tomato plants

[heehaw]

hey, i need some suggestions: we have great looking tomato plants, but no blooms or tomatos??? last year was the first time to have the garden where it is now, and we had loads and loads of tomatos and everything else?
heehaw

 

[psuedofarmer]

hmm... sounds like the blooms may have set, but there may have been a lack of bees/insects to pollinate the blossoms. no insects to cross pollinate and you're looking at great plants, but no fruit.

just a guess.. could be a few other factors: lack of water when they were flowering, etc.

pf

 

[heehaw]

plenty of bees, i keep some around for that purpose, and this year has been plenty of water??? i guess i'll call the county extension agent tomorrow an see if they have any suggestions.
thanks
heehaw

 

[HRS]

heehaw, I was hit with blight one year, and it took out every new bloom that tried to grow. I remember one day Iwas out admiring the few tomatoes that were growing on the vines and I suddenly realized that I did not have any baby/small ones coming on. I started looking really close and saw that the blooms, stem and all were turning black and falling off. I have fought blight for a few years and guess what. It only happens around here when we have a nice and wet spring. As soon as it dries up, the blight becomes less of a problem. To fight it during the wet, I picked up a two gallon pump sprayer and a bottle of garden disease fighter at Home Depot. I use a product by Ortho called Garden Disease Control. It says that it stops and prevents over 130 diseases. Just follow the directions for the plant affected.

 

[zeuspaul]

Try *blossom set*. It comes in a spray can and is some kind of hormone. I have had problems with tomatoes setting when the weather is too hot and the blossom set has worked. An additional advantage to the hormone is seed free tomatoes.Some varieties set better in hot weather. Early Girl has been one of my best setting tomatoes. However this will probably vary depending on where you are.

Zeuspaul

 

[BB_TX]

Did you plant the same variety as last year? I planted 4 different varieties this year. Two types are loaded with tomatoes and have been producing for nearly a month now. Third one has just started showing a few tomatoes. The last one has not set any fruit even though it is the largest of all the plants. Early Girl is also one of my best producers this year.

 

[guyrj33]

Did you fertilize this year? t\Too much Nitrogen can encourage leaf growth at the expense of flowers and fruit.

 

[heehaw]

i called the county extension agent, he thinks i need phosphorus..the middle number in the fertilizer, 10-20-10, the 20 specifies phosphorus: so i am adding that today, to about 1/3 of the plants, adding some 13-13-13 to about half, and then will try something else on the others..but i will get some garden spray and spray all of the plants..we always plant several different types of tomatos, so its not limited to one kind: but we did have a very wet spring and some really weird weather..
thanks for all the suggestions..i'll let you know how it works out..
heehaw

 

[CTyler]

Perhaps a soil test would be beneficial.

 

[escavader]

HEE HAW
Have you picked the suckers off them. By doing that the plant gives all its nutrients to the needed parts.A sucker is the part that grows out right between the stem and a branch.You should snip off the suckers as they develop,i do mine at least weekly.
Dump a cow patty in a bucket of water and stirr it up ,and water your tomatoes with it,best fertilizer in my book.Tomatoes also like slightly acidic soil,so dont add lime.
I use to work for a greenhouse business in high school,and the old timer showed me these tricks.They work rather well for me.Good luck
ALAN