resistant. Was it heck! It was the first variety to go, I had 2 rows of Marmand tomatoes next to them which have managed to ripen most of the fruit and also some gartenperle.

The Bejbino is a small tomato makes lovely long trusses of fruit and the taste isn't bad but I shan't be using it again.