Beautiful plants but very few tomatoes....

mecktom · July 15, 2012

I have a neighbor who asked me a question and thought I would pass it along here. He has lush tomato plants in two different garden plots. One of the plots is producing a lot of nice tomatoes but the other has yet to produce any. Both are the same variety and were planted the same time. The plants in both gardens are approximately 6 feet tall and as I said before, they are beautiful. The plot which has not produced has a very few small green tomatoes on some plants....also, there are not many blossoms. The garden plots are about one tenth of a mile apart. Any ideas what ids going on? Thanks in advance.

Sun City Linda · July 15, 2012

An abundance of green growth and shortage of fruit is generally associated with too much nitrogen. Ask your friend about his fertilizer.

kath · July 15, 2012

Is the amount of sun the same in both plots?

mecktom · July 15, 2012

Both plots are basically in full sun. He uses only MG and said he did add cal nitrite to both places.

PA_Julia · July 15, 2012

It really does sound like the typical issue of too much nitrogen.

Too much nitrogen results in fantastic deep green full foliage plants that tend to become very tall but produce very few blooms and as a result very few tomatoes.

Was the plant in question a runt at the beginning of the season?
If so perhaps he has been giving this plant extra attention concerning the amount of Miracle Grow he has given it comparatively to the other plant/s in his garden.

Just a thought.

Julia

b54red · July 17, 2012

He may need to do some pruning to start the production going on some tomatoes. Sometimes cutting out some of the lush growth and limiting the stems will increase fruit set.

ca1ore · July 18, 2012

I'm experiencing something similar this year. Most of my plants are spectacular this year - over 9 feet tall with no significant signs of disease. Problem is, no sign of flowers or tomatoes on a few of them either. I've been careful not to over fertilize with nitrogen, and while many of may plants are not in a spot that get an ideal amount of sun, there is typically enought to get a decent yeld of each plant.

So far, the offenders are Virginia Sweets and Pineapple. I've not grown either of these varieties before - perhaps they are just not good producers?

Tapout · July 18, 2012

http://greenhouse.kenyon.edu/trouble... but no blooms

just one of a billion cites

Father'sDaughter · July 18, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ca1ore

I'm experiencing something similar this year. Most of my plants are spectacular this year - over 9 feet tall with no significant signs of disease. Problem is, no sign of flowers or tomatoes on a few of them either. I've been careful not to over fertilize with nitrogen, and while many of may plants are not in a spot that get an ideal amount of sun, there is typically enought to get a decent yeld of each plant.

So far, the offenders are Virginia Sweets and Pineapple. I've not grown either of these varieties before - perhaps they are just not good producers?

I'm growing Virginia Sweets for the first time this year as well. I only have three tomatoes between two plants, and those three set much later than almost all my other varieties. They were my bonus seeds with my order from Tomato Grower's Supply, and the good reviews here and the fact that were a bi-color intrigued me enough to make room for two plants. I'm really hoping they kick up production now that our heat wave seems to be winding down.

Sun City Linda · July 18, 2012

Tomatillo - Why dont you just go ahead and spill your position, which is obvioulsy different than what we have all heard all our lives about too much N and too few maters. C'mon, we can hardly stand the suspense......

markd42 · July 18, 2012

Interesting about the Virginia Sweets. I also got it as the bonus seed last year and they produced like crazy. THis year, I have 14 plants and they are the runts of the litter; fairly healthy but smaller than my other varieties and also with few fruit, while all other varieties have huge fruit set.

Sun City Linda · July 19, 2012

Tomatillo - Thank you for your post. I have been on the forums a little longer than you and have seen the scenerio where someone tries to back a poster into a position and then nails them. I thought (incorrectly) that was what was happening.

Nothing wrong with giving your opinion here. We all have them. Some good, some not so good. Opinions, based on many years of growing tomatoes are very valuable to me. Opinions based on a single study......not so much!

TVille is the BEST gardening forum, hands down. I have really learned a lot here and so will you!

Worth1 · July 19, 2012

Tomatillo come on in with guns ablazing.

But let your targets be sure and your aim true.

Any gun slinger knows the first shots are the most important in any gun fight.

I have seen too much N make big beautiful plants loaded with tomatoes and I have seen the opposite.

I just don't know.

