hoop house tomatoes set blooms but no fruit yet

sfulwood · April 18, 2012

i started Rutgers and Brandywine from seeds indoors, the planted into my nominally heated hoop house in feb. i transplanted half into my garden in mid march ( i live in south west tenn.) the tomatoes in the hoop house are 2 or 3 times bigger than the ones i transplanted out into the garden; and absolutely loaded with blooms. Yet my first green tomato showed today 4/18/12 on one of the much smaller plants in the garden.

any ideas on what gives?

thanks for any input.

i'm new to the forum and love all the experience and insight!

janezee · April 18, 2012

Were you shaking the tomatoes in the hoophouse, either manually or with a fan?

sfulwood · April 18, 2012

Janezee...great question, get's to pollination. I have not shaken (or stirred) either the hoop house siblings or those in the field. I have had a fan running in the hoop house 24/7.

Keiththibodeaux · April 18, 2012

Either generate some breeze or input some bees. Hey, that rhymed, lol.

janezee · April 19, 2012

Sounds like you need pollination. You could use an electric toothbrush, or just shake each bush every day. Those guys need some action!!!!!

sfulwood · April 19, 2012

i agree it sounds like a pollination issue....one more "yeah but" and i'll go shake the suckers; it has been such an early spring and so warm that i have had the sides rolled up on the hoop house and the plants have been cosseted by the wind just like those in the field.

kath · April 19, 2012

I only have 7 plants in the greenhouse but I give all the open blossoms the Sonicare treatment at least once a day and have had every blossom set a fruit so far.

sfulwood · April 19, 2012

what exactly do you do with the electric toothbrush?

kath · April 19, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfulwood

what exactly do you do with the electric toothbrush?

If you google "brush pollination with electric toothbrush" you'll see various methods used. The Sonicare that I have is used without the brush. I just touch the metal piece that vibrates to the flower stem when it's opened enough and look for the pollen to come out in a stream.

Heritage · April 19, 2012

sfulwood,

Also, however you choose to vibrate the trusses I would do it around noon, when the humidity is the lowest.

Steve

April 18, 2012	#1
sfulwood Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: eastview, tn Posts: 28	hoop house tomatoes set blooms but no fruit yet i started Rutgers and Brandywine from seeds indoors, the planted into my nominally heated hoop house in feb. i transplanted half into my garden in mid march ( i live in south west tenn.) the tomatoes in the hoop house are 2 or 3 times bigger than the ones i transplanted out into the garden; and absolutely loaded with blooms. Yet my first green tomato showed today 4/18/12 on one of the much smaller plants in the garden. any ideas on what gives? thanks for any input. i'm new to the forum and love all the experience and insight!

April 18, 2012	#2
janezee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Whidbey Island, WA Zone 7, Sunset 5 Posts: 931	Were you shaking the tomatoes in the hoophouse, either manually or with a fan?

April 18, 2012	#4
Keiththibodeaux Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Louisiana Posts: 587	Either generate some breeze or input some bees. Hey, that rhymed, lol.

April 19, 2012	#5
janezee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Whidbey Island, WA Zone 7, Sunset 5 Posts: 931	Sounds like you need pollination. You could use an electric toothbrush, or just shake each bush every day. Those guys need some action!!!!!

April 19, 2012	#7
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	I only have 7 plants in the greenhouse but I give all the open blossoms the Sonicare treatment at least once a day and have had every blossom set a fruit so far.

April 19, 2012	#10
Heritage Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 1,255	sfulwood, Also, however you choose to vibrate the trusses I would do it around noon, when the humidity is the lowest. Steve