Hoy

[cloz]

I gave the 3 Hoy I planted in my garden the prime spot for sunshine. The one on the right looks like it has a touch of sunburn but they are doing fine and are currently the fastest growers in the garden. They are planted with 2' spacing. I know greater spacing is better, but I have too many varieties I want to plant and only so much space, so 2' will have to do.

[cloz]

Hoy are growing like crazy. They are the biggest plants in my garden. They are blooming but no fruit set yet.

[tuk50]

My first Megabloom of the season and it is on the Hoy Tomato plant. I planted it about 3weeks ago for a fall crop and I hope it sets this Megabloom.

[cloz]

I wish you luck! I have 3 Hoy's in my garden. 2 are 6' tall, very stingy on flower clusters and only one tomato set between the 2 plants. The third plant that is about 4' tall has 4 tomatoes set at the moment. I hope things change for the better becuse for their size, they are not very impressive with the number of flower clusters or fruit set. I have 2 Paul Robeson's right next to them that are about 4' tall with many fruits set. I have an Azoychka that has over 20 fruits set and is loaded with blooms. Anna Russian and Granny's Heart are also both setting a lot of fruit. Hopefully the Hoy are "late bloomers" and will catch up on fruit set.

Originally Posted by tuk50

My first Megabloom of the season and it is on the Hoy Tomato plant. I planted it about 3weeks ago for a fall crop and I hope it sets this Megabloom.

That's a nice mega-bloom Tuk.

[tuk50]

Its been so stinking HOT! I hope it will set... I put a shade cloth over the plant this morning and more mulch and then watered it well so maybe the evaporation will help keep it cool enough to set... Some of the giant tomato plants are still setting in the middle, but most are just dropping off now and until our temps drop back below 100... In any case, I am really happy about finally getting a megabloom, its been a few years since I've got one in my garden....

[cloz]

Here is a developing tomato on one of my 3 Hoy's. 2 of my plants are now about 8' tall and the third is about 6'. There are now a total of 8 fruit set between all 3 plants. What worries me is that upon close inspection I find that there are many blooms that appear to have set and formed a bb to pea sized tomato and then just stopped growing. If all of those had grown out There would be lots of tomatoes on my plants. Currently there are lots of blooms at the top of the plants and I hope they set some more fruit. The plants are going to have to start growing down now or I would need some huge stakes and a ladder to get at them.

Originally Posted by cloz

Here is a developing tomato on one of my 3 Hoy's. 2 of my plants are now about 8' tall and the third is about 6'. There are now a total of 8 fruit set between all 3 plants. What worries me is that upon close inspection I find that there are many blooms that appear to have set and formed a bb to pea sized tomato and then just stopped growing. If all of those had grown out There would be lots of tomatoes on my plants. Currently there are lots of blooms at the top of the plants and I hope they set some more fruit. The plants are going to have to start growing down now or I would need some huge stakes and a ladder to get at them.

Very cool Cloz. I will post the progress of my three Hoy plants as soon as I go out to the farm tomorrow. All I have here in town is a clone that is about 2 feet + tall.


It looks like SOMEBODY needs to do some weeding.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by cloz

Here is a developing tomato on one of my 3 Hoy's. 2 of my plants are now about 8' tall and the third is about 6'. There are now a total of 8 fruit set between all 3 plants. What worries me is that upon close inspection I find that there are many blooms that appear to have set and formed a bb to pea sized tomato and then just stopped growing. If all of those had grown out There would be lots of tomatoes on my plants. Currently there are lots of blooms at the top of the plants and I hope they set some more fruit. The plants are going to have to start growing down now or I would need some huge stakes and a ladder to get at them.

Sounds like fruit abortion with the peasized ones:

(An unusually heavy fruit set on young plants is another reason for blossom drop. Strong competition by
developing fruits for existing food reserves within small or weak plants limits the energy available to the new flowers.
Although the plant may set blossoms initially, its poor condition may not withstand the increased competition for food
and many blossoms and fruit will abort. Those left will not develop or grow properly. Once fruit is picked. the plant can
redirect its energy and grow. A sufficient supply of food will be directed to the flowers and blossoms will then set
again.)