Worth

lakelady · July 19, 2012

TLT, I would just like to add another thought for your friend. Well, more of a true scenario going on in my own yard. I have two Legend plants, and I basically planted them as "insurance" in case LB struck (I know, silly reason, I had no idea if I'd even like them!). Well anyhow, one plant is producing fewer tomatoes, but much much larger, and the other plant is producing more tomatoes, but much smaller. They are both caged, both were trimmed to 3 main stems for as long as I could continue to prune in those cages. I haven't understood why or how they are different, same seed packet from same vendor. I often wonder of all the complicated genetics that go into those little tiny seeds and how one might be the "little engine that could" and the other could be a couch potato so to speak. For sure blossom drop in the exhaustive heat wave many of us have had is making a big impact on the garden, but now with the cooler temps coming (or at least today it feels that way), the flowers are popping like crazy again so hopefully there will be a late harvest and a good one at that.

I hope your friend's tomatoes recover and bring him lots of fruit!

Tapout · July 20, 2012

The negative effects of to much N P K have been studied quite a lot. I didn't realize that Kenyon University was a bad cite for you maybe The University of Florida has something that might interest you. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/cv236

July 15, 2012	#1
mecktom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Southern Virginia Posts: 342	Beautiful plants but very few tomatoes.... I have a neighbor who asked me a question and thought I would pass it along here. He has lush tomato plants in two different garden plots. One of the plots is producing a lot of nice tomatoes but the other has yet to produce any. Both are the same variety and were planted the same time. The plants in both gardens are approximately 6 feet tall and as I said before, they are beautiful. The plot which has not produced has a very few small green tomatoes on some plants....also, there are not many blossoms. The garden plots are about one tenth of a mile apart. Any ideas what ids going on? Thanks in advance.

July 15, 2012	#5
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	It really does sound like the typical issue of too much nitrogen. Too much nitrogen results in fantastic deep green full foliage plants that tend to become very tall but produce very few blooms and as a result very few tomatoes. Was the plant in question a runt at the beginning of the season? If so perhaps he has been giving this plant extra attention concerning the amount of Miracle Grow he has given it comparatively to the other plant/s in his garden. Just a thought. Julia __________________ Personal Best- 4.46 LB Big Zac 2013

July 19, 2012	#14
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	TLT, I would just like to add another thought for your friend. Well, more of a true scenario going on in my own yard. I have two Legend plants, and I basically planted them as "insurance" in case LB struck (I know, silly reason, I had no idea if I'd even like them!). Well anyhow, one plant is producing fewer tomatoes, but much much larger, and the other plant is producing more tomatoes, but much smaller. They are both caged, both were trimmed to 3 main stems for as long as I could continue to prune in those cages. I haven't understood why or how they are different, same seed packet from same vendor. I often wonder of all the complicated genetics that go into those little tiny seeds and how one might be the "little engine that could" and the other could be a couch potato so to speak. For sure blossom drop in the exhaustive heat wave many of us have had is making a big impact on the garden, but now with the cooler temps coming (or at least today it feels that way), the flowers are popping like crazy again so hopefully there will be a late harvest and a good one at that. I hope your friend's tomatoes recover and bring him lots of fruit! __________________ Antoniette

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July 15, 2012	#2
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	An abundance of green growth and shortage of fruit is generally associated with too much nitrogen. Ask your friend about his fertilizer.

July 15, 2012	#3
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Is the amount of sun the same in both plots?

July 17, 2012	#6
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	He may need to do some pruning to start the production going on some tomatoes. Sometimes cutting out some of the lush growth and limiting the stems will increase fruit set.

July 18, 2012	#7
ca1ore Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 13	I'm experiencing something similar this year. Most of my plants are spectacular this year - over 9 feet tall with no significant signs of disease. Problem is, no sign of flowers or tomatoes on a few of them either. I've been careful not to over fertilize with nitrogen, and while many of may plants are not in a spot that get an ideal amount of sun, there is typically enought to get a decent yeld of each plant. So far, the offenders are Virginia Sweets and Pineapple. I've not grown either of these varieties before - perhaps they are just not good producers?

July 18, 2012	#8
Tapout Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 355	http://greenhouse.kenyon.edu/trouble... but no blooms just one of a billion cites

July 18, 2012	#11
markd42 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: New York Posts: 60	Interesting about the Virginia Sweets. I also got it as the bonus seed last year and they produced like crazy. THis year, I have 14 plants and they are the runts of the litter; fairly healthy but smaller than my other varieties and also with few fruit, while all other varieties have huge fruit set.

July 19, 2012	#13
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Tomatillo come on in with guns ablazing. But let your targets be sure and your aim true. Any gun slinger knows the first shots are the most important in any gun fight. I have seen too much N make big beautiful plants loaded with tomatoes and I have seen the opposite. I just don't know. Worth

July 20, 2012	#15
Tapout Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 355	The negative effects of to much N P K have been studied quite a lot. I didn't realize that Kenyon University was a bad cite for you maybe The University of Florida has something that might interest you. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/cv236