🍅 Quick take: Kentucky Plate is a mid-late, indeterminate potato-leaf heirloom from the US. It produces large, smooth pink beefsteaks that are very meaty with few seeds. While the flavor is highly rated, growers note that it can struggle with blossom drop and sun-scorched trusses during extreme heatwaves. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone 4 Experience)
Mid-late indet slicer. Potato leaf. The fruits are smooth pink beefsteaks, large, with very few seeds, and they look gorgeous when sliced open. According to the description, the flavor is supposed to be outstanding.
For me, the flavor turned out pretty well-balanced with just a slight tartness.
The yields are supposed to be solid, but my plant was in the absolute sunniest spot. The upper trusses got completely fried because we had a brutal month and a half of extreme heat in the summer of 2016. Because of that, I only ended up getting 2 trusses, with about 3-4 large fruits on each.
Full Summary: Plant Habit, Taste, and Yields
- 🌿 Plant & Foliage: Indeterminate, mid-late season variety with potato-leaf (PL) foliage.
- 🍅 Fruit Appearance & Size: Produces large, smooth pink beefsteaks. The interior is very meaty and dense with very few seeds, making it a visually striking and high-quality slicer.
- 👅 Taste: Universally described as having excellent flavor. Elena found hers to be well-balanced with a pleasant acidic kick.
- 📈 Yields & Climate Tolerance: Potential for high yields, but can be sensitive to extreme heat. Like many large potato-leaf heirlooms, it may drop blossoms or suffer from fried trusses if exposed to prolonged heatwaves and intense direct sun.
🍅 Have you grown Kentucky Plate? Share your zone, your experience with its heat tolerance, and drop your photos in the comments below!
👨🌾 Editor’s Note: Origin of Kentucky Plate
As the name implies, this is an American family heirloom hailing from Kentucky. It was popularized by seed savers and distributed globally. Because of its potato-leaf foliage and large pink beefsteak fruits, many veteran growers suspect it is a localized strain or very close relative of the legendary Brandywine Pink. It shares Brandywine’s exceptional flavor profile, but also its sensitivity to extreme heat and blossom drop.
As the name implies, this is an American family heirloom hailing from Kentucky. It was popularized by seed savers and distributed globally. Because of its potato-leaf foliage and large pink beefsteak fruits, many veteran growers suspect it is a localized strain or very close relative of the legendary Brandywine Pink. It shares Brandywine’s exceptional flavor profile, but also its sensitivity to extreme heat and blossom drop.
