Topic: "semi-determinate"?

[Hyacinth]

What does this mean - that they may (or may not) come true to form? Please, I hope not!

On the packet of tomato 'Costoluto Fiorentino' I was sent, it says..."The large irregular shaped, ribbed 'beefsteak' fruits are up to 4"(10cm) in diameter.A semi-determinate, it generally requires some staking and is best grown in a sunny sheltered spot outside".

 ??? ???

btw..this packet of seeds ("avg. contents 75 seeds") has provided 10 seeds to each of 8 Lotties4  members.....+ enough for me for this year and next....


Do the sums!


Think that some poor s*d's gonna draw the short straw on his/her packet  ;D

[loulou]

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0505/tomatoes.asp
go on here and it dose say i think from reading a little is a mix between a bush and a vine i do hope this helps you  please let me know if it did help  :D

[loulou]

Semi-determinate
There are also semi-determinate tomatoes, which have a habit between that of a bush and a vine type. They have vigorous lateral shoots that are likely to terminate in a flowering truss and so these are not usually removed, except to curb unruly growth. Be careful when pinching out these shoots to preserve the laterals that will flower and bear fruit.
i copied and pasted this too  ;D i found it on google

[plot51A]

There are also semi-determinate tomatoes, which have a habit between that of a bush and a vine type. They have vigorous lateral shoots that are likely to terminate in a flowering truss and so these are not usually removed, except to curb unruly growth. Be careful when pinching out these shoots to preserve the laterals that will flower and bear fruit.

= large and unruly, give plenty of space! Grew Costoluto Fiorentino last year - lost to blight so can't comment on fruits, taste etc. but plants were well away and vigorous.

[tim]

These are they - my only crit was that they didn't go really red. Maybe not supposed to?

I did them - in the cold 'house - like all the others - on the left.

The Bush, by the way, was Palla di Fuocco, on the right - V productive!

[glow777]

Tim

Just how big is your greenhouse! Looks bigger than my normal house, very very jealous

must take some watering

[Hyacinth]

Thanks everyone for the info and thanks loulou for providing the link- and thanks Tim for the picture :)

I think I'll have to alert everyone I sent seeds to to read this thread if they don't already know the growing habits.......me, I've had to re-think where I'm going to put mine :-\

Lishka

[loulou]

thanks god iv been use full for once  thanks for letting me know good luck with your toms

[CityChick]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, duly noted for growing the seeds. 

And thanks again to Alishka for sharing them :)  Did the packet come from "Franchi"?  In my (limited) experience they do seem to provide very generous packets compared to some...

Tim: your cold house looks fabulous :D  Gives a girl something to dream about and work towards.

[tim]

It was self - assembly, too!!

[supersprout]

Tim: your cold house looks fabulous :D  Gives a girl something to dream about and work towards.

I'll say, inspiring stuff tim :o ;)

[Hyacinth]

And thanks again to Alishka for sharing them :)  Did the packet come from "Franchi"? They were from 'Garden Time', apparently - friend sent the brochure - intrigued by Cylindra Beetroot in an 'easy to pickle shape' :D and really like the yard-long bean, which I cooked with in Thailand...no more space, alas, this year - perhaps next?

Tim: your cold house looks fabulous :D  Gives a girl something to dream about and work towards. Hands Orf! I've already established Squatters Rights on The Crystal Palace ;D ;D

[plot51A]

Just looked at them on Franchi - says their packets contain 450 seeds!! For £1.99!!

[cleo]

Lishka-there is NO WAY Costaluto Fiorentino is a bush-it`s a very vigorous so and so. Sorry if I disagree with folks but it grows like Topsey. It might fruit outside where you are and the flavour is not bad-and it comes true from seed

[Paulines7]

My Costoluto Fiorentino tomato seeds were produced by B&Q.  They were 99p for 135 seeds.  Not a bad price eh! :D 

At least I know how to grow them now.  If I hadn't have read this thread I would probably have pinched out the side shoots which eventually have the flowers on them.  i would have got a poor crop.  :(

[Mrs Ava]

We had bucket fulls of huge Costos beefsteaks last year which were devine lightly fried in butter then slipped onto freshly made, well buttered toast and sprinkled with a touch of maldon salt.  Love them so much, I am growing them again this year!  ;D

[jennym]

As I understand it, the definitions of tomato form are as follows:
Indeterminate – grown as a cordon or vine, basically one main stem, the plant needs to have side shoots pinched out. It will, provided it has the right conditions, keep on growing longer and longer. This is the form grown mostly hydroponically in the glasshouses around here, and they are stringed, i.e. grown up strings towards the gutter level of the glasshouse, and sometimes then along, getting to I believe about 15 feet long. Not sure if this would be possible without all the fertilisers etc that they give them. When I’ve had a go with cordon tomatoes I’ve been lucky to get to 5 ft but that has been outside too,
Determinate – grown as a bush, with the side shoots left on. They don’t keep growing longer and longer, but for me, outside, the crops have been good.

Semi-determinate – not grown this form I don’t think, but as the name suggests, surely must be a sort of half-and-half of the two distinct types above.

[tim]

Cheap seeds? Be fair to those whose seeds aren't cheap - like Real Seeds - a small family firm who are virtually organic.

Glow777 - sorry - 30x12 - yes!! It looks especially big because we sank the foundations a foot, because the boys & I are 6'3"!!

[plot51A]

My seeds did actually come from Real Seeds Tim. Its quite amazing that they give so much information on how to save your own seeds from what you grow - almost  like putting themselves out of business!

[bupster]

They're also pretty generous with quantities. I like them because they sent me an email promising that all their seeds would grow for me - they started their business living (literally) just up the road from me! :)