Poor tomato / pepper crops

**Two_Sheds** · 25-08-2009, 07:29 AM

Sow earlier? My Juliet are cropping well now, from a Feb sowing

**Farmer_Gyles** · 25-08-2009, 07:53 AM

they were sown in march - i seem to remember some people on here at that time saying it was too early to sow tomatoes .........???

**Flummery** · 25-08-2009, 10:00 AM

Mine sown late March or early April are just starting to turn (in the greenhouse.) I have a few varieties I still haven't tasted. Still - the year's still young!

**SlugLobber** · 25-08-2009, 10:10 AM

Dunno about the toms, but you have my sympathy with the peppers. I have one plant that has been growing since Feb and two tiny peppers on (the first two not to be eaten before reaching cherry size!).

**Pumpkin Becki** · 25-08-2009, 10:47 AM

I'm having similar thoughts, I've got three varieties of tom on the go, 'English Breakfast', 'Sub Arctic Plenty' and 'Moneymaker'. All took ages to set any fruit at all, and although they now have, all the fruit are still really green, no signs of ripening at all. 'Sub Arctic Plenty' is supposed to cope with weird weather, and 'Moneymaker' is so reliable you can pretty much guarantee to get a good crop from it - but maybe not this year.

I have got about 10 Jalepeno chillis on my one and only chilli plant, but no 'Romano' peppers yet and as my Aubergine is only getting one flower at a time I don't hold out any hope of getting one of those this year.

I think it must be the weather we've had, the bees have struggled to pollenate anything in the wet July/August we've had and there hasn't been enough sun to make plants grow and ripen fruit. Its raining here now! It could be a sign of things to come, we might all end up having to grow these kinds of crops in greehouses or polytunnels in years to come.

**zazen999** · 25-08-2009, 02:46 PM

Have any of you with small amounts of peppers taken the first pepper/flower off...it seems to boost the plant into production. Just a thought. I've done it with all mine and have peppers and chillis aplenty.

**gojiberry** · 25-08-2009, 04:22 PM

I can only speak for myself as I don't know each persons circumstances and growing conditions. My green house is home made from the bluey acrylic sheets which are now about 4 years old. They have got to the stage where the light level is reduced and this does affect plant production. The aubergines wre setting fruit but then not doing anything, so they have been moved to the patio and are now growing fruit. The tomatoes have produced loads of fruit but no sign of ripening due to lower light levels. The peppers have done well but they are in a different part with clear acrylic sheets which are giving more light. So what I am trying to say is if plants are not producing fruit you need to look at the light levels for your particular growing environment. Hope this helps some you.

Ian

**butter fingers** · 25-08-2009, 06:57 PM

Originally posted by Farmer_Gyles View Post

I have 14 tomato plants, 1 each of 7 varieties in the greenhouse, 1 each of 7 varieties outside - all are in 9 or 10 inch pots - the greenhouse ones are much larger with loads more green tomatoes than the outside ones - but, it's late August and I've had a grand total of 12 cherry toms so far this year

Why so few? Why so late? What's gone wrong? How do I get tomatoes earlier in the year?

Peppers and chillies are even worse - 21 plants of 5 varieties in pots, most in greenhouse, the rest outside - the plants are big, but I have just 2 tiny sweet peppers about the size of cherry tomatoes so nowhere near ready yet

Why don't I get any luck with peppers? This is even worse than last year when I got 1 per plant from 15 plants

Any advice??

better than me,
approx 45 tomato plants sown jan to feb, plants range from only flowers to fully loaded. trouble is only 3 cherry toms just orange so far. they are fed regular watered and talked to.im thinking of picking larger toms off to see if this helps.
peppers and aubergines all i have are flowers, and there are plenty of insects around. chillis not even any flowers.so it seems to late now for a crop.

**fran** · 25-08-2009, 07:45 PM

Well....I've got loads of tom plants of about 5 or 6 varieties out on the allotment - some meant to be indoor ones I think and have loads of toms, many turning red, eaten quite a few, great weather here - loads of sun and heat (SE London) - and now they've been blighted!! (You can't win!) I'm still persevering tho - and going to eat as many as I can, but some of the old boys are harvesting their green ones and making chutney from them. Is there anything wrong with eating the fruits if they look OK?

**Farmer_Gyles** · 25-08-2009, 11:22 PM

good to know i'm not the only one with lack of toms and peppers - as i've seen a few recipes on here, guess i'll be making some chutneys too ..........

**kentvegplot** · 26-08-2009, 07:23 AM

My peppers are in a tunnel so they usually produce some fruit, but the thing that has really made a difference this year is the water. I put in an automatic system because we were (unusually) going away in the summer. The plants are bigger, healthier and producing much more fruit than previous years. I always use seaweed feed sprayed onto the leaves, so that hasn't changed.....and I've noticed that those in pots rather than in the ground are significantly smaller and less productive.

**Flobalob** · 26-08-2009, 07:40 AM

Such is the growth with my peppers i have had to stake individual branches as well as the main stem to support the weight of the peppers. Most are turning bright colours of yellow, orange and red.
I picked all the peppers off one plant last month and the plant has reproduced a full set of peppers again.
Have been picking Toms now for 6 weeks and the greenhouse is still a flourish of red

**ginger ninger** · 26-08-2009, 07:43 AM

Mine were sown in Feb and there growing like made, i've got lots of tomato's on them..only thing is there not ripening , none of them. My peppers & Aubergine's are worse no fruit on any of them, there in the green house, i feed the tomato's with seaweed feed, i haven't got a clue what's gone wrong.

**Pumpkin Becki** · 26-08-2009, 07:47 AM

...I'm going to have to say something...

A lovely person, read my post on this thread yesterday and sent me a PM actually offering to drive over and bring me some of their tomato crop/glut. I'd just like to thank them very much, in public (they know who they are) and say loud and proud what a wonderful, kind group of people you get here on the Vine! You're all amazing!! It's a privilage to be here.

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