Kitchen Garden Forum

I've got some Outdoor Girl tomatoes growing nicely and I'm very puzzled by the leaves. They look more like chilli leaves than tomatoes and not just the seed leaves, the next four are the same shape, very un-tomato like.

Before I'm asked, no I'm sure I haven't mixed them up, I labelled everything carefully and still have the packet. Are they just different or do I have some rogue seeds?

Dear Chantal, i think the leaves of Outdoor girl are more like Potatoe leaves, there are a few varieties that have these.

Thanks OH, that's a relief. I'll keep growing and let you know what happens; your reputation is on the line here

Hi Chantal,
I do not see Pepper leaves as anything like Potato leaves so the plot thickens. I bought some 'special' Mint seeds a few years back and got an extraordinary strike rate for mint only to find they were Lemon Balm. The only snag was that it was a commercial quantity and fortunately I didn't sow the lot.
I sent the rest back and then got the correct seeds next time. I only got about 500 to germinate out of 5 grams of seed which is about a 1% strike rate!
We sold over 10,000 in the next two years from cuttings produced so not all was in vain.
JB.

I was just thinking, do chilli seeds look the same as tomato seeds.

I'll take a photo when I get home and then you all give another opinion.

Most of my chilli seeds look like a comma which I assume is the radicle.

I took a photo ages ago and forgot to upload it the plants are much bigger now but the leaves are exactly the same.

Normal tomato leaves = Sungold
Odd ones = Outdoor Girl, I hope

I'm no expert Chantal, but they don't look like tomatoes to me...

They will be fine Chantal, but if all else fails you could always try smoking them.

Hmm, it's a thought...

I'll keep you posted on what they become; they have a lot more leaves now but still the same shape.

Outdoor Girl leaves are definitely potato-shaped.

Plants now 18" high and are very much tomatoes. Smell like tomatoes and the first trusses are setting. The leaves, however, are exactly the same as the ones in the photo. Ten plants, all the same.

I grew them 40 years ago when they were amongst the earliest outdoor varieties. Very large first truss but nothing special regarding flavour.

See Chantal, you can trust me.