| Author | Content |
dave
Jacksonville, TX
(Zone 8a)
 July 7, 2008
5:50 AM Post #5216331
| There are a total of 563 votes:
| One that is adaptable to any type of soil
(4 votes, 0%) |  |
| An unnamed, volunteer seedling from a fruit that rotted last year
(72 votes, 12%) | |
| An unreliable variety that may or may not set fruit
(54 votes, 9%) | |
| A variety that continues to grow and set fruit all season
(433 votes, 76%) | |
|
Previous Polls...and the answer is d) a variety that continues to set fruit all season, versus determinate varieties that produce one flush of fruit and then stop growing. |
CountryGardens
Lewisville, MN
(Zone 4a)
July 7, 2008
6:11 AM Post #5216398
| This is one of the hardest things to explain to tomato plant customers. We usually offer Big Beef, a indeterminate & Celebrity, a determinate variety.
People don't really know what they want or need.
These are indeterminate variety, Buffalo. Especially bred for greenhouse production.
Bernie
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
okus
New York(UK!)Lincoln
(United Kingdom)
(Zone 8b)
July 7, 2008
6:18 AM Post #5216413
| I got this one right!! Whoopee! but I actually thought all cultivated tomatos were like this - hence the need to stop after the third truss - to encourage them to concentrate on ripening what they have not setting more and more. |
grampapa
Wheatfield, NY
(Zone 6a)
July 7, 2008
6:54 AM Post #5216478
| This is one I really knew. I have Park's Whopper Improved growing in a container right now and it is an indeterminate variety. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
got2Bgreen
Coast range of, OR
(Zone 8b)
July 7, 2008
8:23 AM Post #5216707
| Wow - guessed and got it right. |
sawpalm
Winston Salem, NC
July 7, 2008
8:44 AM Post #5216789
| How do you know if it's determinate or indeterminate? I don't remember seeing it on the label but maybe I just didn't notice. What are Big Boys? I think they are indeterminate. |
slcdms
Ripley, MS
July 7, 2008
9:49 AM Post #5217037
| I got the Parks whopper too, I have mine in a homemade Earth Box. It is twice as green as the ones we have in the ground.
Sandra |
Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)
July 7, 2008
9:58 AM Post #5217079
| Thanks to DG, I got this one right! A year ago (before I joined) I wouldn't have known the answer!
The way it was explained to me on the Tomato Forum, the determinates stay shorter, more bush-like, and tend to set all their fruit at once, which is good if you want it all to ripen together for canning or something. The indeterminates are more vine-like in their growth, and can reach 10-12 feet, requiring a lot more staking. They produce fruit over a long period, which is great if you want to extend your tomato harvest over a longer period.
This is my first year with indeterminates, and I think I need to improve my support system! These are some strong, healthy tomato plants, and they look like they want to conquer my cages! LOL
|
Gwendalou
Langley, WA
(Zone 7b)
July 7, 2008
10:56 AM Post #5217433
| Bernie, if they don't know what they want, it's probably indeterminate. People who can know they want determinates.
Tell them it's like roses - once flowering, blooming one huge bloom at one time. Or blooming in smaller flushes throughout the summer.
Gwen |
David_Paul
Clinton, CT
(Zone 6b)
July 7, 2008
11:43 AM Post #5217737
| Some cultivars may be determinate and indeterminate depending on the strain. I grew an indeterminate Rutgers then mistakenly purchased the determinate strain. For my needs--a continous crop over a long season--the determinate was wasted space.
In addition, Rutgers and others are sometimes classified as "semi-determinate".
Bottom line: read the label. |
plantladyhou
Katy, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 7, 2008
11:47 AM Post #5217770
| With just the 2 of us I wanted indeter. and got them. We were able to enjoy them for several weeks. I don't can and don't like to freeze tomatoes - we just like them fresh. The labels I looked at all told me which type they were.
