Dying tomato flowers?

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gobs

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Dying tomato flowers?
« Reply #15 on: July 10, 2008, 10:33 »
Hello, Mike.

Everything seems to be all right there and if you keeping these different tomatoes in the same place, some varieties are just likely not to be suited to your conditions. They are differently bothered or not about humidity and temperatures. Just sit and wait, until weather turns, give them a little tap to help pollination when flowers are open. Too much nitrogen is also not too good. If there are a lot of flowers some might be just dropped.

I have one tomato variety, which has not set so far at all outdoors, others next to it have, the same variety in the polly setting beautifully, so I'm fairly certain it is cold for this one outside. wait and see. :D
"Words... I know exactly what words I'm wanting to say, but somehow or other they is always getting squiff-squiddled around." R Dahl

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NYKnick

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Thanks, Gobs!
« Reply #16 on: July 10, 2008, 14:58 »
Just to follow-up, is there any value in using the blossom set spray? I've never used it before, and I'm not quite sure I'm seeing a difference by using it this season.

Thanks!
Mike

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SalJ1980

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Dying tomato flowers?
« Reply #17 on: July 10, 2008, 18:09 »
No idea bout the blossom-set spray, but I've brush pollinated my toms with ea very soft-bristled paintbrush (new!) as I don't leave my mini-greenhouse open very often due to owning a very curious cat!

Seems to have worked well as I've got loads of teeny weeny tomatoes - yay!
Sal

Organic...so far!

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gobs

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Re: Thanks, Gobs!
« Reply #18 on: July 10, 2008, 18:19 »
Quote from: "NYKnick"
Just to follow-up, is there any value in using the blossom set spray? I've never used it before, and I'm not quite sure I'm seeing a difference by using it this season.

Thanks!
Mike


You can just use water, if conditions are dry, but it has been rather humid lately, here anyhow. If conditions are humid already, it can make things worse. With both humidity and temp, can be too low or too high, all of which can be bad for fruit set.

Also, timing. Last Friday night was 7C here, if wind chill, flowers misted that evening, would be ruined by chill.

PS: You are welcome. :D

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NYKnick

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Water on leaves?
« Reply #19 on: July 10, 2008, 19:05 »
Gobs,

Are you suggesting I water the leaves of the plant directly? I read somewhere that it's best to just water the base (soil) and avoid watering the leaves. I think it had something to do with rot, disease, etc.

Humidity has been gradually increasing here in Maryland (USA) and will only get worse as the summer progresses.

I took another look at the plants most affected and they are Black Krim, Brandywine and Super Steak. Plum (Health Kick), cherry (Honeybunch) and "Big Rainbow" varieties don't seem to be experiencing this problem -- so, do you think it has to do with the type of plants I bought?

I had the same problem last summer with the Super Steak and Brandywine which yielded less than 2 dozen between them.

Maybe the climate here just isn't optimal for those plants ... it'd be nice if the supplier noted that in the advertising (Burpee.com).

Again, many thanks for you prompt and valuable advice!
Mike

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gobs

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Dying tomato flowers?
« Reply #20 on: July 10, 2008, 19:13 »
No, water spray for flowers in dry weather. Don't go near any of sort if it's already humid.

I haven't grown these varieties, but from second hand knowledge they are reasonably hardy, so they might be a bit sweaty exhausted there?

If night time temperatures are consistently high, some tomatoes or rather a lot of them might pack it in on the fruiting.

If they are in containers, try to move them accordingly. Or try to cool things for the night, like hosing the yard or similar.

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NYKnick

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Manually pollinating and acting like a bee
« Reply #21 on: July 10, 2008, 19:16 »
http://www.pollinator.com/self_pollinating_tomato.htm

Interesting read. Click around and read about the "electric bee."

I read on another website that you can use an electric toothbrush to simulate the effects of a bee sonicating to stimulate pollination. For some reason, the visual in my head is of a human manually stimulating a horse (bad and totally unexpected experience while visiting an old girlfriend attending agriculture school -- then we ate lunch outside the barn where I just watched a horse get violated).

Oh, and I can buy bees from Peru if I really want to get the job done right. As if that's gonna happen... My wife and 2 dogs would love that!

Mike

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gobs

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Dying tomato flowers?
« Reply #22 on: July 10, 2008, 19:26 »
It's a lot of marketing and money making tosh though - at least for tomatoes - they don't need bees to get pollinated, as they have perfect, complete flowers, the slightest wind ar knock will do. 8)

On the other hand I'd rather have real bees instead of Mons**to!

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medusa211

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Re: Dying tomato flowers?
« Reply #23 on: June 15, 2009, 17:16 »
Sharky, my tomato plants are all doing the same thing, the flowers appear, they dry up and dy.. the leaves look fine.. I'm fertilizing with the organic miracle grow stuff every 10 days or so.. my soil is organic mixed with top soil and egg shells..
I have no clue why the flowers are not turning into tomatoes.
-I tried brushing the plants with a green branch.. nothing..
-So far, I have one cherokee purple tomato on a 5-foot vine that is growing nicely.. 2 cherry husky tomato plants about 2 feet tall with a cluster of 4 healthy tomatoes on them but no more flowers are appearing..
-1-early girl hybrid with just the tomatoes it had on it when I bought it.. the flowers are now dried up too on this one..
WTH.. someone help me with my dilemma!!!!

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mumofstig

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Re: Dying tomato flowers?
« Reply #24 on: June 15, 2009, 17:26 »
I'm surprised that you replied to post that's a year old..but never mind :)
Are you sure that when the flowers fall off that there is no 'pin head' sized green tomato left on the stalk?


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