I'm growing a Purple Calabash Tomato in a container (first time growing this
variety) and the thing has developed a huge flat stem that looks for all the
world like a computer ribbon cable! Anyone ever had this happen?

E-mail me off-list if you want to see a picture of it. If I get a chance, I
will post a picture to the garden binaries NG


Craig

I'm growing a Purple Calabash Tomato in a container (first time growing this
variety) and the thing has developed a huge flat stem that looks for all the
world like a computer ribbon cable! Anyone ever had this happen?

E-mail me off-list if you want to see a picture of it. If I get a chance, I
will post a picture to the garden binaries NG


Craig

Have never grown Purple Calabash, but it is considered a novelty tomato. Many
of ihe indeterminate short internode (ISI) tomatoes do have thickened stems
almost like several stems growing side by side which gives them their
characteristic rigidity. That trait had to come from somewhere so maybe P
Calabash is an OP with that trait. Let us know, how it tastes.

You may also be looking at a structural phenomenon called fasciation.
It happens when a growing point mutates from a round cluster of cells
into a line of cells or when an injury causes the same thing. It can
affect stems, inflorescences, individual flowers. It happens rather
often in strawberry fruit and gives the wide, flat berries with
multiple points. It's harmless, usually.

for fun:
fasciated bluebonnet:
http://botany.cs.tamu.edu/FLORA/hdwi.../jlbigblue.jpg

fasciated black-eyed-susan:
http://botany.cs.tamu.edu/FLORA/dcs420/fa07/fa07008.jpg

Monique Reed

You may also be looking at a structural phenomenon called fasciation.
It happens when a growing point mutates from a round cluster of cells
into a line of cells or when an injury causes the same thing. It can
affect stems, inflorescences, individual flowers. It happens rather
often in strawberry fruit and gives the wide, flat berries with
multiple points. It's harmless, usually.

for fun:
fasciated bluebonnet:
http://botany.cs.tamu.edu/FLORA/hdwi.../jlbigblue.jpg

fasciated black-eyed-susan:
http://botany.cs.tamu.edu/FLORA/dcs420/fa07/fa07008.jpg

Monique Reed