Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?

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Vagabond

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Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« on: August 02, 2020, 11:29 »
Quite a lot of my cherry tomatoes are very tiny and I want to check if it's my fault.
Some of the trusses on the same plants are producing normal sized cherry tomatoes, but other trusses are loaded with pea sized ones.
My husband is accusing me of not feeding them properly, but I've been feeding all the tomato plants once a week since they started producing and I've added crushed/powdered roasted egg shells a couple of times too, so I'm at a bit of a loss.
Any advice gratefully received before I fall out with my husband!
IMG_2654-1.jpg

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Kleftiwallah

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2020, 11:56 »
Good morning Vagabond,
 my San Marzanos are also quite a bit smaller than last years crop.  This years plants are from saved seed.  Could that be the reason? :wacko:

Cheers,  Tony.
I may be growing OLD, but I refuse to grow UP !

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Vagabond

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2020, 12:31 »
Morning, Tony
I didn't germinate them myself - I bought seedlings from a local nursery who have a reasonable reputation. I'm tucked away in south west Ireland, so don't have the same buying choices as the UK.

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New shoot

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2020, 20:18 »
Having 2 sizes of fruit on the same plant is unusual  :wacko:  I don't think it is you, but I am not sure what would cause it.  It may be some reversion on an F1 variety, but that would be an issue with the seeds and not even the fault of the nursery, let alone you.

Are trusses with all the tiny ones way more productive?  I just wonder if it a case of too many flowers on one truss so the stem just can't get enough nutrients to them all.  It may be worth either taking off the end of the truss or thinning the fruit along it so you get fewer, but bigger fruits.

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Vagabond

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2020, 20:52 »
I should have clarified that the tomatoes in my photo are not all from the same plant. I put them together to demonstrate just how tiny the tiny ones are.
Having said that - there are different size tomatoes on the same plant.
The trusses of tiny ones are more productive so I'll try your suggestion, New Shoot, and thin them out.

I did a bit of research this afternoon and read that the most common cause for small tomatoes is stressed plants. My tomatoes are in a greenhouse and did get a bit dried out a few times when the weather was hot, so wondering if that might be the cause.

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Hortic

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2020, 22:05 »
I think the variable weather we've had has effected the plants. Remember it's been exceptionally cloudy and cooler than July is expected to be with less sunshine. 
Don't over feed.

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jambop

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #6 on: August 06, 2020, 18:32 »
I had one truss on one of my F1 cherry tomato piccolo that produced 6 really small tomatoes while the rest of the tomatoes on the truss where the same as all the others on the plant which is loaded with masses of trusses of very evenly sized fruits I cannot understand why only six on one truss are different? What I will say is that this is a must have cherry variety!

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Growster...

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #7 on: August 06, 2020, 19:58 »
I think Hortic has got it absolutely right!

Lots of our tom trusses are similar - I saw some an hour ago - and I'll put it down to a very hot June, when most respectable toms are getting their wits about them, then realising that it's really hot enough for them to do a 'summer job', so leave out some of the 'titches' to fend for themselves for a while! They can maybe catch up later...

I've never grown San Marzano before, but am amazed at how prolific they are, and how quickly they ripen - often after picking, they reddened  after just a few hours! What a fabulous tom they are!

You guys here recommended San Marzano, so we're very grateful!

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jambop

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2020, 18:51 »

My tomatoes have not done so well this year... I am in no doubt whatsoever that this is down to the very hot and exceptionally dry summer we have had here in SW France. I had a beef variety growing really well and producing flowers up until about the start of July and then zip not another flower was produced ? Now the plants have decided that enough is enough and yellowed and are on the way out... shame they made a delicious tomato salad :lol:

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jezza

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2020, 11:45 »
Hello it's the weather and lack of pollination and if you dont talk to them if you put a radio on in the green house it might help.  jezza

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Growster...

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Re: Tiny Tomatoes - is it me?
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2020, 14:23 »
Just given away four pounds of toms to chums around here...

I sometimes sing to them Jezza, but I don't reckon 'Clutching at straws' (Marillion), does them that much good! They can't hear the wireless from the shed either, but that's where most of the sound comes from - sometimes with an expletive or six when things go awry...



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