My first message here! Carolyn, are you Carolyn Male, who autographed my copy of "100 Heirloom Tomatoes" at Hortus in Pasadena, CA a few years ago?

Yes I am.

I had two lovely days sitting under that tent they put up for me and dispensing info on tomatoes and signing books and drinking the superb ice cold tomato juice they had out there for everyone, and then on Sunday Gary's brother drove me to their Orange location where it was COLD and rainy the whole time.

I was so surprised when Gary had to close down Hortus but he has a good poition with Armstong Nurseries and still is directly involved with the newer form of Tomatomania, and we are in touch from time to time.

And yes, it's a plot against you that your toamtoes are going south, as in bad news. LOL I can't begin to tell you the folks I meet online, who grow in the same area you do, at different places where I post who are having the same problems outlined here, and often very hard to diagnose.

Carolyn