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[Leslie <cayadopi AT yahoo.com>]

I think this sentence needs to be saved as a famous quote !

--- On Tue, 8/4/09, rayzentz AT aim.com <rayzentz AT aim.com> wrote:



It's when they fail to save what little is left that the flames will begin in 
earnest...

Ray




      
>From cayadopi AT yahoo.com  Thu Aug  6 12:12:07 2009
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Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 09:12:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: Leslie <cayadopi AT yahoo.com>
To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
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Subject: [Homestead] tomato questions
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THE GOOD
=A0
4 Roma Tomato plants purchased at Walmart..... are producing unbelievable a=
mounts of tomatoes.=A0 I've picked over 150 already, and haven't made a den=
t in the number of visible tomatoes in varying stages of ripening (and more=
 babies keep hatching).=A0 For the most part, these are perfect tomatoes.=
=A0 No cracks, no blemishes.=A0 The leaves are super green, very thick in f=
oliage, and the plant is and has been growing larger and larger...=A0 No bu=
gs that I'm worried about.=A0 A morning spider web is usually all I see.=A0=
 They pretty much get the exact same amount of water every day (they are on=
 a timer).
=A0
=A0
THE BAD
I threw some hybrid seeds in the ground.=A0 These are also growing unbeliev=
ably well, and I had to cage them.=A0 They are almost 5' tall.=A0 Good gree=
n foliage, thick, but not as thick as the Romas.=A0 They do get a small amo=
unt of filtered shade from the giant sunflowers.=A0 This is a larger variet=
y of tomato, like a beefsteak size.=A0 These have green tomatoes on them, w=
ith the first one now ripening.=A0 The only bug I have seen was an unusual=
=A0green catepillar (unusual, as it looked like a prehistoric monster, with=
 a curved horn on it's head, and legs only on the front half of the body, w=
ith the back half of it's body curled under like a snail... LOL).=A0 This p=
lant is also gets irrigation, pretty much same amount every day.
=A0
However.... when I checked the first tomatoe, which is just starting to tur=
n color,,,, I noticed one crack on each side of the tomato.=A0 What causes =
that?=A0=20
=A0
=A0
THE UGLY
=A0
I threw Roma tomato seeds in the ground right next to=A0the 4 purchased pla=
nts.=A0 Those also grew, have lots of thick foliage (no yellow leaves, no s=
pots, no tan, nothing - the plants=A0look very healthy) and the first of th=
e tomatos are starting to ripen.=A0 This is on the same timed irrigation li=
ne as the other Romas.=A0 I haven't used any chemicals, and the only fertil=
izer was well composted horse manure that I worked into the ground last yea=
r.
=A0
But when I brought the tomatoes inside, on the end of the tomato (opposite =
end to where it attaches to the plant).......... it is brown to black.=A0 T=
he whole end of the tomato is useless, but the rest of the tomato is fine.=
=A0 I ate the other half and my taste test is no indicator, but it tasted f=
ine.
=A0
1.=A0 What causes the blackend /browed distal end?
=A0
2.=A0 Can I can the good part of the tomato after cutting off the end?
=A0
3.=A0 If this is some kind of virus or disease do I need to remove the affe=
cted plant(s).
=A0
4.=A0 If 3 is a yes........ is this something that will affect the seeds in=
 the Walmart plants (since I want to save seeds for next year).
=A0
Any help appreciated.
=A0
I haven't been able to find a pic on the internet yet that matches what I'm=
 seeing.=A0 =0A=0A=0A      
>From erthnsky AT bellsouth.net  Thu Aug  6 12:38:57 2009
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Date: Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:38:37 -0400
From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
Organization: EarthNSky Farm
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Subject: Re: [Homestead] tomato questions
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Leslie wrote:
The only bug I have seen was an unusual green catepillar
> (unusual, as it looked like a prehistoric monster, with a curved horn
>  on it's head, and legs only on the front half of the body, with the 
> back half of it's body curled under like a snail... LOL).  This plant
>  is also gets irrigation, pretty much same amount every day.

That would be a tomato hornworm.  Bad caterpillar, but fun to squish.
However, if it has eggs on it, don't kill it, just remove it to another
location or a trap plant.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=tomato+hornworm&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g3

The caterpillar is shown in the images on the above page, and some have
the eggs, which are from a predatory wasp.  Save the eggs, increase your
predators, reduce the numbers of hornworms.


The crack are caused by inconsistent watering, like, if it has been very
dry and you suddenly get a big thunderstorm that drops lots of rain.
The increased growth rate after the rain causes the tomato to split and
crack.  They eat just fine.  I am also dealing with cracks on some of
mine after this weeks' rain showers.

Bev












> However.... when I checked the first tomatoe, which is just starting 
> to turn color,,,, I noticed one crack on each side of the tomato. 
> What causes that?
> 
> 
> THE UGLY
> 
> I threw Roma tomato seeds in the ground right next to the 4 purchased
>  plants.  Those also grew, have lots of thick foliage (no yellow 
> leaves, no spots, no tan, nothing - the plants look very healthy) and
>  the first of the tomatos are starting to ripen.  This is on the same
>  timed irrigation line as the other Romas.  I haven't used any 
> chemicals, and the only fertilizer was well composted horse manure 
> that I worked into the ground last year.
> 
> But when I brought the tomatoes inside, on the end of the tomato 
> (opposite end to where it attaches to the plant).......... it is 
> brown to black.  The whole end of the tomato is useless, but the rest
>  of the tomato is fine.  I ate the other half and my taste test is no
>  indicator, but it tasted fine.
> 
> 1.  What causes the blackend /browed distal end?
> 
> 2.  Can I can the good part of the tomato after cutting off the end?
> 
> 3.  If this is some kind of virus or disease do I need to remove the 
> affected plant(s).
> 
> 4.  If 3 is a yes........ is this something that will affect the 
> seeds in the Walmart plants (since I want to save seeds for next 
> year).
> 
> Any help appreciated.
> 
> I haven't been able to find a pic on the internet yet that matches 
> what I'm seeing.
> 
> 
> 
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EarthNSky Farm, NW Georgia, USA