16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
I am not a taste expert but SWEETNESS,( beside being a relative and somewhat subjective matter ) is msotly attributed to small fruited and yellow tomatoes. OR that is what I have heard.
ALSO, sweetness is due to ripeness ant that can happen more with hot and dry conditions than the opposite. I think, somehow sunshine make a remarkable contribution to sweetness. And, of course, genetic characteristic is another factor, perhaps that OP is looking for.
those look great. Deep fryer sure helps!
To those who are willing to experiment, there is a great Latvian recipe for pickled tomatoes + onions in a pickle juice jello. Essentially your marinade is made to jelly up in the jar if you keep it in the fridge. It is quite tangy as Latvians are quite vinegar-crazy, but who knows, you may enjoy it. Since a Latvian recipe can be quite difficult to find in English, look for a Russian one, there should be plenty online in English.
Could you be more specific in your question please, narrow it's focus to specific points?
It would take hours and pages of information to even try to answer your question as posed. It is simply far too broad.
A simple answer is that you cannot grow tomatoes without N-P-K as well as various minerals and micro-nutrients. The effect of supplying them would all depend on the amounts used, the form they were administered in and the time of application, as well as the method of application.
Na (sodium) has a minimal role.
Dave
Stink bugs are almost impossible to control even with chemical pesticides much less organic ones. But if you browse through the many discussions here about them that the search will pull up for you, one frequent recommendation over the past several years is Surround, a powdered kaolin clay preparation that is sprayed on the plants, and it is organic.
Dave
Sungiold F1 seeds are produced by the breeder, Tokita Seeds, inJapan.
And there are far more than two parents, I've explained how modern F1 varieties are bred in another thread here quite recently., Actually with two breeding lines and up to 4 parental inputs in each of those breeding lines.
THey don't store F1 seed, they produce more F1 seed when needed,which is true for Tokita and all the other major commercial breeders of F1 seeds for many varieties.
Using male steriles makes F1 seed production much easier these days as opposed to all the hand labor that used to be necessary when removing the male pollen bearing anthers so that no self pollenization could occur.,
Carolyn
Clones can be used to great effect when hybridizing or breeding stable OP varieties, and tomatoes are super easy to clone.
I know with human cells, telomere length is a limiting factor on immortality. But cancer cells can achieve immortality in a petri dish, see link below.
I am not sure if there is such a limit on plants. Considering 2000+ year old trees here and there perhaps there is not a fundamental limit, and plant clones could be kept alive forever.
As for OP vs. hybrid, I'll gladly take the adaptability, resilience and independence from seed co's that OP offers, over whatever gains might be obtained by buying hybrid seed. I want seeds that are adapted to my climate, my garden, my pests and my habits as a gardener. My plan is to just keep chucking tomato seeds out there to see what thrives and produces. My aims are different than a lot of gardeners, for me it's more about resilient gardening than gourmet gardening. I'm happier with the 'wild arugula' that reseeds itself perpetually than with some named variety of arugula that I would have to resow every year.
I am a member of a local seed library, $10 lifetime membership, and I have access to way more veggie seeds than I could ever grow, with the caveat that I return extra saved seed when possible. With those seeds, I follow stricter seed saving protocols, because there is an obligation to keep the varieties true.
Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/18/134622044/tracing-the-immortal-cells-of-henrietta-lacks
This post was edited by yukkuri_kame on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 17:18
seysonn - the link Dave gave was not to a discussion on GW. I gives very clear explanation of determinate vs indeterminate - though things get muddy once you start on "semi-determinates".
Oh, and I know the only way I'm going to be able to tell if these are hybrids is to save some seeds and see if the fruit is the same next year. Which I'll do if they taste good, b/c while the seeds I have left in these packets may be the same (or may not be, I've gotten an oddball seed in a Burpee packet before), any that are labeled the same for sale next year (or ven the unopened packets I have from this year, think I bought 2 of the "Independence Day") could be totally different!
Since seysonn apparently wants to be spoon-fed an answer and even providing pictures isn't enough then:
If a tomato reaches a certain size and stops growing, it is called a determinant tomato plant. However if the suckers keep on growing and growing out of the pot and into the frying pan, it is called indeterminate.
You can tell if a tomato plant is determinate or indeterminate by looking at how the flower cluster comes off the stem. If it is centered and shooting out from the tip of the stem, then it is a determinate plant. If the flower cluster is off to one side with the stem growing past the cluster, then it has an indeterminate growth pattern.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Determinate versus Indeterminate tomato plants
Horrible time with hornworms this year...usually not so bad but for some reason an over abundance this season. Pulled them off and fed them to the chickens. Even found one on one of my sweet banana pepper plants.
I will definitely attempt to turn over the beds (with my son's help) and hopefully foil the dormant growth. Of course, killing over 30 of the buggers should reduce the population somewhat.
Anyone else in zone 7b (Upstate SC) have a similar experience?
Another Idea:
In the spring time local GW gardeners make and exchange meeting, once or twice and swap plans. It is possible there could be ones who may sell extras that they have. They might not openly advertise it on GW, but if you contact them privately, they might sell you few plants.
You have to take the first step by going to your local/regional forum and try to advocate such a practice.
I have seen that being done around Atlanta, GA.
Araujo's Garden Center is in Dighton, MA about thirty miles south of you. I have been dealing with them for years. They have an extensive collection of both tomato and pepper plants for sale each season. Probably 50 or 60 tomatoes including heirlooms and perhaps 30-40 pepper varieties. I would suggest that you check them out.
You have at least six individual plants in a pot that can support two at best. Did you buy at the end of season, when they have been growing in their cell packs for a little too long and are already on the decline? In my experience, they never recover from their less than ideal start.
17.2 ounces!
Now, it may not sound like a record, BUT it was grown in a 6 gallon (maybe 7, I'm not quite sure) self-watering container on a balcony.
It's Cherokee Purple. The name sounded pretty good when I was picking out a plant at Walmart. If I new it would get to be over 8 ft tall, I would have never bought it. But, for whatever reason, it's deliriously happy, and it's been producing like crazy. The only problem is it's taking up a ton of space on the small balcony. But it's worth it :)
They're Tami G Hybrid.
Some are starting to turn and it's not as obvious on them, so I probably could pick them now. The worst ones are super green and still too small to pick and counter ripen. Hopefully you're right, Linda and time will be gracious to them.
The plant might still feed them for a while, as long as the stems are live . Food comes from the roots. Iust with few leaves the plant can continue to live. Might even grow new shoots.