I have a cherry type tomato in my green house that is FULL of flowers yet not one tomato has set. Too hot? I have shaken them to pollinate, they are hydroponic so the water is right, used the appropriate fertilizer and everything else I can think of. I am in south eastern North Carolina, zone 7ish. Any ideas? I have grown these same tomatoes through the winter in past years so I know its possible. Thanks MJ
Try running fans, bees or vibrating the flowers in the greenhouse. meanwhile stating what the heat/humid has been, when you planted them and what type cherry they are may help pinpoint the problem.
I do not know what the humidity has been, heat in the 90ies. They are called "Sugary" tomatoes. I have shaken the plants and we have had an abundance of bees around here this year. I don't think it is pollination
I never thought of that.Does that mean there is no hope? There is new growth at the bottom of the plant. Should I just cut it off and use that growth as a re start?
I never thought of that.Does that mean there is no hope? There is new growth at the bottom of the plant. Should I just cut it off and use that growth as a re start?
----------------- Cool them off, the next blooms may be fine. If you need more plants root the new growth, if not just let it grow. Keep the day time temps well below 90F and the night temps around 70F and you should start to see fruit.
Odds are Steve is correct, its heat. I think if you have not experienced blossom drop & temps are cooling you should be OK.
Look closely @ the flowers, if they are in, or moving to, an upward position and stay there for several days, they are ready for pollination. Greenhouses typically are not the greatest environment for pollination. Again, keep a fan blowing on a low speed, use bees or some form of mechanical method.
Out of curiosity, what nutes are you using and what pH and EC or PPM do you maintain during flowering? Also what type of hydro system?
I don't use anything different for various growing times. The formula comes out of "Hydroponics, Soilless Gardening" y Richard E. Nicholls Not sure what you mean by hydro system. It is a 7 pot grouping and I use clay pellets for a medium.
Just curious as to the type of hydroponic technique you were using; i.e. NFT, ebb and flow, etc. Yours a homemade system?
W/O benefit of the book, I assume Nicholls' is a variation of Hoagland's. Have to say I'm impressed, not many folks mixing their own these days.
General Hydroponic Water Gardens is the manufacturer, (looked it up). Anyway there is a fill bucket and a pump that runs continiously. Hope that helps. THre is really no other option than to mix our own. We live in the middle of no where and shipping for that stuff is cost prohibitive. We went to a farm supply place to get all the chemicals. Had to buy them in pounds, use a coffee grinder and we are good. I cut off all of the dead on the tomato plants, shook them up gently of course and am now hoping for the best. Nice to talk to someone about hydroponics and not have the conversation go right to "pot'
I'd try pollenating with myself with a paintbrush. Tickle the inside of each flower this will ensure that the pollen is definately getting to the right places.
A idea, perhaps, for next year. It's September, and it's unlikely that you would see any results from any such efforts this year before Dec., providing that you can keep them warm (I'm presuming that you are in the U.K.).
Seed to Seed p. 155-156
POLLINATION, CROSSING AND ISOLATION
Tomatoes are inbreeding plants. Most modern tomato varieties have totally retracted styles. Such flower structure severely limits (and may totally preclude) any crossing between these varieties. Three groups of tomato varieties have been found to have protruding styles, however: currant tomatoes, L. pimpinellifolium; all of the potato-leaved varieties of L. lycopersicum', and any fruit formed from double blossoms on beefsteak types of L. lycopersicum. Potato leaved tomatoes have rampant vines and smooth-edged leaves that resemble the leaves of a potato plant.
Still, if the blossoms haven't dropped, I would have let `em go. If the pollen was =93sterile=94, there is a great possibility that not all would be & you would have had enough pollen, at least for some cherries to fruit.
Water under the bridge at this point. Still consider that it takes a while for nature to adjust to change. If you cut back a reasonable amount on a healthy vegetating plant it will go into a bit of =93shock=94 for a period then, usually bounce back. A flowering plant is a bit harder to nurse back, if at all. With a seriously pruned plant you may have the roots but your energy source was cut back. The majority of hormones are geared towards fruiting, not rooting. For the cuttings, your plant has to build roots. Regardless, takes time to retool and revamp the production line to what ya need--- if it can. Especially true in extreme temps from either end
If you=92re not under day long lights, it will be very hard to convince the plant it need to grow again. Don=92t know what your PAR is where you are at this time of year, but consider your plants energy (sunlight) is waning. We are halfway down the downhill of the solstice since June.
If you don=92t use one, I do recommend you get a good meter to check your pH and EC or PPM. Some solutions I found are quite high, i.e. the one I use now ( a local 2 part mix ) directs 4 tspns per gal of water & reads ~1500-1600ppm, way too high for young plants, much less cuttings. As for pH, The more you keep the solution in the plant=92s optimum pH range ~ 5.5-6., the more essentials it picks up.
We are expecting La Nina is coming this winter so reconsidering winter toms, mescluns for sure. Still waiting for the raised bed regular toms to mature, Orange cherries tough skinned but tasty & going strong.
Yes I do. Up here its like cooking... ya learn to adapt and adopt what ya got to get what ya want. Think I said that right. Good Luck MJ
Hell, you can use a string, or let 'em crawl on the ground like a reptile. You are just trying to maximize then, not enable them.
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