Odd behaving Tomato

[Jane Doe]

I have an odd behaving tomato bush, actually two. Two of them are Mr.Stripy from HomeDepot which I put in the ground at the end of April with many other varieties. Just yesterday, I noticed that the two Stripies have ZERO fruit. Zero flowers. They are sitting in the same row as many other varieties which have set fruit a long time ago which has already ripened. All the tomatoes are planted in the same soil so it's not as if it's growing in pure Nitrogen :*). I've never seen anything like it, but I'm curious how this could happen and has anyone seen this kind of behavior from a tomato plant before.

Any ideas?

-M

[Mel M Kelly]

Don't get your plants at a big box store. Go to a good local greenhouse and you will come near getting what you pay for and healthier plants. The plants you got may be for a compete differant part of the country.

From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

[Glenna Rose]

I've grown them every year with them behaving and bearing well. But then I get mine at Millennium Farms, a local greenhouse whose business is based on Mennonite growing principals and never, ever using chemicals. They sell heirloom herbs and veggies . . . and guarantee their plants, can't get much better than that. Did you purchase yours at a local greenhouse or a large store? Next year, maybe start some from seed and see what happens. It just doesn't make sense that the one variety would falter when your others do well.

One cannot go by my tomato plant experience, however, as no one else near me has the luck (or the tomato plants) that I do. The ones I plant outside the yard are usually average, but they don't get as much water as the ones in the garden. We had a meeting at a garden club member's house yesterday; she was bragging about how well her tomato plants were growing. When we looked at them, I stayed politely quiet since her largest one was about the same size as my smallest one that has actually been planted in the ground. This garden is blessed for certain because it sure isn't my knowledge or skill!!! The thing I do is keep it all natural and it rewards me tenfold. I know it's just plain dumb luck, but I (and my family and friends) will keep enjoying the run as long as it lasts (hopefully the rest of my life!).

Glenna (still has tomato plants to give away!)

[Pat Kiewicz]

I have one plant (Anna Russian) out of 14 varieties that just has not set any fruit. I've been blaming the weather. It's been very dry since mid June, and we've had some really hot days mixed through the dry spell, and lots of windy, low humidity days. (It's been mostly grand, for anyone that isn't a farmer or gardener.) Perhaps this variety, for whatever reason, is just more sensitive to the kind of weather we've had this year. It's been a good performer in the past.

I've got one other plant (Momotaro) that has refused to grow, but has set some fruit. This plant was puny from the start, but it was the best of the seedlings I had to choose from, as some seeds failed to germinate. The last couple of years this variety has been normal, from seedling on. Perhaps I need fresher seed. I can't otherwise explain it. (In comparison, the German Orange Strawberry plant,, both this year and last, started out extremely puny and spindley but each time it rapidly caught up with the other varieties once it was in the ground.)

All the other plants are growing well (overtopping the stakes or crowding the caged) and are loaded with green fruit.

I finally had some SunSugar cherries to pick yesterday. (A bit late.)

[EV]

Last year one of the tomatilloa grew twice as big as the others and produced a lot of flowers that all dropped off. It set no fruit. The other smaller plants were setting lots of fruit. So it wasn't the weather or the soil conditions. That plant had a problem, probably a genetic problem, so I composted it. Sad, but true.

Jane Doe wrote:

[Jane Doe]

=======================================

That's what I decided to do. I certainly have more than enough to feed a small army with other hard working tomato bushes :).

So far I've fried them, pickled them, made relish, salads, gave away plenty to most of my neighbors and friends :).

-M

[Charlie]

Not a true test Billy. Last year my Thessalonikas didn't produce well at all, but the flavor was great, so I did one again this year. It's loaded with greenies and am getting a few reds. The Old Germans have much more fruit on them than last year. However, the Cherry Roma's did better last year. Go figger.

Some years things just don't do well. Last year was a bad 'mater year for a lot of people around here, low yields, and for no apparent reason that anyone could figure.

FB - FFF Charlie