Can I rant a little?

materlvr · May 28, 2011

I live in Southern California, and we have had one heck of a cold winter. I planted my maters on April 10. They are about 3-4 feet tall, thick and lush with NO TOMATOES! It's been between 70-85 in the day, but it's been too dang cold here at night for pollination, rarely above 52-54.!

Normally May is the month we really load up the vines, because summer temps are usually 96+. I'm not going to see tomatoes until August!

Yeah, I know......cry me a river. But, what a dissapoinment.

Boooooooooooooooooooo!

Tom C zone 4/5 · May 28, 2011

After gardening in new england for the past 35 years; night time temperatures above 50°F is cause for a huge drunken party because of the ideal conditions.

Just a guess, lay off the N ferts for a while. A big lush plant with no flowers, sounds like its ODing on nitrogen...

materlvr · May 28, 2011

Tom C zone 4/5,

I've never fertilized not did I plant in Miracle Grow. Just bagged soil with a layer of Growmulch, like always. It been in the 40's at night for much of May, nothing I can do about that.

Not what we Southern Cali's expect........

materlvr · May 28, 2011

Also, they have tons of flowers but they just fall off........

**nctomatoman** · May 28, 2011

that was last year for me - plants loaded with blossoms, few fruit - we had 90s from late May through Sept - prevented good fruit set. Hoping for a better season here for sure in Raleigh NC!

materlvr · May 28, 2011

Me too, Craig!

b54red · May 28, 2011

Try giving the plants a lot of extra water and see if the blossoms will hang on. We have the opposite problem of too much heat causing the blooms to fall off and I have found that heavy watering seems to really help; but when the set fruit get some size you have to cut back or have very mild tasting or split tomatoes.

brokenbar · May 28, 2011

I loved Temecula and usually, you are pretty warm by May. Lots of big Thoroughbred ranches there...Alas, it was the night time temps that caused me so much grief in Wyoming...I figured about 65 actual days that the night temps stayed above 60...I feel your pain!

JoAnne · May 28, 2011

I share your pain materlvr. It rained on us today here in Northern CA and forecast is for overnight temp of 47 degrees F.... Will summer ever arrive???

heirloomdaddy · May 28, 2011

hmm...i'm in Los Angeles and its looking like I'll have my best season yet....ripe fruit by next week. I'm pretty close to you, no?

Our night temps have been fine, as long as it isn't wet, which it hasn't been. I'd lay off the N, as mentioned.

kimpossible · May 29, 2011

Yes ... cry you a river

) .... Where we are in Canada, we plant out 8 week old starts around the end of May and hope frost holds off until mid-Oct if we're lucky. This spring has been SO wet ( almost a month of rain now) and cool ( a few nights ago it was 7C (46F) ... it seems like this spring is a challenge to almost everyone, no matter where you live!

salix · May 29, 2011

Indeed, Kim - we are expecting frost again tonight and possibly tomorrow night. I am getting so tired of carrying everything in and out of the garage, morning and night. Actually, I have been able to leave most things out for a grand total of four nights so far (I don't trust the "weather guessers" if they forecast 5C or lower). And we have been known to get frost (several degrees of) in EVERY month of the year...

Irv Wiseguy · May 29, 2011

I'm in Ventura County and it has been on the cool side here too; mid to upper 40s at night and upper 60s to mid 70s during the day. Our tomatoes were transplanted about 6 weeks ago so we only have a few baby tomatoes and a lot of flower buds, with a bunch of flowers now opening the past few days. I haven't seen any blossom drop yet. We're still several weeks away from our first ripe tomato.

This morning it's cold again (about 50°), windy and misty. Not great beach weather for Memorial Day.

Irv

feldon30 · May 29, 2011

I don't suppose you've got some row cover or some cloth you can put over the plants? It would help keep the warmth during the evenings so inside the cages it be in the 50's.

Sun City Linda · May 29, 2011

Hi Materlvr, cant remember, is it Jeanie or Janie? I have pretty good fruit set and my nights are at least as cold or colder. I planted out March 15 (Ouch!) I shook the blossoms everytime I could, sprayed with some hormone stuff for fruit set several weeks aqo and also gave everybody some "snack" My BW Suddath has A DOZEN greenies!

