lack of toms

**Capsid** · 14-07-2010, 09:17 AM

How many flower trusses have you got? If you have 3 or 4 I would have expected the bottom truss to show some small green toms on them.

Do you really only water only once a week? They need daily watering with a weekly feed.

Another trick is to spray the plants with water to give them a good soaking, this helps to get the pollen moving.

**Wellrottedmanure** · 14-07-2010, 09:25 AM

Thanks for that,they are growing in compost borders on top of clay soil which seems to retain ++ moisture so it very rarey drys out,hence my low watering requirement
I thought misting might supress the pollen? rather like on a wet day the weather reports always suggest hay fever sufferes are better off.
Perhaps im extrapolating my logic to far?

Ive probably got upwards of 4 sometimes 5 trusses of flowers on each.

**Tomatoking** · 14-07-2010, 09:44 AM

It sounds like your plants could be slightly leggy, with some only having 4 trusses to the wire. So that might not help setting.
Flowers do also need humidity to set, and if you are worried about scorch, you could just mist the trusses on very hot days. Shaking the trusses daily like you have been doing should also help.
Even though you have clay soil, I would have expected over the hot period that we have just had that your plants might have needed a little bit more watering.
My favourite line; 'any chance of a picture'?

**Wellrottedmanure** · 14-07-2010, 10:05 AM

I'm at work so cant to a photo right now,will try later

I do have plenty of foliage on most,my next question would be, how far can I go in stripping of these leaves? Ive culled the bottom ones and broken off leaves that are out of control,is it a case of go for it?,does feel quite brutal.

Thanks again for the advice

**rustylady** · 14-07-2010, 10:39 AM

They will get there, but you shouldn't be feeding until you have tomatoes growing.

**Tomatoking** · 14-07-2010, 10:42 AM

So just remove all the shoots. Take only a few leaves off the bottom if they are damaged or touching the soil. Do not remove any more yet, as they are needed for fruit production.

This is a late plant I had, which I just put in a pot outside. At first the bottom trusses had looked like they had not set and the plant was a bit leggy. Luckily the fruit has now set and swelling, to be fair all I thought I was going to get was all growth and no fruit. I did give it a few feeds of high potash tomato feed, which helps to work on the fruit.

Although it is right that you start feeding when you have fruit setting, I have found that a good feed seems to help leggy plants with poor setting.

This was taken a few weeks ago.

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**Capsid** · 14-07-2010, 10:56 AM

Mr TK, I spot a sideshoot!

Btw, I like your blog. It's very informative especially how to tie the knots.

**Wellrottedmanure** · 14-07-2010, 10:59 AM

thanks all for your input,
All being well
I think a bit of patience plus misting and Ill be swimming in red plump toms

fingers crossed

WRM

**Tomatoking** · 14-07-2010, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by Capsid View Post

Mr TK, I spot a sideshoot!

Btw, I like your blog. It's very informative especially how to tie the knots.

I left the side shoot on deliberately to see if anyone would spot it.

Glad you liked the blog, I'm sure most people can tie knots, but if you learn to tie that one by following the video, you will receive your Boy Scout knot badge.

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