[tomato] Tomato Sugars and Need Support Quick; was black toms and changes in tomato flavor
Doreen Howard (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Thu, 1 Jul 1999 21:08:11 -0500
Much of the change in a tomato's flavor through a season has to due with
Brix or sugar content driven by sunlight and heat. I've tasted the same
phenomenon as Catherine Vinson described. As far as my tomato plants' size
and fruit size, much of that is due to the use of mycorrhizal fungi and well
developed organic soil, at least it was in Texas. I grew a Striped German
in a 10-gallon container that took the biggest tomato at Dan Loep's Harris
County tomato contest at Covington Gardens. The fruit was 29 ounces. I
can't believe how much more productive everything is here in Illinois. My
garden soil is much worse than what I left behind in Texas--little organic
content, globs of black clay. But with mycorrhizae, a thick layer of straw
and the wonderful climate, the plants are climbing to the sky. Does anyone
have a good way to add support to 10 ft. tomato plants that are trellised on
Gardener's Supply's tomato ladders? I've been using string to tie up the
errant suckers, but the height has become a real problem.
Doreen Howard
Zone 5b
-----Original Message-----
From: cvinson@mindspring.com <cvinson@mindspring.com>
To: Tomato@GlobalGarden.com <Tomato@GlobalGarden.com>
Date: Thursday, July 01, 1999 5:10 PM
Subject: black toms and changes in tomato flavor was RE: [tomato] Great Book