Tomato Blossoms Dropping Before They Open

Discussion in 'Fruit and Veg Gardening' started by hummerbum, May 24, 2016.

  1. hummerbum

    hummerbum Young Pine

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    Help!!!! I've been watering them with a little more cal/mag solution. Noticed this morning that the flower buds are browning and dropped off to the touch. I will water this evening after work and see what happens in a few days.
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2016
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  3. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Most garden centers sell a spray product called Blossom Set. I don't know why failure to set occurs but I do know that the spray will help you get some tomatoes.
     
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  4. hummerbum

    hummerbum Young Pine

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    Thank you Toni, I will definitely try it!! If not then I may have to give up on growing tomatoes indoors or grow a different variety.
     
  5. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    What variety are they ?? It is not unusual to have blossom drop early. Are they just getting started? Temperature pays a role in fruit set too. Mine dropped almost all the first blooms because we were having such cool nights. But now that the temps are warmer with not so much variation in day/night temps they are literally turning to tomatoes. I will be picking a few soon.
    Instead of watering with the cal/mag,,spray it on the leaves and blooms. Seems to be more effective. How strong are you mixing it ?
     



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  6. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Hi--

    Some potential causes could be:
    --Humidity: Too high or too low the release of pollen is interfered with. (You rightly realized: lack of water can also be a cause)
    --Temps: Too high or too low (above 85°F during the daytime or below 70°F at night
    --Sometimes it can be caused by lack of, or improper pollination (see the humidity comment above)
    --Heavy fruit set. If the plant is making too many fruits it somehow "knows" and will drop fruit and or blossoms in order to cut down on the competition for nutrition
    --Fungus and/or bacterial disease can cause the plant to drop blossoms.

    These are my ideas in your blossom dropping sit. Of course, without physically being there it is not easy to say for sure, but at least these things will give you something to think about and cross-check to see if any of the conditions are present at this moment.

    Bonne chance.
     
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  7. hummerbum

    hummerbum Young Pine

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    Hi all.....I'm growing plain old patio container tomatoes and the are blossoming all over the place since I added the grow light with the spectrum about 3 weeks ago. Very very healthy plants and almost 5 ft tall. Very green..I did and have been feeding them, but it seems as though they don't have much if any pollen at all. I tried to hand pollinate but nothing came out so we'll see what happens next.
     
  8. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    But what variety are they? Would have been written on the container or a tag stuck in the dirt when you bought it ?
     
  9. Coppice

    Coppice In Flower

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    As a guess only you may already be hitting high enough temperatures that make pollen immoble. Then fruit do not form and there after blossom falls off.

    If your plant survive they should return to making fruit in the fall, or when weather cools.
     
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  10. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    I give my toms in bloom a little but brisk shake at 10 a.m. Then some days I mist the plants on the finest setting so the pollen will stick. I do this on days that it feels dry in the greenhouse. Other days it is moist enough with plant watering and so forth.

    Take some pics to post here when they begin fruiting. I am interested to see.
     
  11. hummerbum

    hummerbum Young Pine

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    Hi everyone.....well it's been a few weeks and well......the blossoms dropped again but not before reaching a height of 4 ft under that new grow light that my daughter purchased for my birthday. Those plants were beautifully dark green under that light and seemed to blossom all over the place....thumbs up for the spectrum grow light. When they started dropping the blossoms again, I really wanted to give up but they were such pretty plants. I let them do their thing for another week and they grew another foot and was touching the grow light. Had to make the decision to take them outside to the back of the apartment, maybe just maybe, they will get that pollination that they so desperately need to fruit. Well it was an experiment and I can't say that it was bust...fruit wise yes, plant wise no. I will disinfect the containers used for the greens (lettuce, kale and spinach) in a few days and start another round of lettuces, kale and spinach. The lettuces did really well with that light. This time I know what not to do...lol!! Wish me luck!!

    Coppice....that could be a factor...it is pretty warm in that room. I don't have the a/c blowing through the vent in there. I opened the vent yesterday because I know that lettuce does not do well in warm temps. Thanks will read up on it.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 28, 2016
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  12. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Do you have just the one plant ? In reading back over this thread, you said regular patio tomatoes. Generally patio tomatoes that are meant for containers do not get 5 ft tall. I think you may have gotten a mismarked plant ! They are usually a short bushy plant about 2 to 2 1/2 ft
    http://pollinator.com/self_pollinating_tomato.htm Here is a bit of info on tomato pollination.
    I would be interested to know how large your container is that the tomatoes were growing in ?
    I do not think its a temperature problem. My mid season tomatoes are setting fruit now and our temp is above 90 degrees and has been for a while. Humidity is high as well. Good thing is we have had a nice breeze every day even if a hot one. Mine are Celebrity and Porter. I have found they are the most dependable in Texas heat. Celebrity are mid size heirloom variety and Porters are heavy producers of 1 ounce salad size tomatoes. Both have good flavor.
    .
     
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  13. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Here´s wishing you luck, Hummer.
     
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  14. hummerbum

    hummerbum Young Pine

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    Hi there Mart, I'm beginning to wonder the same thing!!! lol I have 4 plants.
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2016
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  15. hummerbum

    hummerbum Young Pine

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    Ok here they are...very healthy plants thanks to the grow light...again these are supposed to be Patio Container Tomatoes. Checked all the tags again....lol
    I believe they are another variety..they have big frongs? on them.


    (5ft) Patio Container Tomato Plants.png

    They have been outside now for about 3 weeks I think!!

    Healthy Plants w blossoms.png

    Mater Blossoms 7-6-16.png
    So now I have to pray that something pollinate these babies.
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2016
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  16. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Hummer---those toms look pretty darn good to me. I do not worry too much about the blooms being pollinated. You can also give them a little shake each morning.
    Chapeau.
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2016
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