Ok may be over reacting but my tomato plants have about 20 to 30 blooms on each plant but i have noticed that the blooms after being fully open for a few days are falling off with no sighns of them seting fruit.im growing Cherokee purple,St.pierre,White tomesol,beef heart,suger snack, the suger snack has set fruit with about 10 small ones.So what could be going on? there not drying out i keep up on the watering.no bugs damage to note!
Any ideals?
A big Thanks
Henry
Indiana Bloomer
Gently shake the plant whenever you walk by it.
Why would you do that????
Have you fertilized?
This message was edited Jun 18, 2008 8:13 PM
Tomato flowers are self fertile, but the pollen from the male part (anther) must fall on th female part (stigma). Usually wind, rain and natural conditions shakes the flower enough to dislodge the pollen. But sometimes it does not. giving the plant a quick shake works. Try it.
I always brush the plants when I walk thru the garden or the greenhouse! I think it helps them set. Agree with Farmerdill!
Ok i shook them last nite and told them to wake up :0) that does make since if that. it could be i have them to close ( 3 1/2 foot apart) and they are so bushy that the light winds and rain dosent move them enough to do that on there own.as far as fertalizing yep did that.did the normal begining of the year lay down.and have also hit them twice with the M.G epson salt beer soultion.never had this problem befor but yet never had plants this huge this time of the year.
Thanks again
Henry
Farmerdill, You just taught me something I had never heard of! Very cool!!
Well either the shaking works fast or like i said in the begining.i may have over reacted.BUT!! while shaking or after that is i noticed this little guy.so it looks like all is well.
Thanks
Henry
I remember my mom sending me out in the garden to flick the tomato flowers when I was a young boy. It makes all the difference.
Just wondering here, I have tons of tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, and even a brand new little watermelon today, but no cukes. Like Henry's maters, the plants are covered with blooms, but they fall off and no little pickles yet!!!!. Does the same hold true for cucumbers? I'm tired of greasy grocery store cukes. Yuch!
Nope, cukes require pollination by the bees/other insects to carry pollen from the male flower to the female. It may be that excessively high heat is messing w/the pollen viability or it may be that you are only getting females flowers right now (or only male flowers). I'd say hang in there and give them some time, they'll come thru for you. Depending on the variety excessive heat will cause the flowers to drop.
Hang in there. Wishing you a nice cucumber sandwich soon!
Shoe
After doing a little more reading on the subject, I think I may just be jumping the gun. In anticipation of our extremely hot summers, the back half of my little veggie patch is in partial shade in the afternoon, so I don't think that's it. And every morning when I visit the Patch, I am greeted by busy bees pollinating their little bee hearts out. So I'm sure that's not the problem. I'm guessing (hoping) that these are just all male flowers right now cause they don't have the little bulge thingy at the base. Hopefully I'll get some females soon and they will have some little cukes for me. Thanks!
