Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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August 7, 2011 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NW Indiana
Posts: 1,150
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Heidi - semi-determinate or ???
This year, I started Ernie's Plump with seed purchased from Marianne Jones. It's one of the most vigorous plants in my garden - surpassing 8' at this point. However, instead of the large fruit expected fro EP, I'm getting these cute little flattened pear-shaped tomatoes. Disappointed that I had a cross or mixed-up seed, I picked a few and put them on the counter to ripen. It soon occurred to me that they are identical to the fruit from Heidi. I haven't grown all that many tomatoes, but in my experience, Heidi was unique in shape (a kinda skinny pear) and texture (super glossy and firm) and habit (compact, very dense). I didn't think much more about it, but I was perusing the 2011 SSE Yearbook and saw that Marianne lists Heidi and describes it as "sprawling" - or something like that. In Carolyn's book, Heidi is described as "semi-determinate" - which squares with my experience when I've grown it in the past.
So my question: does anyone have knowledge of a big, sprawling, indeterminate Heidi? I'm not convinced that's what I have, but I'd be curious to hear any comments. |
August 8, 2011 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,539
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The one time I grew Heidi, it was also very dense. The plant was more than twice as wide as any of my other plants and stayed under 4' high.
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August 8, 2011 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Sharon, MA Zone 6
Posts: 225
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I am growing Heidi this year (and just picked my first one blushing about a half an hour ago!). The plant is 4-5 feet tall, not what I would consider full height since the other definitely-determinate plants it is growing next to are over 6 feet tall. I consider it determinate or semi-determinate because the fruit set sort of all at once and they are all starting to ripen at the same time, it seems.
But I would describe the shape of the fruit as sort of a rectangular box, almost - but a little bigger on the bottom than on the top, I'll give ya that. And many of the fruit seem to have an indentation in the bottom, like if you took the point you might find on an Opalka and pushed it into the fruit! Anyway, somehow I'm sure I have pure Heidi, and that's what I'm seeing in my garden. |
August 8, 2011 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: sc
Posts: 339
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I grew a "heidi" this year....very tall, 6+ feet... small, cherry shaped fruit, so thought it was not true....now I'm going to look at tatiana's!
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August 8, 2011 | #5 | |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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Quote:
it really is a compact indet, or semi-det and the fruits are not cherries, they're small red plums. My seed from Heidi Iyok, a former student of mine, who brought the seeds back to me after she flew home to Cameroon for Christmas vacation. So I don't think you have the correct seeds.
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Carolyn |
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August 9, 2011 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: sc
Posts: 339
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Carolyn,
Looked at the pictures on Tatiana's and the fruit shape was similar, but smaller....also the plant was no way compact...so bad seed for sure |
August 9, 2011 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NW Indiana
Posts: 1,150
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August 9, 2011 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 41
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I have grown Heidi every year. It is always a huge, sprawling plant that just pumps out the tomatoes. It seemed more indeterminate to me. It seems to do very well here in our summer heat and I had one that actually lasted through a winter, producing the whole time. That same plant also went almost a week with no water because of a break in my irrigation system. I love this variety.
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August 9, 2011 | #9 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NW Indiana
Posts: 1,150
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So it seems like maybe there is another, perhaps indeterminate, Heidi making the rounds. MMCD - what was your seed source?
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August 9, 2011 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 41
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The original seed came from Tomato Bob, the more recent seeds have come from the original plant.
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August 10, 2011 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Alabama
Posts: 2,250
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Heid is a compact determinate with high production and decent heat tolerance. It is also very easy to cross if bees are active. I have grown and loved it for the last 6 years or so.
DarJones |
August 10, 2011 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
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One can see height differences in plants of the same cultivar in different
light conditions. A 4' plant in full sun can be 5-6' in a location that only gets 4-5 hours of sunlight a day. Usually there will be more distance between leaves if a plant is stretching out in low light.
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August 10, 2011 | #13 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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For many years I grew my tomatoes by sprawling only and many hundreds of plants and varieties each season, so no staking, etc., just too many plants to deal with.
So I can't resonate with those folks who are describing it in terms of height. Seeds received directly from Heidi herself give me plants that are very compact, maybe two feet high, this by sprawling, and it spreads out to about maybe 3 ft wide. For me is sets a huge number of fruits, small maybe 4 oz red plum-like ones, has been quite tolerant of foliage diseases and has great taste. There's a good picture of what it should be in my heirloom tomato book, now out of print but still available from scalpers for up to several hundred dollars, which amuses me to no end. Once seeds leave my hands, I mean all the new ones, I can't speak to what they might morph into in someone elses hands. And it happens and seeds are sold. For the past few years Tania has found this to be a real problem, and since I've never thrown out one seed I've saved since 1991 I've been able to go back and fetch some of those seeds to help reestablish what's correct for a variety. So I've sent quite a few of those to Tania at her request, and a few others who sell seeds, and she's had pretty good luck at waking up some of those old seeds b/c it can be dicey. This past Spring I sent a rare nor/rin mutant one to someone who is a professional breeder, the variety is Dourne de Hiver which I got from France in 1992, the seeds were from 1993 and luckily he got it going just fine.
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Carolyn |
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