Great looking plants ... very few tomatoes and flowers

15 years ago

Hi all

I started square foot gardening this spring and have had pretty good results so far. Good zukes, cukes, and banana peppers, but the tomatoes have been sorta underwhelming. I do have a cherry tomato plant that is doing really well (even after a couple hornworms munched on it), but the other tomato plants I have are not producing much fruit. I have 2 green ones on one plant and 1 on another, but no babies or flowers. Any idea on whats up? am I just being impatient? I've grown tomatoes before and it seems to me like I should have quite a few flowers and a few babies. I did pinch out the stems in the begining cause I am vining them up a trellis.

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Comments (5)

yogagardengirl
15 years ago
Hi! I have the exact same thing here. This is also my first year doing the SFG. I was really expecting massive yields after reading the book. Anyway, my tomatos also have finally gotten big but hardly any flowers and fruit on the beefmaster. the small cherry types are doing better (supersweet 100 and honeybunch). I have one that completely doesn't have any fruit or flowers at all. wierd. I also am doing the trellis and I have to say I don't like it at all, I think that maybe the handling of the branches disturbed the crop somehow? It did seem weird to be pinching off the stems too (and maybe I wasn't doing it correctly?) Sorry no answers here,just commiseration!
Also, did this is my first year for cukes. Can you tell me when to harvest them/what they should look like? I've gotten several really bitter ones that I didnt' think were too big when i harvested them. The shape too- they seem to be tapered at one end- good/bad?
Thanks!
jennypenny_gardener
15 years ago
This is my first year with a veggie garden in a long time. I have massive plants. Only my Sun Gold cherry have fruit. The rest are starting to flower, but no other fruit. I was really bummed... I am hoping the other plants catch up, since they have finally started to flower a bit.

I am in NJ, I don't know where you are, but I contacted my local master gardeners and they gave me some info. I will paste it here, and maybe it will help.

They said it could 2 different things.

1) Weather Â we have experienced 2 of the conditions that make tomatoes produce foliage but no fruit: heavy rainfall, high temperatures.

2) You may have too much nitrogen, and if so, you should stop using any fertilizer, unless you chose one that has 0 as the first number.

I was certain it was the Nitrogen, but now thinking about the weather, they may have played a big factor in my plants production. We had SUPER hot weather all of June and when it wasn't really hot it was raining like crazy.
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I agree with LoneJack, that it is worth looking into the dwarf varieties. I grow all my tomatoes in containers, so it is very possible in your VegTrug but there are several variables to consider. Most dwarfs (and some "dwarfs" are up to a few feet tall) are determinant which means that they stop making tomatoes after they mature, but you can cut them back to nearly nothing and they'll regrow and produce fruit again, so don't let that concern hold you back. My containers sit on the ground and are pretty wide, so I don't have to worry about tipping, but I think traditional beefsteak varieties could have the potential to create a tipping issue in a VegTrug. Your summer temps and moisture will matter A LOT in that type of container. Regardless of the plant you choose, you'll want to keep in mind that in a raised container with air on all sides, your soil temps will be a lot higher than ground temps, which plays a big part in plant performance. Think about temperatures about 100 miles south of you to get an idea of how different it really is. I haven't tried Brandywines, but I know from some reliable sources that they shut down quickly when air temps are above 90, so they might not be a good idea depending on your location (well, the location 100 miles south of you - see above). This effect is compounded when in a container, so I stay away from brandywines for that reason. I've heard good things about Dester but haven't had the chance to try it yet, so don't know how it does in a container. I'm trying Vorlon this year because I'm told has excellent heat tolerance and flavor. But these are varieties that will get big, and I would worry about them tipping your VegTrug. Also, any beefsteak variety is going to need a lot of water and needs the soil staying as consistently moist as possible. If you're in an arid or semi-arid climate that consistent moisture element is going to be tough to maintain in a VegTrug. I'm not sure of the size of your VegTrug, but the root system in a single, traditional beefsteak is going to pretty quickly suck all the moisture out of the ones I've seen... Meaning you'll only have room for one plant. :( Growing any tomatoes in the VegTrug will also probably require drip irrigation or at the very least frequent, likely daily, watering. I don't think the dwarf varieties take up quite as much water, so you can probably get a couple more plants in the VegTrug.
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carolynp
15 years ago
This is my first sfg, also. We are really late with our season in our area. You might try calling the local extension and get their take on things, too.
mom2brina
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for responding!

Maybe it is the weather .... I am in the Midwest, close to St. Louis and you may have heard of all the flooding and rain we got earlier. My area was not flooded, but we have gotten more rain than usual. Only recently have temps gotten up there. I failed to mention on the first post that I have 2 bell pepper plants that have not flowered either. The banana peppers have and produced fruit. My cukes are doing really well, and it seems so is the cantaloupe. I've also harvested 5-6 zuchinnis. I have been ferilizing with Miracle grow because it seemed like nothing grew until I did that. I don't think the compost was all that great.
jennypenny_gardener
15 years ago
I am having the same issue with my pepper plants too. It is very frustrating to have large healthy looking plants and no fruit. In the last couple of days, I am seeing a lot more fruit. So there is still hope.

Great looking plants ... very few tomatoes and flowers

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yogagardengirl

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Great looking plants ... very few tomatoes and flowers

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yogagardengirl

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