From the link;

http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications...her/fs8860.pdf

And although desert conditions are being talked about other links via Google don't necessarily apply to just desert areas. Reading a couple of them it sounds more like temp problems.

And yes, I've seen the same thing happen with wee fruits that have set and then eventually just drop off.

[cloz]

WillysWoodPile:
I see you are located in Kalamazoo. My mother had a cousin who had a pig farm there a long time ago. I visited there in 1964 but the only thing I remember about it are the fields where they let the pigs roam and the small corn silos. She also had cousins and an aunt up in Iron Mountain. I remember going fishing there and not catching any fish.
I will be interested to hear how your Hoy are doing with setting fruit. I have 2 Granny's Heart on one side of the Hoy and 2 Paul Robeson's on the other side and they are both loading up with fruit, so I don't think it is the location that's the problem. Maybe the Hoy just doesn't like Connecticut.

[cloz]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Sounds like fruit abortion with the peasized ones:

(An unusually heavy fruit set on young plants is another reason for blossom drop. Strong competition by
developing fruits for existing food reserves within small or weak plants limits the energy available to the new flowers.
Although the plant may set blossoms initially, its poor condition may not withstand the increased competition for food
and many blossoms and fruit will abort. Those left will not develop or grow properly. Once fruit is picked. the plant can
redirect its energy and grow. A sufficient supply of food will be directed to the flowers and blossoms will then set
again.)

From the link;

http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications...her/fs8860.pdf

And although desert conditions are being talked about other links via Google don't necessarily apply to just desert areas. Reading a couple of them it sounds more like temp problems.

And yes, I've seen the same thing happen with wee fruits that have set and then eventually just drop off.

Thank You for the info Carolyn.
This does not seem to be a case of week plants. The Hoy are the largest, strongest plants in my garden (83 plants). They also set very few blossoms until the plants got over 6' tall. As I said above, the Granny's Heart on one side and Paul Robeson on the other side have both set lots of tomatoes during the same time.

[coloken]

It's really too early for me to post a report cause I was late with my 5 plants. Just to say they out grew most others and tend to be very tall with flowers at the top just now trying to set under very bad conditions. I am waiting for more reports to come in.
KennyP

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by cloz

Thank You for the info Carolyn.
This does not seem to be a case of week plants. The Hoy are the largest, strongest plants in my garden (83 plants). They also set very few blossoms until the plants got over 6' tall. As I said above, the Granny's Heart on one side and Paul Robeson on the other side have both set lots of tomatoes during the same time.

Yes, I know that you said that your other plants were doing OK which is why I added that when I read some of the other links about fruit abortion they didn't always refer to desert conditions as the one I linked to did, and it seems that temps can also cause, as we know, blossom drop, but also fruit abortion.

Now why Hoy and not the others? Some varieties have pollen that's more sensitive to temps and humidity than others. And that may be true for Hoy as grown by you right now where you grow your tomatoes.

Others may be having a difference experience based on where they grow their Hoy plants now, this season.

I can't get out there with my walker to check mine, and actually never go with my walker between those gro=bags, but wouldn't go out in that steamy cauldron called air anyway. And besides, I want to go watch the tennis semi-finals on TV from GA.

[cloz]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Now why Hoy and not the others? Some varieties have pollen that's more sensitive to temps and humidity than others. And that may be true for Hoy as grown by you right now where you grow your tomatoes.

Others may be having a difference experience based on where they grow their Hoy plants now, this season.

This may very well be true. The fruit that have set recently have happened during the recent hot muggy weather. Maybe Hoy prefer warm muggy weather? At least I will get seeds for future planting.

[fortyonenorth]

I just picked my first Hoys. 28 oz. and 30 oz. - the biggest tomatoes in the garden this year. Plant habit and fruit set seem to be similar to that noted above: big, tall, relatively disease free plant, very late fruit set and DTM - 100 days + for me. Haven't tasted yet, but they sure are beautiful.