This year I'm growing :

1) some unknown yellow tomato
2) purple prince
3) roma
4) bush beefstake
5) and one purple prince-yellow cross i created myself

I tried to cross the purple prince with the yellow last year and saved
the seeds. I'm growing them now though i'm not sure if the cross was
successful or it self-fertilized. I'll know soon enough when the
tomatoes on that plant get their color.

The year before that I crossed a beefstake variety of tomato with a
grape sized tomato and saved the seeds. I found out that you get a
ping-pong ball sized tomato from that! The gene/s for small sized
tomatoes appears to be dominant over large sized tomatoes.

I'm also doing another experiement this year. I saw this news clip on
grape wine yards in France. They mentioned that the grape growers
were very happy this summer. Aside from killing a whole bunch of
people, the hot, dry summer over there has helped produce a very good
crop of grapes. Because of the heat & dryness, the grapes have less
moisture in them and hence taste sweeter. Wines therefore will taste
better and be of higher quality (and command a higher price)

So i'm extending that same principle to tomatoes. I did not water the
tomato plants. I figure the fruits will also be less watery and more
full of flavor. Lets see if I'm right. So far the number of tomatoes
are down compared to last year but if they taste better, hell it will
be worth it.

When last we left our heros, on Thu, 28 Aug 2003 23:00:39 GMT,
zalzon scribbled:

This year I'm growing :

1) some unknown yellow tomato

So, where did your unknown yellow tomato come from?
Mine was labeled as a Manalucie, but clearly isn't. I really
wish I could figure out what it is, because it's a brave
little soldier in The War of the spit! Thrips. It's a potato
leaf, yellow tomato that is about the size of a tennis ball.
I thought it was determinate, but I have since then discovered
several runners running a covert operation under cover of the
sweet potatoes. I thought I had a mushroom under the sweet
potato vines, but it was a lovely yellow tomato.


Pam



--
"Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart."
"ElissaAnn"

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 03:16:01 GMT, Pam Rudd
wrote:

When last we left our heros, on Thu, 28 Aug 2003 23:00:39 GMT,
zalzon scribbled:

So, where did your unknown yellow tomato come from?

I was lost driving around town and popped into a supermarket. There
they had these round shiny yellow globes sitting neatly in the
vegetable section. I took a closer look and found they were tomatoes.

I bought a couple, and saved the seeds.

I thought it was determinate, but I have since then discovered
several runners running a covert operation under cover of the
sweet potatoes. I thought I had a mushroom under the sweet
potato vines, but it was a lovely yellow tomato.

don't let the tomato touch the ground/soil or it will be ruined. i
stake and cage my plants.

When last we left our heros, on Sat, 30 Aug 2003 03:51:12 GMT,
zalzon scribbled:

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 03:16:01 GMT, Pam Rudd
wrote:

mystery yellow tomatoes

I thought it was determinate, but I have since then discovered
several runners running a covert operation under cover of the
sweet potatoes. I thought I had a mushroom under the sweet
potato vines, but it was a lovely yellow tomato.

don't let the tomato touch the ground/soil or it will be ruined.

You should explain that to the tomato, I've picked 4 or 5
perfect yellow tomatoes from under the sweet potato vines.

i stake and cage my plants.

So do I, but the mystery yaller tomato's philosophy is,
apparently, "Don't Fence Me In...". I went on vacation
and it made a break for it.


Pam




--
That's the difference between me and the rest of the world!
Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!
--Calvin

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 13:40:51 GMT, Pam Rudd
wrote:


So do I, but the mystery yaller tomato's philosophy is,
apparently, "Don't Fence Me In...". I went on vacation
and it made a break for it.


g Serves you right!

I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that I'm either
going to use a rebar (rebar mesh) cage for tomatoes or prune
them and trellis them in the future.

This year, we used 'tomato cage wire' to make our tomato
cages. We used pieces of rebar (the bar kind, not the mesh
kind) to brace the cages, as last year the tomatoes broke
their wooden stakes and collapsed their cages.

We pounded the rebar down into the ground as far as we
could, then dropped the cages over it, to get the effect of
having woven the bars through the cages. This is strong
stuff: iron, I suppose. Iron rods.

The tomatoes have STILL managed to collapse their cages.

Pat

writes:

g Serves you right!

LOL!!! Go on vacation and come back to tomatoes that went on vacation
too, love it!


I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that I'm either
going to use a rebar (rebar mesh) cage for tomatoes or prune
them and trellis them in the future.

This year, we used 'tomato cage wire' to make our tomato
cages. We used pieces of rebar (the bar kind, not the mesh
kind) to brace the cages, as last year the tomatoes broke
their wooden stakes and collapsed their cages.

