Whoa. I had no idea this forum post was updated. Carolyn, Definitely not looking for rot problems. The problem with getting recommendations for my region is that I have not found a reliable source yet - they just say "plums" and "apples" grow well here. I called my county's extension office and the guy was nice enough to email me some informative things but they didn't exactly answer my question about what is specifically known to grow well. Just now, I found an article online that says Frontier and Ozark Premier can be grown in the Southeast. On the other hand, Stark Bros. says Ozark Premier is "the best choice for the Ohio Valley and the Northeast, as well as the Midwest". So I've stayed in a state of flux and just used this forum mainly to see what people's experience with different varieties has actually been. At the time of this posting, I'd decided on Shiro and Satsuma. I want to get them from the same place and I want them the same size roughly so I've had a time locating a source. In the meantime, I've been trying to learn as much as I can and trying to see if there is a better choice to start with than what I have determined.

I find most HP's don't like my garden, but a few stand out as quite a bit better than the rest. I would not go without the following: 'Reine des Violettes' 'Baronne Prevost' 'Sidonie' and possibly 'Mrs. John Laing' as well. I grew Mrs J. years ago and it was wonderful, but I don't currently have one :-( 'Arrillaga' would make it onto this list as well, if it 1) bloomed more often and 2) wasn't such a lanky, shapeless plant that makes nasty, fish-hook covered whips that grab and tear. 'Frau Karl Druschki' would also be on this list except that I think it is ill placed in the HP group; it behaves like an older HT. It is an ideal shrub that makes a shapely bush, blooms in flushes throughout the Summer as long as it gets watered, and the blooms are perfection every time. It does have one other drawback though, and I consider this to be a major one: no fragrance whatsoever. If you are going to adopt a sampling of good HP's then get ones that have the fragrances the class is renowned for. I also love 'Souvenir du Dr. Jamain', but it must be grown in partial shade or it won't prosper. It is also rather stingy with bloom after its first flush, much in the same manner as 'Guinee', but the color is as rich as you can imagine. In that same dark rich crimson/maroon color range is 'Emperor du Maroc', which in my garden is a spectacular showcase for all three of the major fungal diseases. To be avoided IMO, unless you care to spray it with multiple fungicides from March till October just to get a fleeting glimpse of one or two perfect maroon blossoms. Surely it must perform adequately somewhere in the world, or it would never have made it to market.....but not in my garden. I also wish 'Paul Neyron' and 'General Jacquiminot' had done better than they have, but both languish and underperform for me, in spite of protection from diseases. The same can be said for 'Eugene Furst' at the moment, but I think its having a bad time in its current location, so I hesitate to be critical of it till I get a plant going in a more suitable location. Regards, Paul

I realize it's been a year or so since you posted. How are things going with your new tomato variety in the works? Did you plant the seeds? [EDIT: I didn't read the entire thread before writing everything below. I see my idea has been suggested.] Anyway, if you're in that situation again, you know what you can do? You don't have to save seeds and breed a new tomato to get the same tomato every year (although that would be nice, still). You can just take cuttings and overwinter them. Tomatoes will root in water. Some people prefer to root them in dirt (which may be preferable considering the plant wouldn't lose nutrients as much that way), but water works just fine (it takes a couple weeks). If you ever root them outside in dirt, know that full sun will probably kill them before they can grow roots (so be careful about full sun). Anyway, cuttings will produce the same kind of tomatoes as the parent plant, no matter if the plant is a hybrid, an heirloom, F2, F3, or whatever. So, all you have to worry about is keeping your cuttings alive during the winter. Growing tomatoes indoors is easier than a lot of people would have you believe. Just try it. It might take a little learning through experience. The only real problems I see with this method are these: * Your tomato plants might get diseased, and then future cuttings may be diseased, too (depending on the disease). However, if you keep one potted indoors all the time, it might keep it from aphids, whiteflies and other things that can spread disease. Taking cuttings before pests and disease become a problem is important (so don't wait until your tomatoes are about to get frosted). * It's unconventional to market tomato cuttings (although it's certainly possible). So, what I might recommend doing is rather than only taking cuttings yourself, let other people take cuttings, too, and thus spread them around. Of course, they'll need to know that they actually can take cuttings. Tomatoes don't need tons of dirt if your goal is simply to keep them alive until spring. A 20 fluid ounce pot (though perhaps not ideal), a good window, and a way to keep the soil from getting too cold is probably more than enough (although the plants may get significantly larger and crawl all over the place). If you want big luscious tomatoes in winter, you might want more dirt, and a grow light. You'll likely still get tomatoes using small amounts of dirt (and without a grow light, if you have a window), but I wouldn't count on them being large. Anyway, there's one way to preserve your tomato. This post was edited by Shule on Thu, Nov 20, 14 at 2:51

Mls99 - yes, the squirrel cage or "Magic Lung" that VAH uses is an alternative to both mesh or baffle. I have the VAH, and really like it. It just makes logical sense to me. There should be less noise due to less air turbulence that occurs when air goes in and out of baffles and mesh. In any case, Cfm's are all relative to your ducting - the manufacturer can cite, e.g., 900 cfm's till the cows come home, but if your ducts have a long run, a lot of turns, or are too narrow, the spec'd 900 will definitely NOT be there. Setting aside VAH, and just deciding between mesh and baffles, I'd choose baffles over mesh any day. I used to have a hood with mesh filters and it was a poor performer. The mesh got clogged easily, often with just one meal, and was just kinda gross. Also, you would never find a mesh filter hood in a restaurant kitchen due to its inefficiency. In case you haven't seen it, I am linking below the Appliances Forum FAQ on Vent Hoods. Here is a link that might be useful: Appliances Forum FAQ on Vent Hoods