Ann |
TexasTam
Plano, TX
(Zone 8a)
July 7, 2008
11:53 AM Post #5217815
| I'm glad this came up, as I was one who thought the vining vs. non-vining issue was the only difference between determinate and non-determinate. Didn't know it had anything to do with fruit production...wow! Being a gardener means constantly learning. : ) |
nanny_56
Putnam County, IN
(Zone 5b)
July 7, 2008
12:53 PM Post #5218201
| Finally one I knew!! |
rosiemyrosie
Roseburg, OR
July 7, 2008
1:19 PM Post #5218347
| Amazing so many people do not know the answer to this question. People often just buy tomato plants and have no concept, unless it is the same one they plant year after year. If you have access to a computer or call your local extension office to determine if there is a specific tomato plant that does better than others in your area or region.'
Oregon State University does a wonderful job for us here in the Pacific Northwest in developing a strain of tomato plants for our area, cooler temperatures, mildew resistant, etc. There are several now on the market specifically for the Pacific Northwest. It is worth checking with your local extension agent or simply doing a Goggle search to see what thrives in your area. And YES...if you are a back yard gardener the "indeterminate" is most likely best to suit your needs.
Oberfeldwebel |
CountryGardens
Lewisville, MN
(Zone 4a)
July 7, 2008
1:59 PM Post #5218515
| If you like fresh tomatoes, plant them under cover & take good care of them.
I've had tomatoes in the greenhouse for 9 years. They are planted in the ground & nearly in the same holes every year. Never a disease in there, no blight, no nothing. One year I had a few white flies.
I put the plants in the ground the middle of April. I am now getting ripe ones. I will harvest into November. After that the heating bill would break me, so I let them freeze. The plants will be 15 to 18 feet long by November.
|
randbponder
Hornick, IA
(Zone 4b)
July 7, 2008
4:14 PM Post #5219193
| Right on Bernie. I even get get people staring at me who are members of a local garden club, when I ask if their tomatoes are determinate or indeterminate. They seem to think I am pulling their leg. |
docgipe
NORTH CENTRAL PENNSY, PA
(Zone 5a)
July 7, 2008
4:19 PM Post #5219217
| It is amazing what some gardeners do not know. Guess I'm nuts. I have to know and understand as much nitty gritty as you all can teach me or I am able to absorb. |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
July 7, 2008
4:52 PM Post #5219373
| My friend Badseed taught me this one as she sold me some determinate ones for my small patio pots. Thanks, Chele! |
Resin
Northumberland
(United Kingdom)
(Zone 9a)
July 7, 2008
5:35 PM Post #5219601
| Determinate tomatoes are primarily of interest to commercial farmers who can harvest the whole lot in one go with a combine harvester. Makes for vastly cheaper harvesting, but does also demand the ability to deal with the whole lot in one go.
Resin
|
Dyson
Rocky Mount, VA
(Zone 7a)
July 7, 2008
5:41 PM Post #5219628
| Indeterminate, determinate, if you cannot get a tomato to grow, you need to figure out what I am doing wrong! Using tomato paste out of a can is the pits. Life should not and at one time was not this difficult.
If you'se folks with a good crop are not too far - I have a vehicle that gets good mileage and will pay for good tomatoes.
|
CountryGardens
Lewisville, MN
(Zone 4a)
July 7, 2008
6:03 PM Post #5219763
| Google says 19 hours, 22 minutes from you to my house!
I will share.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Terry
Murfreesboro, TN
(Zone 7a)
July 7, 2008
6:07 PM Post #5219786
| Awww, Dyson. Soil, sun, fertilizer and water...it's not hard, but sometimes it can be a challenge to get them in just the right quantities, working together in concert.
I grow some determinates for canning (HealthKick for a nice red color, and Jet Star, a "semi-determinate" that makes great, consistent round, crack-free 'maters that are very easy to blanch, squeeze, slice/dice and can.)
