I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Either too little sunlight or too much nitrogen; maybe both.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

that really sucks. I feel for you. Mine aren't all that productive either, and I, like you, have put a lot of time and money into them. I have 10 plants in 5 earthboxes. 1 variety per box. 2 of them (not sure what kind) are doing awesome. The rest is just a ton of foliage with little to no tomatoes. What sucks is I think the two that are doing great are the ones that I used the fertilizer that came with the earthboxes, becasue I ran out of my organic mix. It is really hard to grow good tomatoes with organic fertilizer, I have tried it a few times. I never use pesticides but I am about to hit all of them with some miracle grow, it works every time.

Tomatoes don't need bees to produce. They self-pollinate.

I know what your problem is. You need more fertilizer. The natural stuff is great, but you need a LOT. Are you using composted material?

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Yeah, advice on growing tomatoes from someone who has no tomatoes.
That's the ticket.:emotions16:

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Wife and I potted some with fruit we bought from a nursery early this year...peat moss, potting soil, a little fertilizer (old bag), watered per instructions...after a few weeks, they turned pale yellow and almost died...UNTIL we tried MIRACLE GRO! Wow, in a week or two they all were full and healthy with deep green leaves and dark red fruit. It made all the difference. We are now really enjoying those tomatoes (yum-yum).

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

More bonemeal, less bloodmeal, Hive. Too much nitrogen very likely, IMHO.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Are you going to add something useful, or just talk $hit. I have been growing tomatoes for years, I tried out these earthboxes this year becsaue I am living in an apt. and have to grow on the roof.

I have about 30 tomatoes on the 2 plants that got conventional fertilizer, so that is 30 more than you have.....

The others will be doing just as well when I hit em with the miracle....

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

I agree, I think they need lots of food, mine are doing really well. Fed on fish emulsion. Smells like the sea side for a while. In fact I was stunned when I looked a few days ago. I was thinning out the lower branches, trying to push the plants higher.

Italians swear by cutting off the lower branches and forcing the plant to grow 3' or so. Then they grow them horizontal like you would say a grape vine on a pergola. They say they get the best yeilds that way. Plenty of air through the plant and lots of food = lotsa lotsa tomatos

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

mmmm...yummy Miracle Gro. 30 fruit on 10 pampered plants. Way to go!:yes:

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Well, where you from? With the way the weather has been for me this year I haven't needed to water mine a single day. It's too much rain as it is. I find that tomatoes dont like a lot of water anyway.

but you mention few flowers - little to no fruit? did the plant have flowers but the dropped off, or is it not even growing many flowers to start with? It's an important distinction because if there are no flowers to start with, it means there's too much nitrogen and the plant is just going crazy growing all vine and no flower. If its growing flowers but they drop off before being pollinated then it indicates stress on the plant usually too hot/too cold or too much water.

How about instead of trashing them, just leave them be and see what happens. Dont water them, dont add any fertilizers or junk like that. Just leave em be. If you haven't mulched them, at least just do that. Get some straw and apply a nice thick layer of straw to maintain more constant soil temperature, retain moisture and keep weeds down. And see how they do. What have you got to lose? Its more work to rip em out and throw them away

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Ouch! Darkside's advice is sage.
I scorched some of my tomatoes badly;
I let a really low side shoot grow,and cut the tomato right back to it.
They took off and are starting to flower.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

One trick that I've learned is that stressing them by not watering until they start wilting stimulates them to flower. Mulching heavily (at least 6") helps to keep the soil moist and improves the soil microbial life which nourishes the plant. Compost tea is a great way of fertilizing and adds beneficial bacteria which protects the plant from disease. Also, pinch off the suckers that sprout in the armpits (between the branch and the main stem) to reduce the amount of energy that is dedicated to growing new side stems and put it instead into producing fruit. Don't throw your plants out yet, you're probably babying them too much and after you stop watering them so much they will produce like gangbusters.

BTW- using chemical fertilizers kills the microbial life in the soil which makes the plants more susceptible to disease and more dependent on the chemical fertilizers to provide their nutrition. Going the chemical route (which includes miracle gro) is much more expensive, makes you reliant on a petroleum based energy intensive product, and inferior to building a compost and using that to amend the top of the soil or using compost tea or worm castings. Also, compost tea and worm castings that you buy at the store are dead and therefore worthless.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

I've heard other people complaining that their tomatoes weren't setting fruit this year either, and they've grown tomatoes for years.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

LOL. You are right, I am wasting my time. I will kill them all and start buying them from walmart ASAP.

