The mysteries of Lime Green Salad

ScottinAtlanta · June 3, 2020

Folks, I have been growing this tomato for years, and am still unsure if it is a determinate or an indeterminate. It initially acts like a determinate with an enormous flush of blooms (see pic from earlier this week), but it also continues through the reason, although diminishes after 3-4 months. What is this plant?

Koala Doug · June 3, 2020

Lime Green Salad (aka 'Green Elf') is a determinate.

You can get multiple flushes from a determinate plant - it'll put out new growth after the flush of fruit is picked (it can then allocate its energy to the vegetative growth instead of the fruit/seed production). Up here in the Detroit area, a determinate plant will get at least two major flushes of fruit, but a third one is possible late in the season.

zipcode · June 4, 2020

If the number of leaves between flower stalks is less than 3, than it's a determinate. Yours sure looks determinate.
Now there's also semideterminates, which from what I can tell, usually have 2 leaves (the determinates often only have one, and the branch terminates after 2 or 3 flower stalks). And they can have quite a few flower stalks until termination (4-5, sometimes even more)

Indyartist · June 22, 2020

Lime Green Salad is one I always grow. It was developed by Tom Wagner under the name "Green Elf" but was introduced by someone he had given seeds to as "Lime Green Salad". It grows such sturdy robust plants that always are such wonderful starts from seeds.

**nctomatoman** · June 22, 2020

It's a dwarf - and I don't like to use the indet/det designation when describing dwarfs. I just assume it will be a plant that grows at half of the rate as an indeterminate and will fruit until frost, in flushes - and will be easily controlled due to the height limitations. It also seems to be somewhat of a multiflora dwarf, which reminds me that I need to use it in our breeding project!

DonDuck · June 23, 2020

I grew them for a few years and enjoyed them, but I couldn't adjust to eating green tomatoes even though my brain knew they were ripe. I also enjoyed them for their sturdy growth habit and the decorous display of them in full bloom.

Indyartist · June 26, 2020

Here is my best Green Elf (lime Green Salad) this year. I wanted too many varieties to fit in my beds so I am using grow bags for some.

June 22, 2020	#4
Indyartist Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Indiana Posts: 229	Lime Green Salad is one I always grow. It was developed by Tom Wagner under the name "Green Elf" but was introduced by someone he had given seeds to as "Lime Green Salad". It grows such sturdy robust plants that always are such wonderful starts from seeds. __________________ Indyartist Zone 5b, NE Indiana -------------------------- “Men should stop fighting among themselves and start fighting insects” Luther Burbank

June 22, 2020	#5
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	It's a dwarf - and I don't like to use the indet/det designation when describing dwarfs. I just assume it will be a plant that grows at half of the rate as an indeterminate and will fruit until frost, in flushes - and will be easily controlled due to the height limitations. It also seems to be somewhat of a multiflora dwarf, which reminds me that I need to use it in our breeding project! __________________ Craig

June 26, 2020	#7
Indyartist Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Indiana Posts: 229	My best Elf this year. Here is my best Green Elf (lime Green Salad) this year. I wanted too many varieties to fit in my beds so I am using grow bags for some. __________________ Indyartist Zone 5b, NE Indiana -------------------------- “Men should stop fighting among themselves and start fighting insects” Luther Burbank

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June 3, 2020	#2
Koala Doug Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Detroit Posts: 688	Lime Green Salad (aka 'Green Elf') is a determinate. You can get multiple flushes from a determinate plant - it'll put out new growth after the flush of fruit is picked (it can then allocate its energy to the vegetative growth instead of the fruit/seed production). Up here in the Detroit area, a determinate plant will get at least two major flushes of fruit, but a third one is possible late in the season.

June 4, 2020	#3
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	If the number of leaves between flower stalks is less than 3, than it's a determinate. Yours sure looks determinate. Now there's also semideterminates, which from what I can tell, usually have 2 leaves (the determinates often only have one, and the branch terminates after 2 or 3 flower stalks). And they can have quite a few flower stalks until termination (4-5, sometimes even more)

June 23, 2020	#6
DonDuck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Corinth, texas Posts: 1,784	I grew them for a few years and enjoyed them, but I couldn't adjust to eating green tomatoes even though my brain knew they were ripe. I also enjoyed them for their sturdy growth habit and the decorous display of them in full bloom.