The rest are mainly indeterminates...some black, some orange, some lumpy..all yummy ;o) |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 7, 2008
6:13 PM Post #5219813
| i know you can break off shoots (suckers) of indeterminants and stick them in the soil to take over when the main plant runs out. Or, you can just lay down a branch and let it root. In Alabama tomatoes keep going to October.
Dont know if determinants yield suckers that will root. |
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
July 7, 2008
6:21 PM Post #5219840
| I did not know the answer to this! No idea; so I learned something. I have 3 tomato plants in pots, giving me dirty looks. We have a short season, these were given to me late and now we are having cloudy, humid weather. They are making fruit but in a sulky, petulant sort of way! |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
July 7, 2008
7:14 PM Post #5220144
| LOL, roybird! Dyson, surely there is a farmer's market not terribly far from you? |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 7, 2008
7:21 PM Post #5220188
| I like Country Gardens approach up there in Minnesota!
After a round of salmonella, I wish I had planted more tomatoes. I bet in Alabama I could make them go into December under cover! |
KyWoods
Melbourne, KY
(Zone 6a)
July 7, 2008
7:23 PM Post #5220201
| I heard that they decided this last round of salmonella wasn't tomatoes after all--but they don't have any idea where it came from. I'm with you, it's homegrown for me from now on...not that it's a guarantee, but at least you know where they came from! |
hemlady
Melvindale, MI
(Zone 5a)
July 7, 2008
7:55 PM Post #5220362
| Well I learned something today. Never new what determinate and indeterminate was. |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 7, 2008
8:37 PM Post #5220657
| Yes. Now Ive heard the Salmonella is in California Almonds also. I ate a lot of store tomatoes and almonds as well.
Hemlady: If you buy a tomato plant, there is usually a designation on the label that it is determinate or indeterminant. Doesn't say what that means, though. |
hemlady
Melvindale, MI
(Zone 5a)
July 7, 2008
9:11 PM Post #5220852
| I start mine from seed Gloria and the catalog did mention which were determinate and indeterminate but I didn't know what that meant. I figured it was something to do with pollination. Now I know thanks to Dave's. |
linux_guile
Pueblo, CO
July 8, 2008
8:35 AM Post #5222621
| To answer a previous a questions Big Boys are indeterminate. also i am very intrugued on how you made the homemade earth box Sandra. are there any guides or diy instructions that you can point me to ?
Andrew |
woofie
Chewelah, WA
(Zone 5a)
July 8, 2008
12:44 PM Post #5224079
| Finally a question I definitely knew the answer to! Too bad I have no idea which kind I have planted. Just planted some of each out of all the seed packets I had on hand and now all the labels have faded anyway. Heh, heh I should at least be able to figure out which ones are the cherry tomatoes. :-) |
firemanswife
Naples, FL
July 8, 2008
12:51 PM Post #5224121
| Thanks, now I know why my plants produced 36 fruit at one time and reached the top of the gutter on the house; however, I do not know why the fruit split from top to bottom. Can someone help me with that? Marilyn |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 8, 2008
1:00 PM Post #5224186
| Too much water. |
evelyn_inthegarden
Grizzly Flats, CA
July 8, 2008
4:04 PM Post #5225274
| WOW! What a question, well I meant the answers that were presented. My husband grew one Patio tomato (determinate), and I am growing Brandywine, Black Russian, Golden Jubilee, Mr. Stripey and Yellow Pear. I think that they are all indeterminate, even the Yellow Pear produces for a long time, as I was considering that for a pot, but then I remembered how much it grew last year.
So Steve is Determinate, and I am Indeterminate!
Evelyn |
Potagere
(Jim) Farges
(France)
(Zone 7b)
July 8, 2008
5:06 PM Post #5225557
| Well, there are definitions and there are tomatoes.
I've grown Alpha, Latah, Polar Baby, Silvery Fir Tree and Lime Green Salad tomatoes for years.
