Disease Help Please! - Page 2

z_willus_d · June 14, 2011

Dice, again thanks for the information and thoughts. Aminopyralid, yet another thing to worry about. I just installed soaker drip runs for the beds, and I aim to provide a very thorough, deep watering on a weekly basis. The buds continue to dry and drop, and now with 90+ degree heat I start to worry the temperature pendulum might have swung too far the other way; but I know 90 is nothing in Sacramento and should be tolerated fairly well.

My beds only see 6 hours of direct light a day, which I suspect may also have something to do with the slow fruit set. A couple days back I tried spraying some of the Bonide "Tomato & Blossom Set Spray" hormone product. I've not seen any improvement, so my inclination is to scream gimmick.

I've heard the goodness of rabbit and llama droppings for burn-free soil amending, however neither is so readily available here as is the horse variety. I'll certainly be more careful next season with what I choose to enhance my soil. I'll probably aim to go 100% worm-casting from my year of composting-vermiculturing - that with a little fish emulsion and various other organic/natural amendments, such as bone meal and kelp.

For now, I'll keep waiting for a viable fruit (other than cherry kind).

tam91 · June 14, 2011

Thank you Dice. Hmm, I'd have to run over to the farm a month ahead I guess, and bring some home to test. Why not I guess - good info.

dice · June 14, 2011

Premature blossom drop is usually high temperature and/or high humidity
related. Blossoms will simply drop if they have not been pollenated, too.
The pollen forms on the inside of anthers in the flower and drops onto the
pistil, and wind is often all that you need for this. Bees and other insects
also vibrate the flowers and enable pollenation.

One thing people do to increase pollenation is to vibrate the blossom
clusters themselves, by shaking a tomato cage or stake, or applying
something like an electric toothbrush to the stem of a flower cluster.
In optimum weather (not too hot, not too cool), this should be done
between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. In really hot weather, it is better to
do it early in the morning (before the heat can denature pollen that
has formed on the anthers overnight).

June 14, 2011	#17
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	Thank you Dice. Hmm, I'd have to run over to the farm a month ahead I guess, and bring some home to test. Why not I guess - good info. __________________ Tracy

June 14, 2011	#18
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Premature blossom drop is usually high temperature and/or high humidity related. Blossoms will simply drop if they have not been pollenated, too. The pollen forms on the inside of anthers in the flower and drops onto the pistil, and wind is often all that you need for this. Bees and other insects also vibrate the flowers and enable pollenation. One thing people do to increase pollenation is to vibrate the blossom clusters themselves, by shaking a tomato cage or stake, or applying something like an electric toothbrush to the stem of a flower cluster. In optimum weather (not too hot, not too cool), this should be done between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. In really hot weather, it is better to do it early in the morning (before the heat can denature pollen that has formed on the anthers overnight). __________________ -- alias

June 14, 2011	#16
z_willus_d Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Eastern Suburb of Sacramento, CA Posts: 1,313	Dice, again thanks for the information and thoughts. Aminopyralid, yet another thing to worry about. I just installed soaker drip runs for the beds, and I aim to provide a very thorough, deep watering on a weekly basis. The buds continue to dry and drop, and now with 90+ degree heat I start to worry the temperature pendulum might have swung too far the other way; but I know 90 is nothing in Sacramento and should be tolerated fairly well. My beds only see 6 hours of direct light a day, which I suspect may also have something to do with the slow fruit set. A couple days back I tried spraying some of the Bonide "Tomato & Blossom Set Spray" hormone product. I've not seen any improvement, so my inclination is to scream gimmick. I've heard the goodness of rabbit and llama droppings for burn-free soil amending, however neither is so readily available here as is the horse variety. I'll certainly be more careful next season with what I choose to enhance my soil. I'll probably aim to go 100% worm-casting from my year of composting-vermiculturing - that with a little fish emulsion and various other organic/natural amendments, such as bone meal and kelp. For now, I'll keep waiting for a viable fruit (other than cherry kind).