Wishing on a Tomato

[lyndap]

Been feeding my toms regularly and they have flowers and buds but no toms yet!Think they were quite late last year aswell.Usually give the plants a tap or shake when watering them.

[nick the grief]

It maybe that you have a naturally late plot Lyndap. You can get two people living next to one another & the crops will be different depending how they are grown etc.

[Sunbeam]

My toms are planted directly into the ground, rather than in a growbag like I usually do - any they only seem to have produced a couple of trusses - I have a couple of toms too but seem to be seriously lacking on the flower front... I also have black fly on them - any suggestions on how to get shot of them (not with a 12 bore, Rat! ) preferably without the use of chemical nasties...

[GardenFan]

Derris spray would work, it's a natural pest control and save to use on crops.

[SueA]

I've got 3 'Moneymaker' tomato plants in a grow bag outdoors & they have only got a few sprigs of flowers on them at the moment but are lush & healthy. I've never done anything to help pollinate them, they always seem to manage that themselves!
If you plant some nasturtiums nearby Sunbeam you can guarantee the blackflies will all head for them! But just wash them off your toms with water, Vitax Organic 2 in 1 spray or liquid Derris as Gardenfan says.

[Sunbeam]

I'll have a look into Derris liquid (what exactly is it) and will definitely plant some nasturtiums - many thanks

[JennieAtkinson]

Hi Missymoo
Plenty time yet - are you feeding your plants - I fed mine with Tomorite every second day and it makes a big difference to number of flowers on my toms.

Every second day Rat? I've been doing mine once a week. Is this far too little? I have lots of trusses and the flowers are just opening on the lower ones. Should I be feeding every second day now? What proportions are you feeding Rat? At the moment I am doing 20ml/5gallons tomoto feed per three plants. Grateful for any advice.

Might be why I didn't have any tomotoes last year!

[Alice]

Hi Jennie, Not sure where your tomatoes are up to Sounds as if you are just at the coming into flower stage. My tomatoes indoors and out (The outdoor toms, GYO Gartenperle, are just as far on as the ones in the greenhouse Ailsa Craig, Golden Sunrise and Marmande- which is really an outdoor variety) still have some flowers but are hanging in trusses of tomatoes some of which are beginning to colour. I'm delighted with them. I fed them twice a week with Phostrogen at the recommended dose until fruit started to appear then switched to Tomorite at recommended dose twice a week. I'm now putting a splash of Tomorite in every watering. Don't know if this is right or wrong but the toms are doing great. Will post a pic in the next few days. Hope you get great tomatoes this year.

[JimineyC]

I can vouch for the nasturtiums. I planted them to attract Black fly and as companion plants near my squashes and the black fly love them. So much so they've killed a number of the smaller ones.
My toms, all outdoors, have some flowers and some toms. None excessive, all at differing rates, but then I've got three different types as well. I've been feeding once every two weeks or so but was going to increase, especially going on what everyone has posted here.

[sewer rat]

Jennie
I add Tomorite at the recommended rate and apply every second day - have Ailsa Craig and Golden Sunrise indoors, along with Cucumber F1 Topsy, which also get a feed. I also have my Gartenpearle and Super Marmande toms outdoors and they get the same feed. I also feed my runner beans and Climbing French Beans and courgettes with Tomorite as soon as they start to set flowers

[SueA]

Sunbeam, Derris liquid is a natural pesticide made from tropical plant roots, you can also get it in powder form & it is accepted as organic, be careful if you have fish though as it is poisonous to them & also don't spray it in full sun or when there are lots of bees or other beneficial insects around as it will harm them as well as the blackfly.You can buy it from garden centres or the Organic Gardening Catalogue, see this link:-
www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=525

[dexterdoglancashire]

greenhouse tomatoes

Hi everyone. Have enjoyed reading all your advice as noted above. I have a question - I have a couple of greenhouse tomato plants which are doing well. In this extremely nice weather am I OK to leave them outside? If I do, should I put them back into the greenhouse at night? I also have a couple of chilli and pepper plants as well. Thought they might appreciate an "airing". What does everyone think? dexterdog

[bramble]

Hi Dexterdog, with the very high tempratures we have been having i suppose it wont do them any harm in the daytime but i would be inclined to take them in at night. Don't think the big drop in temp from indoors to being out at night will exactly be helpful plus peppers need a lot of heat, especially chillis
Good luck whatever you decide

[dexterdoglancashire]

Thanks Bramble - will take your advice. They all seem to be doing OK, including my outdoor toms - they all seem to be enjoying the sunshine and heat (unlike me! ) dexterdog

[andrewo]

If you have toms in flowers just take a mister and spray them and they will pollinate. I grow outdoor toms, I have 5 trusses on my sungold variety and they are turning yellow as we speak. The rest have just come into flower with several trusses, I feed with comfrey and tomato feed.