I am off the ground in large containers though, I think you are in the ground? Colder down there.... Some of the stuff I planted later is just starting to set. NOT our typical Spring! Linda

May 28, 2011	#1
materlvr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Temecula, CA Zone 9b Posts: 181	Can I rant a little? I live in Southern California, and we have had one heck of a cold winter. I planted my maters on April 10. They are about 3-4 feet tall, thick and lush with NO TOMATOES! It's been between 70-85 in the day, but it's been too dang cold here at night for pollination, rarely above 52-54.! Normally May is the month we really load up the vines, because summer temps are usually 96+. I'm not going to see tomatoes until August! Yeah, I know......cry me a river. But, what a dissapoinment. Boooooooooooooooooooo!

May 28, 2011	#2
Tom C zone 4/5 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: SE Ohio Posts: 253	After gardening in new england for the past 35 years; night time temperatures above 50°F is cause for a huge drunken party because of the ideal conditions. Just a guess, lay off the N ferts for a while. A big lush plant with no flowers, sounds like its ODing on nitrogen... __________________ Beyond the mountains, there are more mountains.

May 28, 2011	#5
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	that was last year for me - plants loaded with blossoms, few fruit - we had 90s from late May through Sept - prevented good fruit set. Hoping for a better season here for sure in Raleigh NC! __________________ Craig

May 28, 2011	#8
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	I loved Temecula and usually, you are pretty warm by May. Lots of big Thoroughbred ranches there...Alas, it was the night time temps that caused me so much grief in Wyoming...I figured about 65 actual days that the night temps stayed above 60...I feel your pain! __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time."

May 29, 2011	#11
kimpossible Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Z5b SW Ont Canada Posts: 767	Yes ... cry you a river ) .... Where we are in Canada, we plant out 8 week old starts around the end of May and hope frost holds off until mid-Oct if we're lucky. This spring has been SO wet ( almost a month of rain now) and cool ( a few nights ago it was 7C (46F) ... it seems like this spring is a challenge to almost everyone, no matter where you live! __________________ *So Many Tomatoes ... So Little Time*

May 28, 2011	#7
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Try giving the plants a lot of extra water and see if the blossoms will hang on. We have the opposite problem of too much heat causing the blooms to fall off and I have found that heavy watering seems to really help; but when the set fruit get some size you have to cut back or have very mild tasting or split tomatoes.

May 28, 2011	#9
JoAnne Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 69	I share your pain materlvr. It rained on us today here in Northern CA and forecast is for overnight temp of 47 degrees F.... Will summer ever arrive???

May 28, 2011	#10
heirloomdaddy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Los Angeles Z10 Posts: 291	hmm...i'm in Los Angeles and its looking like I'll have my best season yet....ripe fruit by next week. I'm pretty close to you, no? Our night temps have been fine, as long as it isn't wet, which it hasn't been. I'd lay off the N, as mentioned.

May 29, 2011	#12
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Indeed, Kim - we are expecting frost again tonight and possibly tomorrow night. I am getting so tired of carrying everything in and out of the garage, morning and night. Actually, I have been able to leave most things out for a grand total of four nights so far (I don't trust the "weather guessers" if they forecast 5C or lower). And we have been known to get frost (several degrees of) in EVERY month of the year...

May 29, 2011	#13
Irv Wiseguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA Posts: 281	I'm in Ventura County and it has been on the cool side here too; mid to upper 40s at night and upper 60s to mid 70s during the day. Our tomatoes were transplanted about 6 weeks ago so we only have a few baby tomatoes and a lot of flower buds, with a bunch of flowers now opening the past few days. I haven't seen any blossom drop yet. We're still several weeks away from our first ripe tomato. This morning it's cold again (about 50°), windy and misty. Not great beach weather for Memorial Day. Irv

May 29, 2011	#14
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I don't suppose you've got some row cover or some cloth you can put over the plants? It would help keep the warmth during the evenings so inside the cages it be in the 50's. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

May 29, 2011	#15
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Hi Materlvr, cant remember, is it Jeanie or Janie? I have pretty good fruit set and my nights are at least as cold or colder. I planted out March 15 (Ouch!) I shook the blossoms everytime I could, sprayed with some hormone stuff for fruit set several weeks aqo and also gave everybody some "snack" My BW Suddath has A DOZEN greenies! I am off the ground in large containers though, I think you are in the ground? Colder down there.... Some of the stuff I planted later is just starting to set. NOT our typical Spring! Linda