Heirloom challenges...

So for folks that have heard that heirlooms can be finicky and more problematic to grow than other "standard" varieties...I can offer up proof of this.

I only grow heirlooms. I think they just have the best flavor. I usually start between 50-100 plants, and usually give most of them away.

This year, my Cherokee Purple plants have all come down with the shmutz.



The rest of my plants are healthy as a horse...


They were all grown in the same room, using same water and fertilizer, all grown together actually. I use a couple of kiddie pools for a lot of my plants, and they were all mixed in among the other varieties, but you can look at one of the pools and see the plants that are affected.

I've pulled them and tossed them in the trash...not sure there's a single Purple left.