All are deterninate (meaning they grow to a certain size and then pretty much stop); all produce side suckers that will also grow out to a certain size, but not a single one of them ripens all their fruit in one go! Latah and Alpha are finished for me this year after producing since February. Polar Baby started flowering in March and it still has fruit coming on new flower stalks. Silvery Fir Tree has just begun to flower and I expect fruit until frost. Lime Green Salad come late. It's also blooming now, and, again, I expect fruit still being picked in October/November.
A plant that produces 36 fruit at one time (that's all?) AND climbs to the top of the house rather defies all definitions!
Just grow what you like!
Potagere |
Dyson
Rocky Mount, VA
(Zone 7a)
July 8, 2008
5:29 PM Post #5225686
| CountryGardens - you are a true friend, which I have not met, but hope too! 22hrs? gotta sit on the house but I will take a "rain check".
I will get back through MN again, someday. |
shine389
Pittsburgh, PA
(Zone 6a)
July 8, 2008
5:46 PM Post #5225759
| Celebrity is listed as a determinate. But I've grown it, and it performs like an indeterminate. Any thoughts?
Shine |
CountryGardens
Lewisville, MN
(Zone 4a)
July 8, 2008
10:30 PM Post #5227218
| Dyson, you going to Kentucky Round Up. I am going to do my best to get there. It looks like a banner year for it! |
Dyson
Rocky Mount, VA
(Zone 7a)
July 9, 2008
7:19 AM Post #5228351
| Do not know if I am going anywhere any time soon, got laid off from work. |
vaiski
Midland, TX
July 9, 2008
12:50 PM Post #5229904
| Talk about defying all definitions! Regardez the description from a Bonnie's 'Better Bush' tomato tag: ". . . determinate vines yield a large crop of medium-sized fruits with additional production until season's end." Is this perhaps what a semi-determinate is meant to be? What I'd like to determine is when any of our mix of determinate and indeterminate plants is going to set fruit. They're blooming plenty, more and more as they reach and/or surpass the top of the wall behind them. I've heard one must beat or shake them--something rattling around in my memory about a woman who used to go out every morning and bash them with a broom. It was said, as I recall, to have worked for her.
|
David_Paul
Clinton, CT
(Zone 6b)
July 9, 2008
1:11 PM Post #5229995
| vaiski...Is it too hot where you are now? Tomatoes flower with day time temps just over 90 but do not set fruit well. At higher temps, fruit set stops. Cooler night time temps (70 and lower) also help in fruit set. In addition, high humidity can cause the pollen to clump and not drop to cause fertilization. That is when shaking the plant helps. |
vaiski
Midland, TX
July 9, 2008
3:16 PM Post #5230681
| Thanks so much, Dave_Paul, for that information, just what I was hoping for. Yes, in June we had several weeks of daytime highs over 100 degrees, some days with considerable humidity, some days with hardly any. This, after a nearly total drought since Thanksgiving 2007. Again, however, my memory had grown fuzzy as to some relationship between temperature range and tomato fruit set. Mercifully, late June/early July brought one good soaking rain, cloudy days, and lower temps--middle 90s, mostly. And continuing humidity. Guess I'd better get out the broom. |
Yuska
San Antonio, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 9, 2008
3:28 PM Post #5230731
| David Paul is correct on the flowering/non-fruiting at high temps. The American Horticultural Society developed the heat zone map after extensive study and determined that the trigger temp is 86 degrees. You can find your heat zone on the map and see how many days on average your area can expect per year. Here in south central Texas we are heat zone 9 (out of 11) and the local nurseries urge us to yank out the plants and set out new ones for fall production. I just leave my plantings alone to take a "siesta" and by mid-September production is back, continuing until first frost sometimes as late as December. Of course by that time the plants are up and over their six foot cages and trailing along the ground helterskelter. I tolerate the untidiness because I enjoy the bounty. Yuska |
tonyjr
Union City, CA
(Zone 9b)
July 9, 2008
7:27 PM Post #5231926
| The season ends with a frost or cold snap . I can generally have fresh ones till mid Dec. early Jan . The yellow pear and sweet 100's seem to last longest here . |
GrammyJo
Granite City, IL
(Zone 6a)
July 10, 2008
4:47 AM Post #5234095
| The only one I’ve grown in the last few years is Sweet 100 (an indeterminate cherry tomato). I set mine out way late last year and low and behold I STILL don’t have my two little plants out yet this year (the word procrastinate comes to mind…). I’ll get them out within the next few days and since they’re already getting spindly I’ll pinch off the leaves up to about 2/3rds of the plants, bury those 2/3rds in the ground, and just make sure they get plenty of water. I’ll still get a nice little crop before the seasons over thankfully. The only problem is that my hubby doesn’t really like cherry toms so maybe next year I’ll put out some nice big ones for a change.
