Tomatoes

Used a lot of nitrogen on them?

Could be any of several things:

Insufficient light
Too little water
Temperature
Poor pollination
Improper Spacing

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.

Between 10 and 2 when it's less humid you can also lightly shake your plants to help with pollination

quote:

---

My theory is they support each other

---

Stake 'em ya lazy bastid. *wink*

quote:

---

and shade out under growth weeds.

---

I mulch with grass clippings.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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