out of control!

[rtvvvv]

the plants escaped through the roof vents and grew like crazy down the roof and sides. One interesting thing i discovered was that the tomatoes that grew outside the GH on the sun side are at least 3 times the size of those on the inside off the same plant! They are WAY bigger than i have ever gotten from the same plant type grown in the GH or outside. not sure why.. would the direct sun on the fruit and close leaves make that much difference on them? Never thought i'd need a ladder to pick Toms!

[Carriehelene]

WOW. We need a bug-eyed emoji lol.

[Worth1]

Weren't you going to take the roof panels off some time ago?

Worth

[ddsack]

Love the picture of the tomatoes coming through the roof!

I think the extreme summertime heat inside the greenhouse would have a lot to do with the smaller fruit inside. I seem to remember that people who grow giant tomatoes for competition want them to grow relatively slowly in moderate temps to slow down maturity in order to pack on more size. The tomatoes that have escaped through the vent have the benefit of warm roots inside, but cooler air movement for blossom setting and fruit growing outside. At least that's my theory!

[bower]

I've seen the same thing myself... Not! out the top of the roof which is AMAZING but bigger fruit outdoors. I do think the intense heat inside may have something to do with it, but mostly I blame it on bee pollination outside! Yep every bit pollinated and maximum sized fruit.

That's my theory!

[ContainerTed]

Bower, you DO remember that tomatoes pollinate themselves? The reason that the fruit outside is larger is because the leaf trusses that are closest to that fruit are the main ones to put energy into that fruit. They get more direct sunlight and therefore the fruit are larger, etc.

[clara]

We had a crazy hot summer in Germany and most of my tomatoes (grown outside) were smaller than I had expected. Now that the heat is gone since a few weeks, I get the fruit size that corresponds to the descriptions. I assume it's the same in your greenhouse - too hot there, but better outside.

It's funny that the different fruit sizes also appear with my hot peppers - the first ripe ones were only a quarter or even a fifth of those which are ripening now. The first Chocolate Habaneros and Ghost Chilis were only about half an inch (cute but hot though), now they have "normal" size.

[bower]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

Bower, you DO remember that tomatoes pollinate themselves? The reason that the fruit outside is larger is because the leaf trusses that are closest to that fruit are the main ones to put energy into that fruit. They get more direct sunlight and therefore the fruit are larger, etc.

You could be right about the extra sunshine! But I think the tomatoes that get a better shaking also self-pollinate better, whether by wind, bees or whatever buzzed em. Outdoor fruit get the best shaking for sure and there's less humidity so the pollen doesn't clump or fail to pollinate in any way, I thought. A reason to be plumper.

I had some bees in my greenhouse this year. I saw a couple of different coloured halictid bees (aka sweat bees) that must have come in with the compost. And I saw a rather huge carpenter bee of some kind that escaped from my welcoming Jar of Exodus by digging into the gravel instead of flying away. After that I kept finding a flower now and then with the side chewed right out of it! I submit a picture of the bee damaged fruit from the flowers I saw ravaged and think by the sneaky bee.
Anyways, in trying to get a few seeds that weren't cross pollinated, I did go for the fruit that were 'typical' shape, not especially large and full nor lopsided as I thought they were my best choice.
One thing I also noticed, though, is that there some plants won't make very large fruit if they don't get direct sun on the area, as you said, the leaf above that nourishes that fruit cluster. So that is a very good reason for big fruit spilling out the roof!

[ContainerTed]

Bower, I walk thru my garden shaking blooms all the time.

And, it took a while, but now I've finally made a blossom shaker out of my brother.

[bower]

Well, Clara's experience certainly says that heat is a cause of smaller fruit - whether bees or shaking or not. Perhaps it's the effect on pollen, that loses viability over 92 F. I've also seen small fruit with fewer and smaller seeds in a very hot summer - maybe just enough pollination to set but the unpollinated ovules don't swell.

I had a fruit with ruffles this summer called Yellow Clusters, one of them was so puffed it didn't look ruffled at all. I suspected the bee.
We never have to shake outdoors, it's all we can do to keep the plants from blowing away. But in the greenhouse, well they all get a fair shake from me, while singing the little bee song and telling tall tales to my plants that I am myself the bees.