Amazing. 2010 - planted late May. 200 plants, 140 no fruit.

[nctomatoman]

This year, I get most things planted first week of May. Around 150 plants - fruit set on virtually everything. We are getting some 90 plus degree days. some theories:

Planting earlier, even though the day time gets hot, the ground hasn't yet absorbed so much heat, so night times cool off enough.

Despite the heat, humidity is lower. So pollen isn't clumping as much.

Because we aren't getting much rain, there is essentially no foliage disease at all (yet) - and I don't spray at all with anything. Healthier plants, better fruit set?

Because I am out of work, I am spending much more time watering, feeding, pruning, removing any suspicious foliage. Better care = better performance.

It is early yet, the plants still have to mature the fruit, heat is on the way - but I have to say I am encouraged. We may actually get to do some canning!

Update on the small pot extreme prune indeterminates - most plants have set fruit on at least two trusses, so I've begun the process of topping (which is painful for me!). I am also limiting my tall growing indeterminates to 2-3 main stems - haven't done this in years. amazed at how some varieties (Cherokees, Brandywine) try to sneak out suckers as soon as you turn your back!

Some pics here

http://nctomatoman.weebly.com/1/post...few-below.html

Can you tell I am excited about this season???!!!

NOTE - edited to address Raybo's question. Very few if any bees in the tomato patch this year so far (they are all in the salvia and our flowers) - last year the driveway was humming with buzzing bees. So that's not a factor. Good point, tho!

[rnewste]

Craig,

One thing you did not note were the relative number of bees in your plants this year. Up until this week, the bee population in my garden has been about 10% of what I would consider "normal" for early June.

I realize that bees don't actually pollinate tomatoes - - but their vibrations do. No bees = No vibrations = No fruitset.

Raybo

[mdvpc]

Very healthy looking plants, Craig!

[Duh_Vinci]

Good looking plants indeed, and impressed by the neatness of your organization!

Originally Posted by nctomatoman

...I am spending much more time watering, feeding, pruning, removing any suspicious foliage. Better care = better performance.

That is something I absolutely agree with you on! I always find myself trying to find the time to do that, and when I do, results are very evident.

This year has been a little tough on time, spent 5 months buried in the books to study for a major medical exam, so the "time" is not something I've been able to allocate to the main garden (other than the basics). Results - huge, bushy plants with suckers set that is absolutely insane.

On the other hand, 6 container plants I've set in mid April, I did prune and attended frequently, late planted dwarfs, same thing, kept them fed, tidy properly. Result - all the early container tomatoes have been giving us fruit since May 15th, still loaded with fruit and flowers. The seven dwarfs on the deck looking amazing, and all set the fruits as well!

Now that I'm done with exam, and able to "breath" again, I look forward to keeping the late plantings neat and trimmed!

Regards,
D

[Ruth_10]

I have the time to tend my tomatoes, but the soil is too darn wet to be walking around in the garden. By this time of year I should have had my mulch on the tomato patch (newspaper topped with straw), but the rain keeps coming.

That said, the plants look better than I would have expected given the weather. I have fruit set on most of the plants, for which I'm thankful. We're now into heavy humidity and 90s daytime temps, without a whole lot of cooling off at night, so I'm not holding my breath for new fruit set to happen.

[Goldie]

Very nice plants Craig! Please keep us posted on which ones keep setting fruit when day and night temps get higher. The new Dwarves are already on my want list for next year.

[sprtsguy76]

Looking very nice Craig! Man you got your hands full, good thing your retired, lol. Are you at all concerned about the driveway/concrete getting too hot? Just a thought but it might be worth tucking some 1" wood slats or something under each container.

Damon

[nctomatoman]

Hey Damon - I've been doing it this way since 2006, and it's been OK - though I can't guarantee that the plants aren't happy with their feet so hot! Would mean a lot of wood...I am just going to go with what I've got at the moment.

I did some up with an idea on the grow bags - get some landscaping border wood - RR ties type of thing, heavy, about 6 inches square - and lay them on both sides of the grow bags to anchor the base.....just pondering - would mean purchase of a lot of heavy wood.

[BigdaddyJ]

Great pics Craig! I planted 28 varieties in the ground around April 25. Only Liz Birt, Terhune, Rainey's Maltese, Cowlicks and Claude Brown Yellow Giant haven't set a single fruit. Yet other varieries like Orange Minsk have set maybe 30/35 fruit per plant already! Every season is different. Good thing too because it tweaks interest. And I always come up with more questions than answers...;-)

[tnpeppers]

Love the pics of your 'garden'...I grow in containers (Earth Boxes, Smart Pots, pastry buckets...whatever is handy), which enable me to move my young plants around during whacky New England spring weather (90's one week, 40's the next), and I am interested in the photos of your tomatoes. What size pots are you growing those tomatoes in? They look like they range from 3 to 10 gallons, but my eyes aren't the best.

[nctomatoman]

Hey tnpeppers - indeterminate tomatoes I am growing to full height get 10 or 15 gallon pots, dwarf varieties get 5 gallon grow bags, indeterminates that I am pruning to the extreme get 3 gallon or so - sweet peppers get 5 gallon bags, as do eggplant; hot peppers for my project are in 1 gallon, and other hot peppers are 2 plants per 5 gallon. At this point everyone seems happy enough!

[tnpeppers]

Thanks! I have indeterminates in 10-gallon containers, so I feel pretty good about that choice. Several told me I was wasting my time with anything smaller than a 20-gallon; although I did stick a sungold in a twenty-gallon smart pot that the company sent me as a 'freebie'...let's see what happens. Two sweet peppers in 10-gallons sounds like it is going to work out, as well. I have always done well with hot peppers in 3-gallon pots...loads of scotch bonnets and habaneros...