Big healthy plants, but few blossom clusters...

squirrel789 · June 16, 2015

Hello All,

I am noticing a pattern with nearly all of the tomato plants in my container garden that I would very much like to like to understand, so if I did something wrong I can remedy it for next year. The plants are mostly proven hybrids but with a few heirloom varieties as well. The cause might also be the stretch of unseasonably wet weather we had shortly after planting, which I obviously can't control, but I would be very curious and thankful to hear what any you knowledgeable folks may think the most likely culprit.

All the plants put on a flower cluster or two pretty low to the ground, when the plants were about a foot or slightly taller, which so far haven't set hardly any fruit (2 toms to be exact, out of 8 plants). Now the plants are growing fast in the warm weather and are reaching 4' and some almost 5' tall, with healthy foliage and thick stems (all have been pruned to two vines), no serious pest problems or discernible diseases, plenty of sunlight, and consistently moist growing medium.

The problem: I'm noticing that there are very few to no blossom clusters (on some vines) in the 3' section above the not-so-productive ones near the very bottom. Luckily, blossom clusters have grown again around the 3' to 3.5' foot mark, looking normal and healthy with more clusters forming steadily at much closer intervals from there on up. In previous years, when I grew tomatoes in the ground, it seemed that once the clusters began forming near the bottom, they would continue to form at regular, fairly close intervals from that point on up the vines. I know there can be several reasons blossoms don't form, but I wonder what is most likely.

From what I've read elsewhere on the forum, here are a few details that might be pertinent:
1. I used TFF (low nitrogen) fertilizer per recommended instructions early on when I saw the first clusters appear at the bottom, but due to the frequent rain and unseasonably cool weather (well, cool for MO anyway), I discontinued after a few uses because I basically stopped having to water them. The mix, mulched with pine bark, was already quite moist and I was afraid I'd do more harm than good over-watering them by adding a water-based fertilizer. Maybe that was silly, but that's what I did.
2. The container is a 170 Gal galvanized water trough (lots of details elsewhere in another thread here in the container section), and the growing medium is essentially a 2-2-1 ratio of local nursery compost, peat moss, and vermiculite.
3. During the first very significant growth spurt, the weather was hot and sunny, seemingly perfect weather around here for tomatoes to really start growing. The vines grew thick and very quickly. The season is just now really getting into full swing here and they are still growing quickly, with normal foliage, and looking healthy - just very few or no blossom clusters on the lower 3' or so.
4. I've used some DE around the plants and in the mulch several times, some Safer insecticidal soap, as well as a .01% pyrethrin/canola oil spray once or twice for a few aphids and assorted pests, but only on the leaves being careful not to spray any blossoms. There haven't been any serious pest problems since, just the occasional ones I remove manually.
5. Soil PH has been tested 3 times since I planted with my ph meter (good quality, but not professional) and has stayed right around 6.5-ish.
6. No high nitrogen fertilizer was used, except for what nitrogen was in the compost component (it was well aged from a local nursery and it looked like rich black soil - no fresh manure, bad smell or anything odd). I realize the nitrogen level of the compost is somewhat of an X factor, but I've read other people here have grown decent tomato plants with the basic ratios and components I used in my mix.

The plants appear to be getting back on track with more closely spaced clusters above the 3'-3.5' mark, so I'm not that worried (except for having to build a much taller trellis). I also plan to start using the TFF again to encourage the blossoms forming higher up on the plant.

Still, I wonder if I should have done something differently. Is this normal behavior, given all the wet weather early on and the unknown nitrogen content of the compost?

Is there any possible hope that these long cluster-less sections may still grow some blossom clusters from the vines, despite the fact that there are already well developed blossoms further up? That's mostly wishful thinking

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated! I'd love to learn more about how more closely spaced blossom clusters can be achieved, or if what I've got is normal given my container mix and weather conditions.

Thanks for any and all responses!

