Q. Several years ago, we were in Michigan to attend a national REMC convention and, somewhere along the way, I bought a ‘Caveman’s Club’ gourd. It grows up to a foot in length and has a bumpy round part with a long neck. It is somewhat, but not exactly, like the dipper gourd. I ordered seeds of an ornamental mixed variety, but there wasn’t any seed like I wanted. As I remember, the seed’s shape is long and narrow. Can you help me? – Mrs. Glen Morehouse, Milford, Ind.
A. The best way to locate the seed is through the Indiana Gourd Society. Contact them through the Eta Chapter, Indiana Gourd Society, Richard Harshman, President, 908 E. County Road 250 North, Frankfort, IN 46041.
Q. I am looking for tomato seeds, including Burpee’s ‘Jubilee,’ ‘Winsall’ and ‘Yellow Bell.’ I cannot find them. – Leo Neurohr, Guilford, Ind.
A. Burpee’s orange ‘Jubilee’ tomato is available from W. Atlee Burpee & Co., 300 Park Ave., Warminster PA 18991-0001 or call 1-800-888-1447. ‘Winsall’ with pink fruit is available from Seeds for the South, 410 Whaley Pond Rd., Graniteville, SC 29829. ‘Yellow Bell’ is listed with the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, P.O. Box 170, Earlysville, VA 22936, 1-804-973-4703. Have fun experimenting with the different-colored tomatoes.
Q. Can you please tell me of a tomato that does not have very many seeds or none at all? Could you also tell me of something to get rid of the seeds at canning – Tom Demerly, West Point, Ind.
A. Seedless tomatoes aren’t completely seedless. The first fruits to develop may have some immature seeds. The last fruits to mature late in the season could have more viable seeds. A few “seedless” tomatoes are available from Territorial Seed Co., P.O. Box 157, Cottage Grove, OR 97424-0061.
At processing time, I use a screening tool that separates the seeds, skins, stems and fibrous materials from tomatoes, apples, pumpkins, berries and more, leaving you with just the liquid. One that is called a sauce strainer is available from the Burpee catalog for about $60.
Q. I planted big boy tomatoes that grew great. I have watered them regularly. They are ripening, only all are rotting on the bottoms, even to half way up the tomato. Why? – Charles Steinbacher, Albion, Ind.
A. It sounds like blossom-end rot, a common noninfectious tomato infliction named for the black, leathery scar that occurs on the blossom end (bottom) of the fruit. Blossom-end rot occurs most frequently when there are extremes in soil moisture, which lead to a calcium deficiency in the developing fruit. It is thought to be a result of the calcium’s not being taken up fast enough to keep up with the spurts of rapid fruit growth that occur when rain or irrigation follows a dry period. Most soils in the Midwest have plenty of calcium, with the exception of very sandy or highly organic soils. Maintaining a more even level of moisture by irrigating and mulching will help prevent blossom-end rot.
Q. In June, you responded to a question concerning problems with tomatoes and lilies by asking if there was “a walnut tree nearby.” How close is nearby? I have a problem with tomatoes, too. – Morrison F. Dismore, West Lafayette, Ind.
A. Gardeners should avoid planting juglone-sensitive plants within 50 feet of a walnut tree, if possible. Some plants are more sensitive than others and tomatoes are among the least tolerant. Other plants to avoid near walnuts include cabbage, apples, peonies, alfalfa and some species of pine, spruce and maple. Try to keep leaves and the nuts themselves away from the tomatoes, too.