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I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

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Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#111

Post by olau »

hanniabu wrote: post #99
mikesabbagh wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

another interesting fact: if you see a plant growing on human sewage solids, it must be a tomato plant!! https://i.imgur.com/qByHRvo.jpg

Would you be able to eat fruit from that? Does bacteria travel to the fruit from within the plant?

Well, animal feces is commonly used as a fertilizer. I think it would be bad news for a plant if bacteria were traveling around inside it.

People reusing human wastes generally try to compost it for a while, I think, probably partly to reduce the risk of diseases, but probably also in a large part to remove the foul smell. Shoveling shit isn't fun.

Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#112

Post by dustintrex »

hardwaregeek wrote: post #105
6177c40f wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fairly accurate, though I love CSAs (and I suspect this is a loving parody by the author). What I find especially funny is > What the hell am I supposed to do with all these turnips? Do people really not know what to do with turnips? Turnips are amazing- roast them, put them in soups, they're great. Now radishes, on the other hand, those are a mystery to me.

When in doubt, ferment them! Turnips and radishes both ferment really well. Just make a 2% brine, i.e. weigh the turnips and the water used to cover them, then add 2% of that weight in salt. Put in a clean jar or even a plastic container and check every day. I add some garlic, chili peppers, etc.

I think you meant "pickle"?

Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#113

Post by [deleted] »

hanniabu wrote: post #98
opinion-is-bad wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alfalfa is especially good for adding nitrogen, but clover can do the same for a home garden. You are correct on the number of years between plantings, but really only 2-3 years off are needed to clear the fungus. Alfalfa just lasts longer. As another comment mentions, some other common crops have the same disease risk, so avoid potatoes and eggplants too many consecutive years. Fallowing it an option, but a little n…

I have this issue right now with my tomato plants. Am I right in my understanding that you don't necessarily need to crop rotate and just supplementing the soil with nitrogen would be sufficient?

[deleted]

Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#114

Post by boondaburrah »

optymizer wrote: post #73

I'm a big fan of tomatoes - we used to grow them at home in Europe, and I swear to you I have found 0 tasty tomatoes in the US, aside from this one tomato that my friend's boss grew in his garden, which tasted almost like a tomato should. Sometimes I feel like entire generations of people in the US don't know what a good tomato tastes like because they've never had a proper tomato. I find the tomatoes in US stores bl…

A lot of people in the US don't like tomatoes as well. One of my friends told me he hated them until he moved to another country and then found out what they were supposed to taste like.

The only good tomatoes I've had in the US come from friends' gardens.

Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#115

Post by sputr »

hanniabu wrote: post #98
opinion-is-bad wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alfalfa is especially good for adding nitrogen, but clover can do the same for a home garden. You are correct on the number of years between plantings, but really only 2-3 years off are needed to clear the fungus. Alfalfa just lasts longer. As another comment mentions, some other common crops have the same disease risk, so avoid potatoes and eggplants too many consecutive years. Fallowing it an option, but a little n…

I have this issue right now with my tomato plants. Am I right in my understanding that you don't necessarily need to crop rotate and just supplementing the soil with nitrogen would be sufficient?

This! We have the same problem.

Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#116

Post by ZoomZoomZoom »

I don't like the taste of tomatoes, however, this is only true for non-processed fruit. Dried tomatoes, tomato paste, ketchup, even tomato juice are completely fine, just not the fresh fruit. I have a hazy recollection of some blog post confirming I'm not unique in this with a possible explanation and will be grateful if anyone helps me find it or explains the fact.

Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#117

Post by coldtea »

lenova wrote: post #96
opinion-is-bad wrote: post #28

Interesting, but not that dissimilar to the United States. I grow a couple thousand acres of tomatoes in California, all of which are for processing into juices and pastes. These tomatoes are all transported in open-topped trailers by semi, and the losses have always bothered me. There is a tight turn just after leaving our property and the pile of tomatoes there grows steadily with the season as they roll off the to…

> I grow a couple thousand acres of tomatoes in California I would love to hear more about your lifestyle, please! Is this for work, or for pleasure?

While it can be rewarding work, would 2000 acres just be something you grow "for pleasure"?

Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#118

Post by noiwillnot »

tdrdt wrote: post #110
opinion-is-bad wrote: post #28

Interesting, but not that dissimilar to the United States. I grow a couple thousand acres of tomatoes in California, all of which are for processing into juices and pastes. These tomatoes are all transported in open-topped trailers by semi, and the losses have always bothered me. There is a tight turn just after leaving our property and the pile of tomatoes there grows steadily with the season as they roll off the to…

Dutch fact about tomatoes: almost all tomatoes from the Netherlands are grown in greenhouses and most are grown on rockwhool. Computer systems fertilize water that flows through the rockwhool. The seedlings are grown in labs and then sold to the greenhouses. And while it is not really organic food, most greenhouses don't use chemicals to keep pests and diseases out. A lot of times different kind if insects are used f…

Are there good Dutch tomatoes out there? I associated them with the worst tasting produce and avoid them like the plague.

Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#119

Post by grenoire »

tdrdt wrote: post #110
opinion-is-bad wrote: post #28

Interesting, but not that dissimilar to the United States. I grow a couple thousand acres of tomatoes in California, all of which are for processing into juices and pastes. These tomatoes are all transported in open-topped trailers by semi, and the losses have always bothered me. There is a tight turn just after leaving our property and the pile of tomatoes there grows steadily with the season as they roll off the to…

Dutch fact about tomatoes: almost all tomatoes from the Netherlands are grown in greenhouses and most are grown on rockwhool. Computer systems fertilize water that flows through the rockwhool. The seedlings are grown in labs and then sold to the greenhouses. And while it is not really organic food, most greenhouses don't use chemicals to keep pests and diseases out. A lot of times different kind if insects are used f…

I think the taste is not necessarily a hydroponics issue, but moreso a market issue. Dutchies choose unblemished pristine tomatoes, these strains are just watery by default. I can't even find heirloom tomatoes around here.

Re: I’ve been reading a whole lot about tomatoes

#120

Post by waspight »

optymizer wrote: post #73

I'm a big fan of tomatoes - we used to grow them at home in Europe, and I swear to you I have found 0 tasty tomatoes in the US, aside from this one tomato that my friend's boss grew in his garden, which tasted almost like a tomato should. Sometimes I feel like entire generations of people in the US don't know what a good tomato tastes like because they've never had a proper tomato. I find the tomatoes in US stores bl…

This is the case in Sweden as well. The regular tomatoes in the store does just taste like water. The small ones are just slightly better.
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