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Message
Tomatoes
Posted on 5/29/14 at 8:26 am
Posted on 5/29/14 at 8:26 am
Looking for help from one of you garden gurus.
This is my third year with this small garden. Tomato plants grow to be big, bushy, healthy plants with lots of flowers. 90% of the flowers dry up and fall off without making fruit. Any idea why and how to treat that?
This is my third year with this small garden. Tomato plants grow to be big, bushy, healthy plants with lots of flowers. 90% of the flowers dry up and fall off without making fruit. Any idea why and how to treat that?
Posted on 5/29/14 at 8:28 am to eatboudin
Used a lot of nitrogen on them?
Posted on 5/29/14 at 8:32 am to TigerTerd
I built a large box garden, and used manure based topsoil to fill it. That was three years ago. So, yes, a lot of nitrogen.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:22 am to eatboudin
Could be any of several things:
Insufficient light
Too little water
Temperature
Poor pollination
Improper Spacing
Insufficient light
Too little water
Temperature
Poor pollination
Improper Spacing
This post was edited on 5/29/14 at 9:29 am
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:24 am to Geauxtiga
quote:
Poor pollination Improper Spacing
I think these two are getting me right now, although I did notice an influx of bees this morning, so maybe things are going to turn around. But I know I planted them too tightly
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:27 am to eatboudin
quote:
90% of the flowers dry up and fall off without making fruit.
That's a lot.
I'd say 25% of mine do that and I chalk it up to making room for the fruit that did take to grow.
Sounds like poor pollination. In the past I got a thin art style paint brush and lightly touched one flower after another to encourage pollination. It was jalapeno plants, but nonetheless, like 95% of the flowers made a pepper.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:37 am to tigerfoot
quote:
planted them too tightly
I like mine tight and clumped instead of rowed. My theory is they support each other and shade out under growth weeds.
This was from a week or two ago, now there are probably 300 pea to mandarin orange sized green tomatoes in there now.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:41 am to Clyde Tipton
Between 10 and 2 when it's less humid you can also lightly shake your plants to help with pollination
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:41 am to Clyde Tipton
quote:Stake 'em ya lazy bastid. *wink*
My theory is they support each other
quote:I mulch with grass clippings.
and shade out under growth weeds.
I would worry about not being able to see tomatoes. I even use scissors to prune mine somewhat so the wind won't push so hard. I only cut laterals and not fruit-producing growth.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:48 am to Geauxtiga
quote:
Stake 'em ya lazy bastid.
There are some cages in there...
quote:
I would worry about not being able to see tomatoes.
I'll see them when they start to turn yellow/orange.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:48 am to eatboudin
quote:
So, yes, a lot of nitrogen.
Could very well be your problem. Nitrogen is great for plant development, not so much for setting fruit. Maybe try a fertilizer with higher phosphorus and potassium numbers.
My second thought would be a pollination problem (i.e. lack of bees). That happens a lot these days.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:55 am to brmach
quote:
Maybe try a fertilizer with higher phosphorus and potassium numbers.
If the plants are getting enough direct sunlight, I'd be willing to bet the farm that this is the problem. Find a fertilizer that has a low first number.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:58 am to TheDrunkenTigah
quote:
Find a fertilizer that has a low first number.
This is what I use, and it's the cheap stuff from walmart... it's 9-12-12.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 9:59 am to brmach
quote:
My second thought would be a pollination problem (i.e. lack of bees). That happens a lot these days.
I made some sugar water and set a small dish of it on the ground. A few days later I had tons of pollinators flying around. Some people also suggest using flowers as an attractant.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 10:05 am to Clyde Tipton
quote:
This is what I use, and it's the cheap stuff from walmart... it's 9-12-12.
You could also just get some super phosphate and muriate of potash if you're concerned about high nitrogen numbers (tomatoes usually like nitrogen, though).
Posted on 5/29/14 at 10:46 am to Galactic Inquisitor
Thanks for the input everyone. I will try the P and K treatment and set out to attract some bees.
Posted on 5/29/14 at 1:04 pm to eatboudin
I had an issue with the flowers setting fruit last year. Read about how lightly shaking the plants can help. I thought it was complete BS but I swear it works. Also been using a product called Tomato Tone and my plants are loaded with fruit right now
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