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remodeller_gw

When will I know which one is Determinate & which is Indtrmnate?

Remodeller
10 years ago

On a windy day my starter plants tipped over and the labels fell out before I planted them so I don't know which is which. Next time Im taking a sharpie pen to the nursery and labeling the little pots as soon as I pay for them!!!! Here's my post from fb: "Tomatoes are getting bigger. The one on left has 3 or 4 new fruits growing. The plant on the right is taller but still no fruit. The labels got lost on a windy day so one is a Celebrity Bush (determinate type: one big harvest per season, shorter; 3-4 feet tall) & the other is a Pantano Romanesco (indeterminate type; gives you smaller harvests all season until frost kills it. Can grow up to 12feet tall, 6 feet is more common). I don't know which is which , that kinda sucks cause one type should be pruned & the other shouldn't. I need a Tomato Jedi to make this call." - Can anyone help? I know you would think the taller one is Indeterminate- but then wouldn't it be growing little fruits by now? Not a single fruit on the tall one yet.

Comments (9)

  • 2ajsmama
    10 years ago

    At least you only got 2! I'd say the one with fruit on it is the Celebrity, do you know the DTM for each? I'd think the determinate would be earlier but not necessarily.

    Do you have them both planted in the same container? Looks a little crowded, unless you plan on cutting down the Celebrity after it's done bearing, but by then it could have stunted the other a little (too much competition for root space and nutrients).

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    that kinda sucks cause one type should be pruned & the other shouldn't

    Neither one must be pruned. Pruning is an option but is not required for any variety or type.

    My primary concern would be the overall appearance of the plants is very poor with tightly rolled leaves. Perhaps it is just the quality of the picture?

    Both plants in the same container - I sure hope it is 25-30 gallons.

    The primary way to tell the difference between determinate or indeterminate is to measure the inter-node length. Indeterminate types will usually have longer inter-node lengths. But since Celeb is a semi-determinate (not a bush type) you may not be able to tell the difference and will have to wait until fruit develops and the fruit shape will tell you which is which. Pantano is bigger and has very ruffled shoulders.

    Dave

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    I can bet my money on it. Based on your descriptions and the picture , the one on the right is Pantano Romanesco . It sure does not look like a determinant and already is a head and shoulder taller than the one on the left.

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    (DELETED CONTENTS OF REPETED POST)

    This post was edited by seysonn on Wed, Jun 26, 13 at 12:01

  • Remodeller
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks everyone for looking at this! Hey digdirt; what would cause the leaves to curl up like that?- also it looks like I've got blossom end rot on half or more of the fruit :( I looked it up and its caused by too much moisture in the soil or a calcium deficiency or perhaps a mixture of both. I added the dolomite according to the Earthtainer pdf, but did not add EB Stone Sure Start, just 10-10-10 fertilizer. I'm uploading a hi def vid on youtube as I type this so I will have a link to the vid on this post- Im thinking this may help viewers identify which plant is which and maybe diagnose the cause of my plant ailments. See video youtube link attached to this response- thanks again

    Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato plant ID & diagnosis aid video

  • drewbym
    10 years ago

    Bury three or four crumbled/broken tums around the plants and the end rot will go away. You can also spray the plants with a little bit of diluted milk for the end rot.

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    Bury three or four crumbled/broken tums around the plants and the end rot will go away. You can also spray the plants with a little bit of diluted milk for the end rot.

    Sure it will. Or you can wave a magic wand over the plant while you hop on one foot and whistle "Dixie" and it will go away even faster. :)

    what would cause the leaves to curl up like that?

    It is called "tomato leaf roll" and is a common response of the plant to extreme stress. Identifying the source of the stress is the problem since it can be pests, temperature extremes, inconsistent soil moisture levels, nutrient issues, etc. etc. Pests and soil moisture issues are the most common causes.

    I looked it up and its caused by too much moisture in the soil or a calcium deficiency or perhaps a mixture of both.

    It isn't necessarily "too much moisture" as it can just as easily be too little moisture. It is INCONSISTENT moisture levels in the soil that causes it in conjunction with the root development in the plant. Calcium is there but it isn't getting distributed to the blossom end. Stabilize the soil moisture levels and as soon as the roots develop sufficiently it goes away. Meanwhile toss those fruit to reduce stress on the plant.

    Check out the BER FAQ here and all the discussions here about it that the search will pull up.

    Dave

  • fcivish
    10 years ago

    In my experience, you dont generally need to do much for blossom end rot, except pull off the tomatoes and throw them away. They rarely taste good when ripe, unless the blossom end rot is very minimal and involves only a small fraction of the tomato, which is NOT typical.

    It tends to occur more with the very first few tomatoes on a plant, and probably is just caused by the plant not quite being strong enough or healthy enough to support the growing tomato. Yeah, it could be triggered by cold, fertilizer conditions, lack of water, etc, but with time the plant grows and improves and future tomatoes are less likely to have BER.

  • Remodeller
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    weird- I posted a reply and it did not show up. I trimmed off the end rotted tomatoes, and I added a little more fertilzer, this time with a fertilizer more geared towards tomatoes and claims to reduce blossom end rot. I probably added two table spoons to each plant close the base and mixed it in to the soil a little. I was limited in what I could do without taking the trashbag cover off the soil. In brighter news I noticed a fruit on the taller plant finally! See attached picture and video link

    Here is a link that might be useful: Video: First fruit of taller plant etc