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Is it normal?
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Posted by goldhills via Gympie, Qld (My Page) on Tue, Nov 8, 05 at 22:39
| My son is growing ox-hearts but most of them are weird shapes. Probably about 1/4 are the normal ox heart shape the rest look like siamese triplets or worse. What causes this? Other than the odd shapes he is getting a good crop with the biggest one weighing 350g (he weighs them all so he knows how much I owe him) so far.
Also what would you tomato experts recommend for the next lot of tomatoes. Something that has a nice flavour, skin not too tough but is easy enough for the kids to grow.
Here is a photo of the latest ones. As you can see some are a bit weird.
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Is it normal?
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| Have a google on "catfacing" regarding tomatoes I think its caused by irreguliar watering also could be product of fused flowers. I'm no expert though. Mick |
RE: Is it normal?
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| Cool temps when pollination occurs can cause this, catfacing as stillmanz says. There's nothing wrong with them, they just look ugly. |
RE: Is it normal?
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| all of my oxhearts were that shape before the fruitfly got them - did you use seeds from the exchange or seedlings from a nursery? mine came from a nursery so there may have been a dodgey batch as for a tomato for your kids - what about zebra? unusual, fairly tough and easy to grow. sorry I haven't any seeds to offer. |
RE: Is it normal?
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Can we be rude and ask how much per kilo he is charging you?
I couldn't imagine charging my mum for produce I was growing .Although I do charge my friends for hay when they want to buy it. |
RE: Is it normal?
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| g'day goldhills, for me i reckon the ox heart are the best all round for flavour for use eaten fresh or in the cooking. black russians do well also and maybe you could consider beef steak? as the abnormailities?? for the main part from appearance it doesn't seem to alter the flavour at all, but it will come down to inconsistant watering, but then ox heart won't like it too wet either, the inconsistant watering will affect nutrient availability to the plant and in our area the main one is calcium. len |
RE: Is it normal?
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| Thanks everyone. We have had a few cool nights so that probably didn't help. He is usually fairly good when it comes to watering. I think he enjoys having the odd shaped ones as he brags about them at school. Paradisi, they were seedlings from a nursery (kids were too impatient for seeds) and he bought them around July/August sometime. Calthrop, I am encouraging the kids to work for their pocket money as well as doing something outside and get something in return. So far they love growing their own vegies and eat more now than they used to. I generally pay about $2 a kilo (rip off I reckon but it's for a good cause), other vegies vary, I try to keep an eye on prices charged at the shops and pay a bit less. I don't pay for what is eaten before it comes inside :) I often give my excess away to family and friends but with eggs I give to family but sell to others to cover the cost of feed. I might give all your suggestions of variety a try as all the kids want to grow different ones. |
RE: Is it normal?
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| Easy to grow, fairly productive, reasonably early to start producing, good to eat and cook with, give San Marzano a go. It's often in nurseries as just Marzano, or, if you're feeling adventurous, email me with your address and I'll pop some seeds in the post. I'll add some Green Zebra seeds as well. The kids might not like eating them as they can be quite tart, but they'll love showing them off at school. |
RE: Is it normal?
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| That sounds great Ray, thanks. I'll email you soon. I haven't heard of San Marzano. You do realise with all this tomato talk that goes on around here that I am fighting off the tomato addiction curse. I do not have enough time in the garden for everything now so I can't afford to get hooked on tommies :) |
RE: Is it normal?
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| I didn't hear that...EVERYONE has time for a small tommie addiction, it keeps us young. |
RE: Is it normal?
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| With all the rain in south australia this week .The prediction is for higher fruit and vegetable prices.Starting with tomatoes and potatoes.COnsidering a lot of our tomatoes and potatoes are going export I think it is a bit rich,but now is the time to set aside a bit of ground for your own tomatoes.I am with you adamus everyone has time for a tomato addiction.Goldhills ,I see the wisdom in the exercise now,I would gladly pay a good and fair price for a decent tomato.I am pinning my hopes on the australian red tomato seeds that eden seeds sent me.Maybe next year I will succumb to the tomaot addiction like raymondo etc. |
RE: Is it normal?
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| Adam, it's called growing food to feed a growing family. We can't survive on just tomatoes :) Also with 4 kids at home 4yrs to 12 yrs, (and one 22yr old gallivanting around the country somewhere, last heard of in Cairns and creating usual worry), the house has to be tidied regularly (ideally every 1/2hr) though lucky to be done weekly. I have to be available for our business and do some other stuff for work, write the school garden newsletter, organise plant and produce stall and help out at school, wasting time browsing through GW (actually waiting for the daily supply of emails for work). Then there is the outdoor stuff - mowing weekly (about 2 1/2 hrs half and half shared with hubby), watering, planting seeds, etc for home and school and more. Should I go on? I do like to sleep sometime! :-) When I re-read this it sounded like I was whinging but it is actually meant in a light-hearted tone. Wouldn't have it any other way, sorry, it would be even better if I had a housekeeper or won lotto or both :-) |
RE: Is it normal?
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| Calthrop, I've got some Australian Red in this year for the first time. Hope it's a winner for us both! |
RE: Is it normal?
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- Posted by meggs WA Aust (My Page) on
Sat, Nov 12, 05 at 1:14
| GH, you are a saint!!! I wish that there were more people like you who would encourage children to grow their own food. We would not have an obesity problem in this country. I would rather kids had tommy addiction to anything else. Good on you woman :-))). |
RE: Is it normal?
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| Meggs, growing vegies is one thing, getting them to eat it is another! I think they only do it for the money :) Their first words when I get home from shopping "Did you get any lollies/chocolates?" (Wishful thinking) |
RE: Is it normal?
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I am over run with tomato seedlings at the moment.Not only do I have the Aussie red ones ,about ten.I found growing in my front garden two reasonable sized tomato plants,obviously come up in the mulch, along with a pumpkin? and also a potato plant.
Then I found some more tomato seedling coming up in a garden bed I was about to turn ,for replanting.I will move them and plant them out somewhere else.
I can see this tomato addiction has snuk up on me.
Heres to tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes. |
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