Speaking of Salmonella, I think it’s getting to the point where our food (all types) will have to be irradiated. I’m so surprised that they aren’t doing it yet. I know that raises many fears in so many people but my understanding of the process is that there’s no danger to humans in eating food having been irradiated and that food is guaranteed free from disease, etc. With soooooo much of our food imported now and apparently very little oversight of those sources we can sadly expect this kind of thing to happen more and more often (contamination of all kinds) in and on our food. Even food from our own country can have problems, like beef and e-coli. To me irradiation seems to be the only answer. Any thoughts about that?
|
jeffinsgf
Brighton, MO
(Zone 6a)
July 10, 2008
12:01 PM Post #5235587
| Grammy Jo,
Before we start irradiating, I think we should prohibit the use of sewage sludge compost on production fields. I'm all for organic production and recycling, but even the cavemen knew that you don't eat where you poop. |
AYankeeCat
Fairfield County, CT
(Zone 6b)
July 10, 2008
12:12 PM Post #5235672
| I got it right - but I thought that indeterminate meant that it needed support! |
Potagere
(Jim) Farges
(France)
(Zone 7b)
July 10, 2008
5:17 PM Post #5237190
| I just turned 60 and don't plan on having more kids, so irradiate away!
But, come on, if crops need to be irradiated to be "edible", what does that say about cultivation practices.
~ AYankeeCat: I've got a SiameseCat, so that makes me an authority on just about anything!
Well, yeah, you CAN support indeterminate tomatoes, and most people do, but "naturally", they're a vine, like a squash. If you have the space, they do just fine on the ground, like cucumbers.
Determinate tomatoes just naturally "bush". It's a shame these terms ever developed. We never talk about "indeterminate beans" and "determinate beans", now do we? No, we talk about "pole beans" [which, BTW, will do just fine if allowed a huge amount of space to "vine" along the ground] and "bush beans". [ And yes, bush beans do TEND to give all their crop at one time. But, how many of you also grow flowers? Picking the beans is like "deadheading". Do it in time, and the crop is prolonged!]
So ... maybe if we called these "stake tomatoes" (since most people stake rather than 'cage' their tomatoes) and "bush tomatoes", we'd be better off.
Resin is correct in that "indeterminate/bush" tomatoes are popular with some commercial growers; but not too many, actually, because the fruit is almost always smaller and less adaptable to shipping. These are motly a product catering to the "luxury" trade.
~ tonyjr Yeah, my "Yellow Pears" (incredibly indeterminate, folks) mass produce until heavy frost kills the plants (and I think they try to keep on after that!)
~ Thanks David_Paul and Yuska for completely new knowledge !!!!!
Potagere
This message was edited Jul 10, 2008 9:18 PM |
ViolaAnn
Ottawa, ON
(Zone 5a)
July 11, 2008
8:55 AM Post #5240397
| I don't do well on botany quizzes but I knew this one. My indeterminate cherry tomatoes will top 8 ft poles while the determinant Roma are happy with much shorter ones. But like others, I'm not always sure about other varieties.
