Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

last year grew these same toms. They're called Amelia, and are a really good beef steak. Last year, the fruit all ripened to appx the same size, a few slightly smaller, a few big guys. This year, some have ripened while very small? We did have some temp extremes a few weeks back. Low's in GH in 50's and high in upper 90's. Other then that, I have no clue on why this is happening. Any ideas from the tomato experts out there? They taste great, and look fine, just not as much there.lol

cross pollination?

Keith, I don't think so. It's in an enclosed Gh and I hand pollinate them. I do pollinate all varieties, but usually start with that plant. Can you cross pollinate from different varieties? Beefs to Grapes or Cherry? Honestly don't know. They have the same growth habit of the bigger fruit on vines, but just started blushing at about the same time.

Were the ones that are small all on the same branch?

What is the longevity of pollen out of the flower?

Even starting from the same plant you might have polinated it with the last plant from the last time you did it

I'd go with cross pollination too. Unless its an unstable cultivar, they won't just grow different sized tomatoes. Well not that different size anyway.

I would agree with cross pollination. The other possibility is if you had a large cluster with the last fruit that set being smaller. If the larger ones start to ripen and release ethylene, it could trigger ripening response in the smaller... Though the smaller look more ripe than the larger fruit.

I'm sorry guys..my picture is deceiving. The ones on the right are grapes and cherries. The larger ones are the beef steaks. You can see the difference in sizes from the average sized ones(3-4") to the smaller ones...maybe 2-2.5". What was weird, compared to last year, my first year of growing veggies, was that they all started blushing about the same time. I only have a few fruit left on the vine. They are determinate, but last year they all matured before blushing/ripening.

I'd say the size difference isn't that strange if you're just talking about the variation in the tomatoes on the left Chris. The ripening and size were probably from some sort of stress
- temperature stress (temp too high, too low or swings too much)
- lack of water (root pruning is one way to do this)
- cutting out the growing points - used at the end of the season to cause the existing fruit to ripen

Basically the plant either thinks it's about to die and tries to ripen it's seeds before it's too late or is forced to channel it's energies toward ripening.

Scotty, I think your exactly right. the temp swings caused them to start ripening at the same time. I'll try to keep temps more even...not easy in a poly house with temps in central Florida.