Dear Neil: What do the terms "determinate" and "indeterminate" mean in reference to tomato varieties? Which is better for Texas?

Answer: Determinate tomatoes are shorter varieties, generally reaching a maximum of 5 to 6 feet. Their fruit production and harvest are usually concentrated into a specific period of time. That's advantageous for commercial growers who need to get into a field, harvest and move on.

Indeterminate plants continue growing well beyond the 5- or 6-foot range. As they grow, they continue to flower and set fruit as long as the plants are vigorous and temperatures are suitable.

Either type can be grown in Texas.

Usually, the harvest is ended by the onset of hot weather for the spring crop and the first frost for fall tomatoes.

Q: I would like to build a flower bed around the trunk of a fruitless mulberry. The grass has died as the tree's roots have grown larger. I would like to have color there and conceal the roots. Will it harm the trunk if I put 10 or 12 inches of soil around it?

A: This is a common idea, but it's not necessarily a good one. If it's too dark for grass, then it's too dark for most flowers.

Adding soil over the roots of a tree or up and around its trunk is detrimental. Soil compacts over time, and if you cover a significant portion (30 percent or more) of a tree's root system, you risk root loss.

Your best bet is to plant a ground cover beneath the tree. Choose one that can tolerate sun and shade. (Mulberries live 20 to 30 years, and you don't want to expend great energy and then lose your ground cover when it's eventually exposed to full sunlight after the tree dies.) Asian jasmine and purple wintercreeper are excellent options.

Also, you could position round concrete steppingstones in a decorative arrangement within the ground-cover bed. You could then put large pots filled with colorful annuals (impatiens and caladiums should work) or plants with textural interest in place during the growing season. In the winter, remove the pots and leave the stones as design elements.

Q: How much will ball moss damage live oaks?

A: Ball moss is a sister to Spanish moss. Both are epiphytic plants: They depend on other plants for support, but they are not parasitic.

Ball moss is harmful only in that it shades twigs and branches.

Copper-based fungicides will reduce infestations, but check the Texas A&M Plant Pathology Web site for directions (http://aggie-horticulture. tamu.edu/plantanswers/misc/parasites.html). Copper-based products can be harmful to nearby plants.

A licensed arborist also could treat the moss.

• If you'd like Neil Sperry's help with a plant question, drop him a note in care of The Eagle, P.O. Box 3000, Bryan, Texas 77805. His e-mail address is mailbag@ sperrygardens.com.

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