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Tomatoes

Sheila 13Sheila 13 Posts: 5
in Fruit & veg

can I thin out my tomatoe plant leaves I seem to have a lot of leaves and and not a lot of flowers 

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Posts

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    Now, I don't, but if you have a great deal of foliage are you over-feeding the plants?



    Treat them a bit mean, then they'll produce flowers and fruit.
  • Sheila 13Sheila 13 Posts: 5

    Thanks I've been feeding them twice a week I've took out lower leaves but have still got heavy foliage.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Usually only feed once the first truss of fruit sets Sheila. That's probably been the problem - you've been too kind! image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Rhod CromptonRhod Crompton Posts: 160

    I've got twelve plants this year, 3 plants per giant grow bag and have only fed them once or twice so far this year! They are all between 5-6 feet tall now and lots of fruit setting, they are outside on a sunny patio and only get watered once or twice a week! I agree that treating them mean gives better results, I'll be taking the tops out this week so only 5-6 truses per plant! Even ate the first few fruits yesterday!

  • ItalophileItalophile Posts: 1,731

    You're overfeeding, Sheila, and it sounds like a fertiliser rich in nitrogen is boosting the foliage. If they're in pots, you don't need to feed more than once a fortnight. In the ground, even less. Use a fertiliser higher in P and K than N.

  • Sheila 13Sheila 13 Posts: 5

    Thanks everybody for your advice,I've been using flower power feed I will change it to tomatoe feed, I'm growing on a patio in grow bags,I'll start feeding once a week and cut down on watering 

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    Only feed when the tomatoes are forming on the plant, not before.
  • BoaterBoater Posts: 241

    Mine are due their second feed about now, but the soil is still quite damp because it's been so cold a miserable recently so I haven't done it yet.

    Finally have a warm day again so they will probably be ready to water tonight. Not exactly easy to maintain a regular pattern with this summers crappy weather.

    I have been removing selected leaves when they are blocking flower trusses, but obviously you need to have trusses to see which ones need to be removed.... I have to admit though, a lot of the first trusses never fertilised, and due to the cool weather the later trusses are really slow to form and flower - I can see the first few buds, but they don't seem keen to open! I have quite a few tomatoes on lower trusses, upper trusses refusing to open and not a lot of flowers left in between! I'm pretty sure this is just the plants reacting to growing conditions and if it warms up again the upper trusses with open up.

  • ItalophileItalophile Posts: 1,731

    If it's been cold and miserable and the soil has been damp, one warm day shouldn't warrant watering. You can let the soil dry out. It will probably help trigger your flowers too.

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