Ann |
gardenhistory
Riverton, NJ
July 11, 2008
5:07 PM Post #5242773
| I've been growing heirloom tomato's for over 30 yrs. This question always stumped most folks that I talked too. I grow the same type of tomato's that my great great grandparents grew . The family farm is about 200 ft from my house,, so I can explain-- indeterm-VS determ.
Congraduations to those that knew the answer!
Gardenhistory |
joosbird
Glenwood Springs, CO
July 11, 2008
7:09 PM Post #5243377
| Hey~ I got it right! and it's only my second season of tomato growing. Frankly, I learned this difference
from the kind folks at Burpee. I like to have tomatos that keep on comin! :D WHEE!
|
plantladylin
East Central, FL
(Zone 9a)
July 11, 2008
10:18 PM Post #5244364
| I didn't know the answer.
All I know is that one of my 3 tomato plants has bugs! |
David_Paul
Clinton, CT
(Zone 6b)
July 11, 2008
10:33 PM Post #5244464
| What kind of bugs? |
plantladylin
East Central, FL
(Zone 9a)
July 11, 2008
10:59 PM Post #5244620
| ??? I have no clue! I just know something is eating them and it ain't me!  |
David_Paul
Clinton, CT
(Zone 6b)
July 11, 2008
11:18 PM Post #5244714
| You can probably rule out hornworm if your plants are just being nibbled on. When I lived in southern Florida, those creatures stripped half a dozen plants overnight. That was the day I learned what they were. First time I ever saw one. Kinda pretty things. |
plantladylin
East Central, FL
(Zone 9a)
July 11, 2008
11:30 PM Post #5244793
| Do they feed at night? Whatever is eating my maters' must be night feeders. I have looked during the day and can't find anything but something is getting at them. Today I found some of the Cherry Tomato's with holes in them. The Roma doesn't seem to be affected by whatever is eating the Cherry and regular sized tomato plants.
I hate using chemicals so I've just let the critters eat them. We can eat the Roma's! |
jeffinsgf
Brighton, MO
(Zone 6a)
July 12, 2008
7:48 AM Post #5245673
| plantladylin,
I feel the same way about chemicals, but had to do something when my beautiful eggplant bushes came under attack this week. After some research, I decided to try a product containing neem oil. Apparently, it has no ill effect on mammals or birds, but kills a lot of bugs. I used Ferti-Lome Triple Plus, but there are a lot of products out there, most certified Organic, that will work. Give it a try, it's better than giving up. |
plantladylin
East Central, FL
(Zone 9a)
July 12, 2008
11:17 AM Post #5246468
| Yep, Organic is definitely the way to go! I have just not taken the time to pick up something to use on the tomato's. Neem is a very popular product and does no harm, except to the critters you are trying to eradicate!
|
David_Paul
Clinton, CT
(Zone 6b)
July 12, 2008
12:57 PM Post #5246981
| Took over two decades to do it but last year a team of scientists was able to make the active ingredient of neem oil in the lab:
Azadirachtin At Last:
[HYPERLINK@pubs.acs.org]
This is very good as it takes a lot of evergreen trees to make neem oil and the effectiveness of neem oil varies depending on the amount of azadirachtin in it. Demand outstrips supply hence the current price ($$$$). Don't know if this will mean a quick price drop or not. It did when taxol (used to fight ovarian cancer) was made in the lab rather than harvested from yew trees and when, during WWII, synthetic quinine replaced the compound derived from cinchona bark.
|
katiebear
mulege
(Mexico)
July 12, 2008
4:52 PM Post #5248020
| Someone asked about a home made earth box. Directions for a tomato box made from 5 gallon buckets are at [HYPERLINK@www.doug.org.] I've seen directions for a home made earth box but couldn't find them now. Maybe someone else has the site.
