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Tomato plants not pollinating

DanjacksDanjacks Posts: 8
in Fruit & veg

Hi all, 

I've been growing sweet aperitif tomato's this year in my greenhouse. 

I've enjoyed a fantastic first crop off of all my 9 plants but for some reason all the flower growth above 4 feet (and there is a lot!) Just sit there for a week or so then die. No more tomato's growing to replace the established fruits. 

I've been shaking the plants, making sure the air is circulating with a mini fan, the door has been left open for a good 6 hours every day and I've even been in there with a paintbrush hand pollinating, all to no avail.

Does anyone have any ideas what I could be doing wrong or do tomato plants have a finite amount of fruit they can produce?

I feed them twice a week and water every 36 hours. 

Thanks

Dan 

Posts

  • DanjacksDanjacks Posts: 8

    Edit, I don't have any pest or blight problem as far as I can tell. 

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Hi Danjacks. When I grow tomatoes I always 'stop' the plants when they have seven trusses to enable them to ripen before the days get shorter. I think that watering every 36 hours may be a little too much and I only feed mine once a fortnight. I take off all the older, yellowing leaves that are beneath the first truss too.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • gardening archaeologistgardening archaeologist Posts: 46

    i mist my tomatoes with a little water sprayer and this is supposed to help flower setting image

  • DanjacksDanjacks Posts: 8

    Thanks for all the advice. I'll give it a shot and see if it helps 

  • michael mpcmichael mpc Posts: 422

    hi danjacks     as a few say watering that long I grow mine in plant pots standing in   washing bowls from pound land standing on block paving and I water in bowl to about 3inchs up the plant pot  and I feed once a week at start  when plenty on trusses 6 or 7  or 3or 4 for the big toms and as garden archaeologist says mist and phillipa says tap stems is enough to pollinate them   (only thing I would say is don't let them go so long without water )  some say stick your finger in m/p c and if dry 3 or 4 insh  water .  (on a little tip I snip of a few of the flowers of big trusses  say 15 flowers on snip4 /5 of so as not to over load plant stems )   hope it helps      Michael

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,145

    We've had a lot of strong sunlight ... are the flowers just getting too hot up there near the roof of your greenhouse? 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BobFlannigonBobFlannigon Posts: 619

    That (blossom drop) can be caused by feeding too much and watering not enough!

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