Anyone who knows anything about gardening (which you obviously don't) knows that there are good seasons and bad seasons. This is not a good year for tomatoes.

If you were a gardener, you would never disrespect a fellow gardener like that.

Shame on you.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Yeah, I was having trouble with mine until someone on this board recommended flicking the blossoms to help with pollination. Once I started doing that I began to get tomatoes. I finally saw my first two honey bees about a week ago and there seem to be less flies this year as well. I know they are supposed to self pollinate but I think that pollinators help out as well.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Extremely happy tomato plants have been known (in my early gardens and by others) to grow big beautiful vines a long time before deciding to go to the tons of tomatoes mode. My first year I fed too well and the vines were over 6 feet before there was one green tomato. They made tomatoes like crazy later, so don't trash them.

I've actually had a gardner describe it this way: at home they are a perennial. They fruit and make seed when they think they might die. So being a little hungry or thirsty can help. Just not too far. The hand pollination is worth a try too.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Mine are 13 big boys planted in the ground w/ a peat moss and mushroom compost mix, 2 big boys in 15 gallon planters with the same medium, and 6 bush goliaths in 50 gallon drum halves with the same mix. All are producing like gangbusters. Around 60 ripening per week.

I've had to water the crap out of them, though. Also a little bonemeal to help stave off blossom end rot.

I'm guessing they get about five hours of good sunlight a day. There's a lot of pine trees around them.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

I agree on the 'full sun' bit about tomatoes too. They probably do like full sun in Maine, but in Texas they appreciate a few hours shade.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Just for the record: I'm also having a rougher than usual time with my tomatoes in S. Florida. Minimal production - a first for me.
Groove

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Hey Infantry,
If you could post a photo by chance of the bush goliath,
I would be keen to view it.
Regards,
Haystackneedle

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Mine are coming up like crazy. I even have volunteer plants that come up because I throw all vegetable waste off the back of my balcony. I get all kinds of things there at the end of the summer. I even have watermelons coming up back there.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Techguy, I tried Romas last year, I didn't get a lot of blossom end rot, but I did get some kind of manifestation of small fly. It was horrible. Out of 20 fruits that did make it I could only get about half without flies. I tried BT, I picked them off, everything. I think my problem is that I didn't try a "local heirloom". I'm almost thinking of starting in december for peat sakes. This last winter was WAY too warm to start in late Feb, or March for that matter. In Houston, it's almost like you've gotta have a white sheet at the ready at all times. Just plant in January, if a frost comes sheet em, if not be ready for a bumper crop in March!

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Just checked this thread again and too dark to get pics tonight, I'll get some posted tomorrow.

TechGuy- Don't trash the plants because of blossom end rot. The BER is because of one of two things: 1) Not enough calcium in the soil. I use bonemeal for this. 2) Not getting enough water to carry the calcium to the tomatoes.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

BER can also be from not enough water and not enough lime....

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

There is one more reason
High temp above 88-90F or higher for long period with high humidity-this clumps pollen and pollination will not work even if you use liquid spray to pollinate.:s1:

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Try here for some tips:

Dave's Garden Forums are the GIM of gardening...

http://davesgarden.com/sitewidesearch.php?q=Tomatoes

Information Video here:

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Yes, but Hive is in dry LA, California, and high humidity is pretty rare there, I think.
Transient highs in the 90's in a low-humidity environment are less of a problem than frequent high night-time lows.

Night-time lows in the mid 70's often stop fruit-set in tomatoes, except for a few varieties which have recently been bred to tolerate it.

Most heirloom tomatoes have real difficulty setting much fruit under high night-time temps.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Plant early. :smile:

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Slightly off topic - but I also noticed this year that my tomatoes have a thicker/tougher skin than usual. Feels almost like cellophane in the mouth. This has happened on my Big Boys and yellow pair heirlooms this year.

Any thoughts on what might cause this?
Groove

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

Thorgrim,
Thanks.
The flowers, though technically self-pollinating, benefit from disturbance, whether from the wind, an insect or a flick from your finger.
Greenhouse growers of tomatoes often release bumble bees into the houses because the air is so still and there are no natural helpers. Bumble bees are less effective outdoor pollinators because they're a little bulky and tend to hide out in breezy conditions. But in calm greenhouses they are work horses.:smile:

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

I have heard of people using a very small paintbrush to pollinate, flicking the trunk, shaking the plant, ect..

The goal in to shake up the pollen a little. They are self-pollinating fruits, but human intervention can increase yields quite a bit.

Re: I am about to throw my tomato plants in the trash
 

just don't get caught shaking it too hard, you might get arrested for "shaken tomato syndrome"