Some interesting varieties have shown up at some of the plant nurseries this season. I picked this one up this morning simply because I couldn't pass up a tomato named Pigletwillie's French Black. Target date to plant out is March 1st.

A 2-3 inch brown-red saladette.

I don’t even like that size tomato but I really want to grow this just for the name! So good

Porcelet Willie's Francais Noir? My French is terrible.

@SpookyShoe is that a hybrid? Let us know later how it tasted. Yeah, it's all in the name. I'd buy it too!

It is not a hybrid. I have not grown it but have the seeds I believe from Ellie over at Heritage Seeds.

It's open pollinated.

My buddy picked up one Pigletwillie French Black today at the local nursery in Seabrook. He lives on the Kemah side of the lake, but likes that nursery. He got an indigo blueberry tomato and Paul Robison, said they just got in a shipment, this being today, Monday.

karstopography wrote: ↑Mon Feb 14, 2022 3:06 pm My buddy picked up one Pigletwillie French Black today at the local nursery in Seabrook. He lives on the Kemah side of the lake, but likes that nursery. He got an indigo blueberry tomato and Paul Robison, said they just got in a shipment, this being today, Monday.

Are you talking about Maas Nursery on Toddville Road? I can be there in 15 minutes or less. It's where I got my Pigletwillie's and found Purple Boy. Now you know the general area in which I live and that there is water, water everywhere (with apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge).

@SpookyShoe That’s the one. My friend lives over in Waterford on the south shore. He goes to Maas for most of his sets, although he saved seed from last year’s crop and bought other seeds for starts. I’m growing three tomatoes, two Amana Orange and a Black Krim, from his saved seed.

He already has planted 16 tomato sets in raised beds and 8 in grow bags, one of them being Pigletwillie. He said what he has read from Galveston county that putting some tomato sets in or around February 15th is not necessarily a bad idea and can be a very good idea. Even though I’m in next door Brazoria county, I’m doing the same. Not sure if I’ll ultimately do a Pigletwillie French black, I might in one of the plantings I do in a two or three weeks. I’ve got seven more sets coming up from seed I planted and I’ll pick up a few more from Reifels. They seem to get very similar tomato sets that Maas gets. Maybe they share a supplier.

Today...

@SpookyShoe Looking great! I was talking to my buddy on Clear lake about his tomatoes and our climate differences between Lake Jackson and Kemah, in spite of being, what, 50 miles apart. For instance, this morning it was 50° at my place at dawn and his spot was 63° at the same time. I think you have a great little microclimate there on the Lake and right near Galveston Bay. Keeps things from getting too cold or too hot overnight.

Good luck!

Yes indeed, Heritage Seed Market does have a listing, interesting information on it. That name sure is hard to resist!

https://heritageseedmarket.com/index.ph ... nch-black/

Funny enough, this one is on my grow list for this year! I just started my seeds on Friday

I ate my first one today. This is the darkest tomato I have ever seen! Darker than any of the pictures on the internet. Saladette size.

SpookyShoe wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 4:35 pm I ate my first one today. This is the darkest tomato I have ever seen! Darker than any of the pictures on the internet. Saladette size.

IMG_20220520_162221112.jpg

IMG_20220520_162309128.jpg

What was the taste like?

Similar to Cherokee Purple.

I still haven't figured out how the seed swap works , but sure hope to see Piglet seeds sometime.

It looks darker even than Kumato. How was the flavor?

LindaJean wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 8:34 pm I still haven't figured out how the seed swap works , but sure hope to see Piglet seeds sometime.

PM me for help with the seed swap. I will be happy to walk you through it. Until September, just focus on saving and fermenting some seed to share.

PlainJane wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 8:45 pm It looks darker even than Kumato. How was the flavor?

Sweetish.