I have lots of tomatoe blossoms but not very many tomatoes?
Image by Daves Portfolio
The Friends Of The Devonshire Park Theatre (Eastbourne) Autumn Fair held at the Congress Theatre on 23/10/2010
Stalls were upstairs and down. The ground floor comprising mainly catering and plants. Upstairs in the bar area were further stalls including this new stall which featured a local vendor specializing in bee products. I have honey mustard to try.
Question by Dennis A: I have lots of tomatoe blossoms but not very many tomatoes?
I”m growing patio tomatoes in a raised bed greenhouse in Northern California. The plants look great…nice and big and green with lots of blossoms……….but not very many tomatoes?? Why is that? Is it getting too hot? Or do I need to let the bird and the bee’s get to them? I did spray them for several weeks with tomatoe set. Thanks
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12 Responses to I have lots of tomatoe blossoms but not very many tomatoes?
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Blossoms are a good sign…. just have patience
Ang
July 20, 2012 at 7:54 am
OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i love$money
July 20, 2012 at 8:48 am
Dennis A
Look, the supermarkets are full of tomatoes.
Blossom, they’re not.
Sell blossom!
Slartibartfast
July 20, 2012 at 9:15 am
Sounds like they need to be pollinated. If you aren’t seeing the birds and bees…you could get a paint brush or Q-tip and do it yourself if you are that ambitious!!! Just go from flower to flower and get the pollen from one blossom onto another.
Do it yourselfer
July 20, 2012 at 10:11 am
If you have blossoms you will have tomatoes! Unless the blossoms get knocked off each one will produce a tomato.
Good luck!
True Blue
July 20, 2012 at 11:06 am
You are doing great if you have lots of blossoms. If you have too many you can have tomatoes that don’t potentially get as large as they could. You might try pinching some of the blooms off as soon as some tomatoes start growing, that way the energy source goes to the producing tomatoes. Just pinch a few of the blooms not all. The tomatoes will continue to produce until the weathers cools which will happen soon here. Not sure about N. Cal.
Good Luck. Can a few for the winter. Freeze if you don’t can.
damsel36
July 20, 2012 at 11:07 am
If you sprayed the blossoms and plenty of fertilizer should have no problem. Make sure not to over water. Blossoms are a good sign so just give it time!
Dani
July 20, 2012 at 11:52 am
Doityourself above is most likely correct–not getting pollinated. In many areas of the country where they spray for mosquitoes, they kill the mosquitoes (or most of them) but they also kill the beneficial insects. Honeybees are so scarce in some parts of the country that many flowers do not get pollinated. That’s kind of sad–I couldn’t run across my lawn as a kid in my bare feet without getting stung. Now honey bees are almost all taken care of by beekeepers–not many wild honeybees left.
The Blossom Set however should have fooled the plant into thinking the flowers were pollinated and made you tomatoes. Maybe the Blossom Set was old or inactivated by heat or something. It’s hard to say why it didn’t work. I’d try a new bottle if the one you have is old.
collegekid
July 20, 2012 at 12:25 pm
You definately need to get those tomato blossoms pollinated. Let the bees get in there or you can do it yourself.
Take a very small paintbrush and touch one blossom and then another (on the same plant, preferably). It is best to do this in the early morning…
redneckgardendiva
July 20, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Blossom set will not do you any good if the flowers aren’t pollinated. Those babies have to exchange sex cells or no babies (fruit with seed) can be produced, right? You’ve already got advice about pollination in other answers. Naturally is best, I think, but you can pollinate them yourself, too.
If you’ve been feeding them, make sure your fertilizer is for flowering plants and veg, rather than for foliage. Too much nitrogen will retard fruiting.
Last, if Northern CA has been cool and rainy all summer, you’re going to have some problems getting ripe fruit. Those tomatoes do love heat and sunny weather.
bellgoebel
July 20, 2012 at 1:26 pm
I also live in Northern California and have experienced the same problem with my tomatoes. The weather has been kind of brutal this summer so it is taking its toll on my garden as well. My watermellons aren’t ripening and the tomato plant is bearly producing. I think it is due to the extreme heat.
The One 4 Fun
July 20, 2012 at 1:57 pm
TOOHOT your plants are stressed and excess heat will cause blossom drop thats why you dont see many fruits on the vine I had that problem and I have a short growing season 90 days so a short set back can really set me back I have to hope for a long Indian summer for a nice crop
diggin_thedirt
July 20, 2012 at 2:46 pm