Tomatoes are deadly, they will kill you

[The One]

If you're an insect...

But now that we have established that tomatoes wont kill you necessarily (unless you're an insect of you have a deadly allergy) read on..

Plants, so lush and green... delicious juicy fruits .. so great.. right?



Plants actually have some nasty... qualities. Sophisticated torture mechanisms and some very interesting allies.


For example the Pelargonium family of flowers commonly known as storkbills - these flowers produce a chemical compound in their petals to defend themselves from beetles.

When the beetle attacks or tries to consume any of the flower, it is met with a chemical defense which later paralyzes it completely.

All though the chemical loses its strength after a certain amount of time, the beetle still doesn't quite make a lucky escape - by then it would have been taken away as prey by another predatory insect.



The tomato by far is one of the evilest in its empire, it doesnt only call to wasps, or bats ... according to scientist the tomato actually releases different sets of chemicals based on the herbivore that is ''attacking'' it.
It won't just summon any other insects in the area, it will summon the particular natural enemy of the herbivore. It has many unique chemical compounds for each.

Scientists believe that plants can sense the digestive substances that the invading insects have in their oral secretions. Different bug drool sets off different chemical alarms, which call out to specific species of vicious wasps or mites or nematodes, whatever the job requires.

Aside from the release/use of chemicals other flowering plants and trees deter insects by mimicking the eggs of insects, making a physical structure/print on their leaves that resembles eggs. Thus tricking insects from using their leaves/fruit as a breeding ground.


Other plant defenses include forming thorns, smoothness (making it difficult for animals to climb for fruit or leaves) , the production of sap to trap insects and also hairs on the leaves that often contain irritants or poisons.



Now we know why this little guy was always hungry...

He probably wasnt pollinating any thing.


Which brings us to the fig tree and the fig wasp, which cannot thrive with out, and niether can the fig wasp live with out, in exchange for housing, the fig wasp has to pollinate the fig tree ~ fair enough? However if a the wasp doesnt pollinate the tree, the fig will instantly kill the wasp and its larvae.

Researchers experimented with this by introducing non-productive wasps (that is, wasps that weren't carrying pollen) to fig fruit. The bugs went about their business and laid eggs. However, most of the time the unpollenated fruit was dropped early, killing the wasp larvae within.

That's right -- the fig tree was aborting the young of wasps that did not pollinate them. Somehow, the plant knows when there are insects in its individual fruit, and it also knows if they brought pollen with them. And if they don't, then they get evicted ... street style.

Interestingly, these same chemicals and defenses plants use have been beneficial in the medical fields, many currently available pharmaceuticals are derived from the secondary metabolites plants use to protect themselves from herbivores, including opium, aspirin, coc aine, and atropine.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0622055654.htm

[Cearna]

Tomatoes are a part of the Deadly night shade species, as are potatoes, capsicums etc. If you are allergic to one you also need to steer clear of the other members of this family. However, if allergic you may still find some that are OK for you, because it is often the hybrid varieties you will be affected by and possibly not by those which are heirloom seeds that you grow yourself. We have some varieties which have been eaten here for thousands of years by the Aborigines which are not true tomatoes, but a species of their own, because of their age. These would do well to be cultivated for their own lifespan means that they have no gender specific means to live on, they just live where ever they can but can be so costly because they are indigenous foods, and have become a gourmet food.

[Ria]

Tomatoes are a part of the Deadly night shade species, as are potatoes, capsicums etc. If you are allergic to one you also need to steer clear of the other members of this family. However, if allergic you may still find some that are OK for you, because it is often the hybrid varieties you will be affected by and possibly not by those which are heirloom seeds that you grow yourself. We have some varieties which have been eaten here for thousands of years by the Aborigines which are not true tomatoes, but a species of their own, because of their age. These would do well to be cultivated for their own lifespan means that they have no gender specific means to live on, they just live where ever they can but can be so costly because they are indigenous foods, and have become a gourmet food.

I was about to say could you send some seeds to us, as I read on could see that would be difficult. do they look the same as your regular tomatoes?
We have verities that are orange, yellow and purple colours, I can't say I have found them any better.

[Cearna]

More than likely your own Kew gardens have some, they seem to have everything. Our country is very hard on bringing seeds and plant life in, I don't know how they go about sending it out. You're good with a pendulum, try it over the seed packets for the best. We have one called a Black Russian, fairly smallish which is on the dark side. There's also a small pear shaped yellow heirloom variety that isn't as acidic. We have some one called Diggers who sell here from Victoria. I've just about given up on growing them here, because we are in a mountainous region, and we still get frost, through till almost Christmas, so they are so slow to grow. We can't harvest till the end of the season when they start to get frosted again. I'd rather grow potatoes and sweet corn, with as many types of beans as I can find a home for, because they put nitrogen back into the soil, saving me from having to buy organic fertilisers too often. I also use a fair bit of fire ash on the garden, instead of Sulphate of Potash, and heaps of worm compost. Gardening supplies cost too much.

[Tribe]

I'm lucky cearna , I live next to the sea and we collect seaweed , leave it in water for the winter and voila i have fertiliser x

[Cearna]

I used to live nearby the sea but very little seaweed got washed up - it is magnificent stuff, a bit smelly to store? My great love is chook manure, but Wolfkhan, says no, the dogs would give them a bad life.