katiebear |
katiebear
mulege
(Mexico)
July 13, 2008
11:02 AM Post #5251435
| Correction: The tomato bucket is at [HYPERLINK@www.dougs.org] I think you can scroll down until you find it. If that doesn't work someone needs to tell me how to copy the URL from the address line to here.
katiebear |
katiebear
mulege
(Mexico)
July 13, 2008
11:04 AM Post #5251441
| Some of the URL got dropped. I don't understand this. Add /doug/index.php. |
katiebear
mulege
(Mexico)
July 13, 2008
11:10 AM Post #5251483
| I typed the above URL into the address bar, scrolled downt o "goodgle at dougs" box and typed in "tomatoe bucket." The first item that came up was the article I meant.
Hope this works. If not, let me know.
katiebear |
katiebear
mulege
(Mexico)
July 13, 2008
11:28 AM Post #5251572
| Found the other site I was thinking about: www,josho,com/gardening.htm. If the URL doesn't work I refound it by doing a Yahoo search for "homemade earthbox."
katiebear |
marshkat
Bellaire, MI
July 13, 2008
9:48 PM Post #5254644
| Well, that explains it!!! I remember getting tomatoes all season. More than I could use. Since I moved to Northern MI my plants all mature at once and then they are done. I thought it was the weather or maybe some kind of insect up here. Glad I joined, didn't know this about tomatoes. |
GrammyJo
Granite City, IL
(Zone 6a)
July 27, 2008
4:13 AM Post #5326021
| HEY…is anyone still checking this thread?? If so I wanted to add a little…..
jeffinsgf…you’re probably right about the sewer sludge ESPECIALLY considering all the really dangerous diseases humans get.
Potagere, I’m with you. I just turned 60 also and besides that it would literally take a MIRACLE for me to have another child! And irradiation says (about our cultivation practices) the same sorry thing it says about our society in general…..there’s a HUGE lack of personal accountability across all levels of our society. It’s a sad thing to have to say but just the same it’s true. That’s why I believe irradiation is probably the ONLY way to make sure our food is (hopefully) ‘safe’ to eat.
I also wanted to let all of you know that I buy a pasteurized egg from ‘Davidson’s Eggs’. I couldn’t believe that an egg COULD be pasteurized and not get cooked from the heat. But they show the whole process on their web site and it’s pretty amazing. It’s wonderful NOT to be worried about getting raw egg on my hands and having to wash them every time I crack one when cooking AND being able to have them ‘over easy’ or runny when I want to. I can even ‘act like a child’ again and lick the spatula when I make cake batter. Give em a try! Here’s a link to their web site. They are slightly more expensive but not by much and knowing they’re safe MORE than makes up for the difference in price. If you can’t find them locally ask your grocer to order them. [HYPERLINK@www.safeeggs.com]
Finally, about slugs and tomatoes….. there’s another thing we can do to keep them off our plants. Just put a barrier around the plants (lawn edging would work fine) and glue or tack copper stripping all around the perimeter. Slugs OR snails wouldn’t go over it since I think it’s suppose to give them a ‘shock’. It wouldn’t need to be reapplied at all and would also be totally ‘nature friendly’.
Hope you do check back ‘cause I’d love for you to know about those eggs!
|
isom
Mission BC
(Canada)
(Zone 8b)
July 31, 2008
5:09 PM Post #5349894
| It's easy to remember which is which if you use a memory trick.
Indeterminate - NO determined end (indetermined end) to its growth so keeps on growing up & up & will staking. These are staking tomatoes for sure & need to be pruned of suckers.
Determinate - a previously determined end to growth so the plant tends to grow out & sprawl. While they don't really need staking, they can do with some support as the loads of tomatoes can get heavy & break branching stems. I generally don't prune suckers till toward the end of the growing season as many new tomatoes can form from these suckers. Really, the suckers are part of the branching of these type of tomatoes.
Personally, because of our climate (longer growing season but cooler summers), I prefer determinate plants. Besides, with lots of other work to do & never enough time, they're less work for me to set them up. |
