So, what's the weather like where you are today?

[lorax]

At 119, I grow 'Strawberry' (a fantastic ID heirloom grape-type), 'Pomodori' (a D Roma type), and I'm currently testing 'Golden Queen' , 'Pineapple' and 'Cherokee Purple'. I also grow Tree Tomato (Solanum betaceum), which is a native plant.

I'd love to trade if you've got sweet corn.

[tedln]

Sounds good Lorax, I am surprised you are trying Cherokee Purple. I planned on growing it next year but decided to plant Spudakee Purple instead. I didn't realize CP would do well in the high heat.

Would trade some sweet corn, but since I don't grow it; about all I can do is send you some canned corn. Do you prefer creamed corn or whole kernel?

Ted

[lorax]

I don't know if Cherokee Purple will do well in the heat or not, but it's trial by fire in my gardens. Especially for this round of tomatoes, which are for the summer season (which is consistently hotter than the wet season.) They're the weakest of the seedlings at the moment.

[applestar]

Be sure to plant Cherokee Purples in the front. The plant didn't grow very tall/long compared to the others -- only about half the vine length, and not very vigorous. Fruits were prone to cat facing and cracking, but perfect fruits were lovely and flavor superb. I'm also hoping to try Spudakee next year for better performance while keeping the flavor.

[tedln]

Let me know when you are ready applestar, I will send you a few spudakee purple seed.

Ted

[tedln]

Here is a list of some of the varieties which set blossoms and fruit well during the high heat. This is not my list, but I am growing the varieties in bold lettering and have seed for them if you want to try a few in Ecuador.

I don"t have the Gregori's Altai Tomato seed yet, but I plan on finding it and growing it as well.

Some tomatoes that set well in the heat this past summer were Big Beef, Gary O' Sena, Indian Stripe, Black Krim, Berkley Tie Dye Pink, Mule Team, Kosovo, Linnies Oxheart, Old Virginia, JD's Special C Tex, Stump of the World and Gregori's Altai Tomato.

Ted

[applestar]

Let me know when you are ready applestar, I will send you a few spudakee purple seed.

Ooh! Thanks, Ted!

[lorax]

I've been wanting to try Black Krim for some time, but nobody I've talked to has had seed for it. I'd definitely trade Strawberry for it, if you like - they're the very best salad tomatoes I've ever eaten, and since they clone really well, I will never be without plants of them again.

The only thing I'll say is that fruit size was very variable on the Strawberry - everything from small roma-sized fruit, which wanted slicing for salads, to these lovely tiny sweet ones the size of my thumbnail. For me, this isn't an issue since I'm after the flavour and since the skins remained so thin.

[tedln]

Send me a pm with addresses and I will mail some seed to applestar and Lorax. I don't need anything in return. How much postage does it take to send a regular sized envelope to Ecuador?

Ted

[lorax]

Between $1.75 and $2.00 depending on weight.

[tedln]

Between $1.75 and $2.00 depending on weight.

Lorax,

You don't have to send me anything, but I would like to have the U.S. equivalent of $1.00 in Ecuadoran paper money and tell me some common items's that can be purchased in Ecuador for the dollar equivalent. The seed will be mailed Monday. I will enclose a $1.00 bill for exchange with the seed.

In the U.S. in Texas, a loaf of French Bread costs $1.89 at Walmart. Asparagus is $2.89 per lb. Avocados and Mango's can be bought on sale for two for one dollar. Not on sale, they are about $0.89 each. A gallon of milk is $3.49. Limes can be purchased on sale at twenty for $1.00. Not on sale, they can be as high as $0.25 each. Yellow crook neck squash is $2.69 per lb. Bananas are $0.39 per lb. at Walmart and $0.49 per lb. at smaller stores. How far can you stretch a dollar in Ecuador.

Ted

[Kisal]

It's already after 3 P.M., and it hasn't even gotten up to 60º yet. My feet are cold!

[lorax]

Ted, Ecuador uses the US dollar, and has since 1996. I can send you some of our local coin, though - it's got the same value as US but has our own historic presidents on it. I might also be able to dig up some old Sucre bills for you, though.

For $1 here, I could buy any of the following:

Two large loaves of artisanal Whole Wheat bread or about a dozen French-style buns;
About 2 lbs of asparagus (depending on the season and vendor; this is only ever in the farmers' markets.)
Between 7 and 12 avocadoes depending on size and cultivar;
Between 4 and 18 mangoes depending on cultivar (4 Julies, Keitts, Tommies, or Reinas, or up to 18 Ambajadores)
Milk is sold in 1 litre increments, which cost 60-75 cents each;
Between 30 and 80 limes, depending on the season and size.
Squashes range between 50 cents and 3 dollars, by some obscure weight and cultivar combination that I can't decipher. A squash for roasting is typically 50 cents to 1.00, while a "pumpkin" for use in baking or making soup (normally weighing about 50-60 lbs) is about $3;
Bananas are between 25 and 60 cents a hand (12-15 fingers), $1 for the entire raceme of most sweet cultivars, and up to $3 for an entire raceme of cooking plantains (depending on cultivar and ripeness).
I can also buy a generous, freshly prepared 3-course lunch (soup, main, dessert, fresh juice) for $1.50

Transport wise, I can get to almost any point within Ambato from my house for $1 in a taxi (or 20 cents on the bus). For $1 on an interprovincial bus, I can also get from my house to the hot springs at Banos, 45 minutes away, or north to the town of Salcedo, which is famed for its ice cream.

I shop for three people to eat really well, and I am hard pressed to spend $25 a week on my fruits and veggies, and maybe another $15 on protein (chicken, turkey, beef, and fish).

[tedln]

Lorax,

Thanks, but I was interested in the paper money. I didn't know they used the U.S. Dollar. Is that because so much of the exports are to the U.S. and paid for in Dollars? That could be very bad for Ecuador. With the existing inflation rate in Ecuador coupled with the future inflation rate of the Dollar, it could be devastating. The U.S. government announced a couple of weeks ago that high rates of inflation are the intended way to help pay down the national debt when the U.S. economy begins to recover and interest rates increase. While it will be difficult for U.S. citizens, it will be even worse for any country holding dollars in their treasury. I'm expecting inflation rates in the U.S. of 20% or more per year. The dollars held by Ecuador will be worthless in five years.

Ted

[lorax]

It's been horrid and devastating for Ecuador since it was implemented, at the force/blackmail position of the IMF/World Bank. If we had kept with the Sucre (the original currency of Ecuador), they wouldn't have granted the country the loans it needed to stay afloat. As it was, the president responsible for the dollarization was forcibly deposed by the citizens, but it was something that couldn't be reversed easily, and we're still dealing with the economic devastation it brought about.

The exchange rate for dollarization was 36,000 sucres to $1.00 US. I'm sure you can appreciate what that did, when things like bread used to be a 10 sucre item.

We're currently fighting the IMF and World Bank for the right to reinstitute the Sucre at 1996 levels. Inflation here is in the order of 30% or more per year.