Dubious determinates

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slugworth
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Dubious determinates

#1

Post: # 31560Unread post slugworth
Tue Sep 29, 2020 11:17 am

Stellar and Mountain Fresh tomatoes were supposed to be determinate type,but both still have blossoms at this stage of the game.
The stellar had tomatoes removed while still green by 4 legged pests,maybe that has something to do with it.
The mountain fresh produced,then had a second wave of blossoms.
More like a semi determinate.
"A chiseled face,Just like Easter Island" :lol:

Barb_FL
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Re: Dubious determinates

#2

Post: # 31569Unread post Barb_FL
Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:37 pm

I've grown Mountain Fresh for 2 seasons and both times it produced the entire season. Plant stayed short(3') but tomatoes remained the same size.
My season ends when it gets too hot in June when it's miserable to go outside.

The '19=20 season I also grew Defiant and BHN 589 and they produced throughout the season. They were both taller than Mountain Fresh +. I even took cuttings from them and rooted them to see if the clones would make tomatoes (someone on TV said they don't). The clones produced like the mom plants and were equally tall if not taller. Mom plants reached close to 5'.

I'm growing a determinate now called Ruby Crush and it is a beast. Seed was started August 20th - 2 plants in an Earthbox - I added cage extenders yesterday. Set tons of grape size tomatoes /tons of blooms.
Ruby Crush needs a cage extender.JPG
Ruby Crush.JPG
Other determinate tomatoes I'm growing - Heat Master - I've only done it on the opposite end (when it is getting hot), and 10 tomatoes set already with 13 blooms which none have fallen off. They really do set fruit in the heat.

Black Sea Man - this one is OP/Heirloom; just planted out but seems to take the heat well.

I have more to list if you are interested. My interest in Determinate tomatoes is due to size being able to handle the wind I get.
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slugworth
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Re: Dubious determinates

#3

Post: # 31573Unread post slugworth
Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:58 pm

I lost a lot to the hurricane,not the wind but the salt spray.
I still have heat master in a container indoors.
"A chiseled face,Just like Easter Island" :lol:

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bower
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Re: Dubious determinates

#4

Post: # 31582Unread post bower
Tue Sep 29, 2020 4:27 pm

I'm also a big fan of determinates due to having a small greenhouse space. And being too lazy to prune. etc.
Slugworth, I have seen just about any determinate make a new flush of flowers and fruit once they are done with the first. It isn't true that they all ripen at once and the plant is then dead, unless you don't bother to feed it. And some did seem very disease prone so they were literally done by the time they ripened fruit. Other than that if you feed em and prune off the bad bits, they will make new shoots and keep going as long as there's sunshine.
The characteristic that defines determinate plants is a gene called "sp" aka self-pruning, which is a bit of a misnomer but the actual trait is to produce a terminal flower cluster, generally preceded by a series of flower clusters with less than 3 leaves in between. Determinate pattern can vary a lot, and they can put out a new leader from the side of that terminal bud and keep going in a 'pattern repeat'. That tendency could be called 'semi-determinate'.
It's basically much easier to define indeterminates, they always have three leaves in between clusters, and keeps on going.
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Barb_FL
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Re: Dubious determinates

#5

Post: # 31593Unread post Barb_FL
Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:08 pm

Bower wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 4:27 pm ...., I have seen just about any determinate make a new flush of flowers and fruit once they are done with the first. It isn't true that they all ripen at once and the plant is then dead, unless you don't bother to feed it.
This is exactly what I have observed - too soon to tell on Ruby Crush, but on the others such as BHN589 and Defiant, they set fruit over a period of time, ripened over a period and was continual. I continued to feed them all season last year.

slugworth
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Re: Dubious determinates

#6

Post: # 31622Unread post slugworth
Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:40 am

Phoenix had x amount of tomatoes,then it was dead.
A hot weather determinate.
The same with silvery fir tree tomato years ago.
It had 6 tomatoes then was dead.
A supposed red brandywine was also the same last year.
It had 6 or 8 tomatoes all at once then died.
PL,so may have been a fake.
The red brandywine is supposed to be RL
"A chiseled face,Just like Easter Island" :lol:

slugworth
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Re: Dubious determinates

#7

Post: # 32092Unread post slugworth
Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:24 pm

I found a Bonnie hybrid patio plant that was buried alive in my garden all year under weeds and other plants.
A determinate type,it still had green tomatoes and blossoms with no sign of any disease.
I took a cutting and dug the rest of the plant up for indoor fun this winter.
"A chiseled face,Just like Easter Island" :lol:

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