June 16, 2015	#1
squirrel789 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: SW Missouri Zone 6b Posts: 121	Big healthy plants, but few blossom clusters... Hello All, I am noticing a pattern with nearly all of the tomato plants in my container garden that I would very much like to like to understand, so if I did something wrong I can remedy it for next year. The plants are mostly proven hybrids but with a few heirloom varieties as well. The cause might also be the stretch of unseasonably wet weather we had shortly after planting, which I obviously can't control, but I would be very curious and thankful to hear what any you knowledgeable folks may think the most likely culprit. All the plants put on a flower cluster or two pretty low to the ground, when the plants were about a foot or slightly taller, which so far haven't set hardly any fruit (2 toms to be exact, out of 8 plants). Now the plants are growing fast in the warm weather and are reaching 4' and some almost 5' tall, with healthy foliage and thick stems (all have been pruned to two vines), no serious pest problems or discernible diseases, plenty of sunlight, and consistently moist growing medium. The problem: I'm noticing that there are very few to no blossom clusters (on some vines) in the 3' section above the not-so-productive ones near the very bottom. Luckily, blossom clusters have grown again around the 3' to 3.5' foot mark, looking normal and healthy with more clusters forming steadily at much closer intervals from there on up. In previous years, when I grew tomatoes in the ground, it seemed that once the clusters began forming near the bottom, they would continue to form at regular, fairly close intervals from that point on up the vines. I know there can be several reasons blossoms don't form, but I wonder what is most likely. From what I've read elsewhere on the forum, here are a few details that might be pertinent: 1. I used TFF (low nitrogen) fertilizer per recommended instructions early on when I saw the first clusters appear at the bottom, but due to the frequent rain and unseasonably cool weather (well, cool for MO anyway), I discontinued after a few uses because I basically stopped having to water them. The mix, mulched with pine bark, was already quite moist and I was afraid I'd do more harm than good over-watering them by adding a water-based fertilizer. Maybe that was silly, but that's what I did. 2. The container is a 170 Gal galvanized water trough (lots of details elsewhere in another thread here in the container section), and the growing medium is essentially a 2-2-1 ratio of local nursery compost, peat moss, and vermiculite. 3. During the first very significant growth spurt, the weather was hot and sunny, seemingly perfect weather around here for tomatoes to really start growing. The vines grew thick and very quickly. The season is just now really getting into full swing here and they are still growing quickly, with normal foliage, and looking healthy - just very few or no blossom clusters on the lower 3' or so. 4. I've used some DE around the plants and in the mulch several times, some Safer insecticidal soap, as well as a .01% pyrethrin/canola oil spray once or twice for a few aphids and assorted pests, but only on the leaves being careful not to spray any blossoms. There haven't been any serious pest problems since, just the occasional ones I remove manually. 5. Soil PH has been tested 3 times since I planted with my ph meter (good quality, but not professional) and has stayed right around 6.5-ish. 6. No high nitrogen fertilizer was used, except for what nitrogen was in the compost component (it was well aged from a local nursery and it looked like rich black soil - no fresh manure, bad smell or anything odd). I realize the nitrogen level of the compost is somewhat of an X factor, but I've read other people here have grown decent tomato plants with the basic ratios and components I used in my mix. The plants appear to be getting back on track with more closely spaced clusters above the 3'-3.5' mark, so I'm not that worried (except for having to build a much taller trellis). I also plan to start using the TFF again to encourage the blossoms forming higher up on the plant. Still, I wonder if I should have done something differently. Is this normal behavior, given all the wet weather early on and the unknown nitrogen content of the compost? Is there any possible hope that these long cluster-less sections may still grow some blossom clusters from the vines, despite the fact that there are already well developed blossoms further up? That's mostly wishful thinking Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated! I'd love to learn more about how more closely spaced blossom clusters can be achieved, or if what I've got is normal given my container mix and weather conditions. Thanks for any and all responses!