Tomato List

[joz]

Oh, yeah... determinates and indeterminates. Those things. Since most heirlooms are indeterminate, and I'm no longer planting in containers on a 240sf balcony, I've kinda forgotten about that aspect.

 

[barefootgardener]

Have a few questions... seems all you folks are planting a wide variety of tomatoes as I am too. All my seeds are heirloom.
Since I have to plant these near each other will they cross pollinate and therefore I'll be unable to save seed?

Should I isolate the ones I want to save seed on?

also Im planting a cherokee Purple. But the package from Botanical Interests say Tomato Pole on the top. What is a tomato pole? Will I need anything special for it like support?

thanks

I will add to what joz say's. Tomatoes are self pollinating, but odds of cross-pollinating ( wind, insects, bees)..are around 10%, or so. That can be considered high when you want to save seed from heirooms to keep the lines pure.. with heirloom varieties like Brandywine and Cherokee Purple, the blossoms are fasciated and fractured that the stigma up at the end of the pisti greatly exposed..while at the same time, not fully pollinated. That leaves room for a bee or insect to inadvertingly deposit pollen from another variety, into the receptive parts of partially pollinated blossom..In locations where bees are significant and collect pollen for food the chances are higher..

If you want to keep lines pure. I would bag fruit. Use to cover flowers until they fertilize and show fruit. This is my preferred method.

Or stagger planting at different times..Early varieties to late varieties, so they bloom at different times..This might not be easy to do for those who have a shorter growing season.

Or spread out as far as you can, and separate diff. varieties..

HTH..

PS: A tomato pole is used to support the plant and vine as they grow..You tie the vines as they grow up..Cherokee Purple, and many other heirloom varieties can grow up to ten feet etc.. Some sort of strong support is good. Others use strong tomato cages made of reinforced wire, or cattle panels..Some use the weaving method..Some let the vines sprall on the ground,if they have room.. but critters, rot etc can effect them..I have let them sprall on occasion, but prefer to cage them and use a strong support..

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

if this helps anyone, there is a thread Marshall started about cross pollinating tomatoes. http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=35355

 

[Mackay]

Thanks everyone. Now I can plan accordingly

 

[897tgigvib]

Tomatofest is now straight west of me at the coast. At a PO box. Sounds like they kindasorta retired, but keep the business going.

 

[digitS']

Tomatofest has a wonderful web presence. Variety after variety, page after page!

Of course, I wasn't attending the actual tomato festival in Carmel. Despite it being my "home town;" I doubt if they'd allow me back inside the city limits. (I did sneak in, pre-Mayor Clint E, to enjoy a tour with my uncle when I was in my twenties .)

There are some "boutique" seed websites. I don't know if that is quite the right word or not. Some folks are quite serious about their selections - like Remi at Sample Seeds. Some provide a service that goes well beyond just selling some seed - like Tatiana at Tatiana's Tomatobase. Some seem to be seriously dedicated to organic and heirloom - like Victory Seed. Some, I don't know anything about and it is almost embarrassing to me - like West Coast Seed and quite a few others.

I know of someone who became very upset with Tomatofest over something or other. I don't know what it was. I think you've gotta cut them some slack just with all those varieties and keeping track of them. I canNOT imagine trying to run a festival at a Carmel golf course at the same time! For my purposes, I'm glad they chose the direction that they did.

Steve