[dougens]

Hello there!
My tomatoes are doing well and have flowers and pistules etc ready to set. 
I've been removing the side shoots more quickly this year and have bushy good looking plants. 
I've had flowers on all the plants for a good few weeks now and the first plant has set some fruit, it has taken some time!

However, I'm growing them in grow bags this  year for the first time and wanted some advice please on feeding.

If one of the plants truss' has set but the other in the bag haven't, how do you just feed the one plant? 
Or do you not need to worry about it? 

Also in some of my bags I have put pepper plants - which are not setting yet - if I feed the set tomato plants will this hinder the peppers?  I've read on the growing advice pages on the website that you shouldn't feed before the fruits have set as can hinder growth.


Many thanks for any help advice!

[JayG]

If indoors, tapping the plants from time to time can help set the flowers.

I wouldn't worry unduly about the exact timing of feeding, although you could feed the flowering plants and just water the others until they flower - a bit of 'overlap' won't make any difference.

I assume you are proposing to use a 'proper' tomato feed - not sure which article you were reading but the advice about not feeding too early may only apply to using a general purpose feed, which could lead to too much foliage growth at the expense of flowers (many general purpose liquid feeds are very high in nitrogen.)

[dougens]

Hello Jay G

Thanks for your reply.

They are in a plastic growhouse.  Yes, when I say feeding I mean with tomato plant food not normal liquid all purpose, sorry should have stated that!

I have actually been giving them a general feed once a week up to now (not tomato specific food) of -7-7-7 as I have been doing with the whole garden.  They seem happy enough at the minute!   I will bear this in mind for next year's crop.

I will now give the tomatoes that have set fruits a good tomato feed (in their specific hole areas etc) and await for the others to set, then give them a dose as well!

I had read that feeding with tomato food prior to the fruit actually setting can hinder the yields.  However, last year I grew in pots and feed with tomato food at the fist sign of flowers and had a good year - as last year I thought that the sign of flowers was 'truss set' but now know it's when the fruit have set.

Either way as you say I'm probably overthinking it as usual!

Many thanks again

[JayG]

Multi-purpose composts are usually said to be good for up to 6 weeks of growth before the nutrients run out, but that does depend very much on what sort of plants are being grown (tomatoes are big plants which grow quickly) and how much nutrient content there was in the compost to start with (there have been rumours, admittedly often started by me, that MPC's can be a bit inconsistent in that respect.)

Anyway, yours sound healthy, and are setting fruit - all sounds good! 

(As for overthinking is concerned, I am perfectly capable of underthinking and overthinking a subject, sometimes even in the same sentence!  )