We pounded the rebar down into the ground as far as we
could, then dropped the cages over it, to get the effect of
having woven the bars through the cages. This is strong
stuff: iron, I suppose. Iron rods.

The tomatoes have STILL managed to collapse their cages.

I have found my cages work well though I'll also be adding to the mix next
year. What I've done as a semi-permanent maneuver is use field fencing
which is made from a heavy gage wire and is designed in 6-inch or so
squares. The top and bottom wires require heavy duty lineman cutters to
cut and aren't the easiest thing to bend back into loops to made the
circle, but the cages hold up well. The intermediate wires are still heavy
but easier to manage. The plants go over the tops but haven't collapsed
them. This year, I also have the lemon cucumber plant on one and the
prolific thing is doing well on it. To secure the cages in the ground, I
use four 8-inch long fabric staples on the bottom wire; it works very well
this way; the cages would surely tip at some point when one side of the
plant became heavier with fruit than the other if that weren't done.
Pat's rebar application would work very well for holding them upright also
and there'd be no stray staples to get caught in the rototiller the
following spring which invariably happens with dozens of cages.

Initially, cutting the wire in different lengths, varying one square each
way, allows nesting three cages to take up less winter storage space.
While they could be flattened, sort of, for more efficient use of storage
space, it would be a frustrating experience.

What I added this year is a cattle panel which is really heavy duty stuff
and will not be bent without the proper tools and a strong hand. I just
drove two 7-ft fence posts into the ground and fastened it against them to
hold it vertical which is more than adequate with the heavy wire involved.
It would be akin to "sheet" of rebar material. The "mesh" is 6-8 inches.
It can be bent, but not easily. I'm going to be moving all my berries to
the east side of the garden on the south end this fall and will be putting
in cattle panels for them to climb on, trusting the metal will not conduct
too much heat for the branches. It has not seemed to bother the half
dozen tomato plants I have growing on one. Unfortunately, due to a delay
in help to set the panel in place for the tomatoes, it's not exactly like
I wanted since we had to work around 4-ft high plants already fruited, but
putting it in with the initial planting will resolve that. Of course, the
tomatoes are intermixed on the panel as the vines grow. Since I planted
unlike cherry-type tomatoes on it, that's not a problem. There's a bit of
a difference in a ripe Sun Gold and Sweet 100 and Yellow Pear. :-)

The panels are 16-feet long and 52 inches high and are not easily handled
by one person. They are also rather heavy, remembering these are *cattle*
panels designed to keep cattle contained. Most farm stores would surely
cut them into shorter lengths for you; these were carried on a full-size
pickup bent back over themselves which left a curve in the middle which I
was not able to get completely straight again but that beat having to have
them cut for hauling. They cost just under $20 each and will be a good
investment over the years. One of the advantages of them is that if you
want to make a really tall cage, you can . . . that is if you have the
resources to cut and bend. I'm thinking a triangular design would be the
easiest, given the heavy gauge of the wire. (I call it wire but it's
really more like lightweight bars when you're working with it, no sagging
there! g)

I stumbled upon the cattle panels while actually visiting various
farm/garden stores looking for hog wire. The hog wire of my youth isn't
being sold around here so I don't know if it's even manufactured anymore.
All I've seen this past few years is old stuff purchased many years ago;
field fencing was the closest thing I could find. The cattle panels have
the same "mesh" pattern but are much heavier and are not sold in rolls
because of the heavy wire gauge. You would not believe what I would find
when I got to a store after being told via telephone they had hog wire!
One would think even a new employee would understand lawn fencing and hog
wire might not be the same thing even if they didn't figure out that
2x4-inch squares are *not* 6-inch squares. Not many people put hogs on
their lawns. Oh, well. Maybe some don't know what a hog is, ya think?

One day, I'll get my web page updated from a year ago and include the
tomato cage stuff on it. Obviously, that hasn't been a top priority for
me or it would already be done. One thing about our gardens, they don't
leave a lot of "fluff" time, do they? But ain't it great?!

Glenna

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 08:31:29 -0700, (Glenna
Rose) wrote:



Initially, cutting the wire in different lengths, varying one square each
way, allows nesting three cages to take up less winter storage space.
While they could be flattened, sort of, for more efficient use of storage
space, it would be a frustrating experience.

This is a good idea.


What I added this year is a cattle panel which is really heavy duty stuff
and will not be bent without the proper tools and a strong hand. I just
drove two 7-ft fence posts into the ground and fastened it against them to
hold it vertical which is more than adequate with the heavy wire involved.
It would be akin to "sheet" of rebar material. The "mesh" is 6-8 inches.
It can be bent, but not easily.

snip

The panels are 16-feet long and 52 inches high and are not easily handled
by one person. They are also rather heavy, remembering these are *cattle*
panels designed to keep cattle contained. Most farm stores would surely
cut them into shorter lengths for you; these were carried on a full-size
pickup bent back over themselves which left a curve in the middle which I
was not able to get completely straight again but that beat having to have
them cut for hauling. They cost just under $20 each and will be a good
investment over the years.

