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Tomatoes.... Not yet flowering, too late?

TheOriginalAbiTheOriginalAbi Posts: 12
in Fruit & veg
Hi, this really is a rookie question but some my tomatoes have not yet flowered, are they now too late? I've also got some with flowers now, will they be ok or are they also too late? Thank you for being patient with me!! 
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  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    They might still flower, but it’s getting a bit late to get decent toms even if they set fruit - but it all depends on when you planted them (were you a bit late getting them in?), what the weather does and if/how you are feeding them.

    If you have fed them before any flowers appeared, it could be the plants have put all their energy into lots of green, leafy growth at the expense of flowers/fruit. It’s very tempting to overfeed/overwater tomato plants when they don’t need it.

    Also, are you growing them outside or in a greenhouse? That is also a factor.

    Make sure you pinch out all the side shoots (growing between the main stem and the leaf axils) and restrict the number of trusses you allow to develop per plant, so the plants can put it’s energies into those few. Feed with a liquid tomato food once the trusses have set, but not before. 

    Sorry about the ‘maybe, it depends’ answer!


    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • TheOriginalAbiTheOriginalAbi Posts: 12
    Thank you for your reply Nollie! I have some in the greenhouse which have the flowers and the ones outside are the ones without - I will do as you say and feed and check for side shoots. Thank you for helping me learn! :)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It might well be too late for the outdoor ones, but you should be ok with the greenhouse ones. Mine are always undercover, as our weather here is too inconsistent and cool, but even so, it was colder than usual in May, and they didn't move much at all, so I still have many flowering now. All sown at the usual time in late March. Sometimes we have to accept that things don't always work out the way we hope  :)

    You can also 'stop' them by pinching out the tops of the main stems, so that they don't continue trying to produce more flowers/fruits, and concentrate on the ones already there, or about to appear. 

    As Nollie says, it's one of those maybe/might be fine answers! All a learning curve, but it means you have a head start, knowledge wise, for next year  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TheOriginalAbiTheOriginalAbi Posts: 12
    Thanks Fairygirl, I think you are right that the poor weather earlier in the year didn't help. Certainly a good learning experience! It's all good fun isn't it :)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It is indeed - but often frustrating too. It's a common, and very accurate,  saying that the thing gardeners need to cultivate most is patience !  :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TheOriginalAbiTheOriginalAbi Posts: 12
    Haha! Patience could take some work for me lol! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
     :D 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • dhowellslondondhowellslondon Posts: 1
    Just registered on this site after reading a thread from this same site, via google search, that was originally posted  in I think 2012/13.

    I am a first time indoor tomato grower and am rather confused by conflicting advice I have found on this site, and the internet re the process

    A major contributor to the thread was Bob the Gardener but there were others. Bob  suggested that over-watering  and over feeding was a very common reason for lack of flowers and  the resulting fruits. I think that this may be my problem as I have been watering 3 plants in a 3 section grow bag every morning and feeding once a week. The grow bag is in a classed south facing conservatory

    What I should be doing,apparently, is to reduce the watering and feeding to "stress" the plants  into "thinking" that the end of the season is coming. Then instead of producing more green leaf, the plants will go into their reproductive cycle, start producing flowers and resulting fruits.

    I am going to try this unless someone tells me not to. Suggestions gratefully welcomed 




  • TheOriginalAbiTheOriginalAbi Posts: 12
    "reduce the watering and feeding to "stress" the plants  into "thinking" that the end of the season is coming." This is interesting!
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Well you shouldn’t need to do that unless you have been overwatering and overfeeding in the first place, so I guess it is a corrective strategy! Bob is absolutely right - he is an experienced gardener and knows what he is talking about.

    You are doing the right thing by watering in the morning, as watering at night can cause too much humidity and fungal diseases. Slow and steady watering, allowing the top of the compost to dry out a bit inbetween, is the key. There will be enough nutrients in the pots/grow bags so overfeeding will result in too much leafy growth at the expense of flowers/fruit. You shouldn’t feed at all until you have flowers setting fruit, then the tomato feed. The latter is high in potash to encourage flowering and fruiting.

    Once you have fruit, again, slow and steady with the watering, as if you water too much or erratically, the fruit will split.

    Hope that helps.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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