New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.
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June 28, 2013 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: kansas
Posts: 158
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Tomato blossoms
Whats wrong with this picture.
How come these flowers don't open up all the way so they can be fertilized |
June 28, 2013 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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This is not a regular blossom. Normal tomato blooms have 5 or six petals. you have here what is known as a megabloom, pretty common on heirloom beefsteak plants especially early in the season for some reason. I have noticed quite a few this year and not as many other years I think it may have something to so with the weather.
It will pollinate itself as will all tomato blossoms. to help it along, you can vibrate the stem with an electric toothbrush to help it be more completely pollinated. some people remove these compound blossoms as they do tend to create large misshapen abnormal tomatoes but I leave them to see what they will do. sometimes you will get a really big tomato from a compound blossom Karen O |
June 28, 2013 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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there is a thread I started a little while ago called "2013 the year of the megabloom?" for more info and other photographs
KO |
June 28, 2013 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: kansas
Posts: 158
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much thanks Karen, will check it out
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