Jupiter wrote:
On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 08:35:52 +0100, Malcolm
wrote:


In article , JP in Lon
writes

"Andy" wrote in message
...

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...

Is this normal?

I've never noticed it happen in the past.


If you mean individual side-stems are going off randomly
and getting covered with a dusty mould, then I think it's
normal. I just pick the mouldy stems off. They've only got
a few weeks to go anyway.

Talking of tomato plants not having long to go,
A while ago in a small north facing bed next to the house, we had a tomato
plant appear.
Now since it was north facing, we didn't deliberately plant it, but it
really went for it, and has flowered,
and fruited (only very small atm.) but unlikely to get close to ripe before
frosts.
However, just wondering if someone could suggest how it appeared out of no
where?


Tomato seeds are capable of passing through the guts of birds (1) and
still being viable, so I would guess one hitched a lift into your
garden.

(1) And humans! When I were a lad I bird-watched on an old fashioned
sewage farm, the kind where the sludge, after spending a year in large
pits, was spread on fields on which crops were then grown. Tomato plants
flourished all over the place. I used to take tomatos home but for some
reason my mother wouldn't serve them in a salad but only ever made
chutney with them :-)


They grew in the filter beds themselves at our local sewage works when
I was young, constantly being gently sprayed by the liquid effluent
(i.e. fertiliser).. Excellent crops and some of the staff used to sell
the tomatoes!

Maybe some of the pips went out with the washing up water.