[tomato] An interesting question....at least for me...
Orchid (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Wed, 10 Mar 1999 16:54:49 -0500
I have a question that has been bugging me for awhile since I took up
vegetable gardening again, especially tomatoes. Although most varieties of
veggies have been altered by man since the stone age.....it could be assumed
that most vegetables and fruits had their start in the "wild". In another
words, that they grew, spread, and survived without man's help. Man later
discovered these edibles and later cultivated them and became farmers
instead of gatherers or hunters.
Thus, it would seem that the veggies in their natural habitat would do best
if they were sowed and grown in the same way they came into being........
O.K.....this is what I'm getting at........When planting our tomato seeds,
we are told that they like to germinate in the seventies...i.e. 75-79
degrees F......but once the seedlings emerge....they like to grow in the
sixties...i.e. 60-65 degrees F (put them in a cool basement we were
told). So the simple question is.....how did nature provide these
conditions and instill these requirements ....considering that in most
environments it goes from cool to warm, and tomatoes are a warm weather
crop?
I would appreciate hearing from a few point of views....and I'll sleep
better at night ...finally knowing the answer....
Pete, Zone 10, South Florida