Thanks. I might use some of these, I've also seen them
used to construct hoophouses - well, I've not seen this with
my own eyes, but I've seen photos on web pages.

I wasn't sure how much they cost, but $20 for a 16 foot long
panel is manageable.


I stumbled upon the cattle panels while actually visiting various
farm/garden stores looking for hog wire. The hog wire of my youth isn't
being sold around here so I don't know if it's even manufactured anymore.

I can't find hog wire here either (rural northern PA).
That's what I *used to* use for tomato cages.

I suspect (unhappily) that most hogs are now grown in CAFOs
- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations - and never see the
light of day. No need for hog wire then.

All I've seen this past few years is old stuff purchased many years ago;
field fencing was the closest thing I could find. The cattle panels have
the same "mesh" pattern but are much heavier and are not sold in rolls
because of the heavy wire gauge. You would not believe what I would find
when I got to a store after being told via telephone they had hog wire!

Yes, I would. I've had many similar experiences - we
had to drive for 45 minutes to get tomato cage wire.

One would think even a new employee would understand lawn fencing and hog
wire might not be the same thing even if they didn't figure out that
2x4-inch squares are *not* 6-inch squares. Not many people put hogs on
their lawns. Oh, well. Maybe some don't know what a hog is, ya think?

Probably. Pork chops come in plastic packages, you know.

One day, I'll get my web page updated from a year ago and include the
tomato cage stuff on it. Obviously, that hasn't been a top priority for
me or it would already be done. One thing about our gardens, they don't
leave a lot of "fluff" time, do they? But ain't it great?!


I never was really interested in painting my nails or
fooling around with a hair-do in any case. (This is an
understatement.) Yes, gardening is great.

Today's harvest: beets (four red, one golden), green beans,
purple beans, yellow wax beans, fresh basil, pattypan
squash, and my FIRST eggplant of the season - one of the
long Asian eggplants. I'm going to have a big plate of
roasted veggies for dinner, with a roll and a hunk of
cheese, and a glass of white wine. It's cool enough today
that using the oven will be OK.

I could have also picked cukes, tomatoes, zucchini, chard,
peppers and various other herbs, but won't be needing them
today (we have tomatoes from yesterday).

Pat

"Pat Meadows" wrote in message This year, we used
'tomato cage wire' to make our tomato
cages. We used pieces of rebar (the bar kind, not the mesh
kind) to brace the cages, as last year the tomatoes broke
their wooden stakes and collapsed their cages.

We pounded the rebar down into the ground as far as we
could, then dropped the cages over it, to get the effect of
having woven the bars through the cages. This is strong
stuff: iron, I suppose. Iron rods.

The tomatoes have STILL managed to collapse their cages.

Pat

Been there done that. Over the years, we have used; stakes with pruning-
good, bush tomatoes- fair, comercial tomato cages-poor, comercial cage with
strengthening- poor. This year We splurged, and I bought 150"x5" rebar, cut
them into 5 or 6 foot sections. We made about thirty cages, with the
expectation that we will not have to repeat, for many years. This years
report, we have had tomatoes taller than our corn, have not suckered one. It
has been a good year to be a vine, so we have had pretty good luck.len

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 23:00:39 GMT, zalzon
wrote:

I saw this news clip on
grape wine yards in France. They mentioned that the grape growers
were very happy this summer. Aside from killing a whole bunch of
people, the hot, dry summer over there has helped produce a very good
crop of grapes. Because of the heat & dryness, the grapes have less
moisture in them and hence taste sweeter. Wines therefore will taste
better and be of higher quality (and command a higher price)

Mmm. There has been quite a lot of coverage of this, mainly I think
because all sorts of different fruit has ripened earlier than it would
normally do.

However, will they actually be producing better wine from these
sweeter grapes, or will it just produce wines of higher alcohol
levels? In any case, the norm for many wines now seems to be 14% or
higher (and some of this may well be from added sugar).

I always thought that to get a good wine, you needed a balance between
the natural fruit sugars and the natural acids. I've heard people say
that very hot summers can tip the balance too much the other way (and
sometimes even diminish the acid content too), leading to wines that
can be bland.

Mind you, the approach for your tomatoes may well be fine - many
people recommend cutting back on watering & feeding once they've
fruited to get the best flavour.

Good luck.


Colin
-----
(Sorry - no direct email. Please reply via the newsgroup)