determining productivity

[tomatoguy]

Granny,

You use the Sharpie to mark the variety next to the stem scar. Most of us use 2 or 3 letter abbreviations so the markings are in a very small area. That part of the tomato is usually discarded, anyway.

mater

[Ruth_10]

The part with the marking on gets cut out, as it's right there by the stem scar. Besides, the Sharpies I use say "Non-toxic. Conforms to ASTM-D4236. Made in U.S.A." I doubt Sharpie ink is meant to be eaten, but you'd probably get a bigger dose of toxic material by taking a deep breath sitting in your car waiting for the light to change.

As a scientist, I would love to have the detailed data for each and every tomato plant I grow, but with finite resources (time) I have to make choices (does this mean I'm not a full blown tomato fanatic??). I do weigh what I pick, en masse, after each picking. I record that on the calendar and then at the end of the season add up the numbers. I can also see from the calendar how production varies within the season and from season to season. This weight total is isn't the full story, however, as I don't pick every tomato (I get overwhelmed at peak toward the end of the season). I do have a pretty good idea if a particular variety is low, medium, or high in production, but without the numbers I could be kidding myself.

I do mark each tomato with an abbreviation so I know what I'm eating later. No way do I trust myself to remember what's what in a box full of tomatoes.


ASTM-D4236
http://www.wima.org/industry/i-06cer...s/inkprog.html

[kimpossible]

You've got to admit, though, that Bully's photos complete with his garden-gnome Bull Dog & the tomato on the scale showing it's weight is definitely entertaining!!