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Tomato not setting fruit
http://byap.backyardmagazines.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4715
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Author:  novaris [ Jan 2nd, '09, 14:56 ]
Post subject:  Tomato not setting fruit

I have a problem at the moment that the tomato's are growing and flowering but not setting fruit. Has anyone had this problem in their AP systems before? The tomato's are Ox Hearts and are setting fruit in the dirt garden but not the AP.

The AP plant is larger and has more foliage, they both seem to flower ok but only the dirt one has fruit.

Attachments:
File comment: Dirt garden with friut
dirt tom.jpg
dirt tom.jpg [ 88.35 KiB | Viewed 5865 times ]
File comment: AP bed larger and more dense growth, no fruit set.
AP toms.jpg
AP toms.jpg [ 90.94 KiB | Viewed 5865 times ]
File comment: Example of flower drop in AP.
Flower drop.jpg
Flower drop.jpg [ 40.51 KiB | Viewed 5861 times ]

Author:  jessy [ Jan 2nd, '09, 14:59 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

Potassiam......or pot ash.....is ment to be lacking ......have to go an check the shed, but by adding it, the flower should stay on and fruit :flower:

Author:  novaris [ Jan 2nd, '09, 15:17 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

I regularly add seasol which adds potassium, maybe I need more. My PH is higher than I would like as I lost most of my fish. It's 7.6 but potassium should still be readily available.

Author:  jessy [ Jan 2nd, '09, 15:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

will have to go back and read your thread about the fish .......

I add a Yates product....Sulphate of Potash...$ 7 bucks here in town ( probably $3 cheaper where ever you are ) add a DASH....to 3 kL of water....says on the packet it encourages more flowers, improves quality of fruit, helps strengthen resistance of plants to fungus attacks..it works

Seasole alone IMO isn't enough....pot ash, chelated iron, seasole and maxi crop is a better mix

your plants are so lush and green, there is certainly enough nitrates

good luck

it could also be due to summer comming on ??? but I would defenantly try the sulphate of potash... it worked here for the same problem :flower:

Author:  mylesau [ Jan 2nd, '09, 15:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

Same variety of Tomato?

Perhaps trimmin' some of the lower leaves off the AP one would trigger it to fruit?

Any difference in soil vs GB temperature?

Author:  jessy [ Jan 2nd, '09, 15:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

Good thinking M, give the plant more energy for the fruiting process :compress:

Author:  Outbackozzie [ Jan 2nd, '09, 17:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

Potassium I reckon, and I disagree with you jessy - all I use is seasol.

Author:  mylesau [ Jan 2nd, '09, 17:53 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

Could just be a pollination issue I suppose - why one would attract insects and not the other I have no clue :dontknow:

Perhaps a little tickle up with a paint brush or ear cleaner (cotton tip thingo) might be worth a try?

Author:  aquam [ Jan 2nd, '09, 18:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

Come on think about.
Its been bloody cold in Melbourne lately.
Give it a few weeks it'l be OK!

Author:  Outbackozzie [ Jan 2nd, '09, 19:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

That would be the case if the dirt tomatoes were not working either.

Author:  Hex [ Jan 2nd, '09, 20:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

Root temp is more important than air temp, i`d stick a thermometer into the soil and the beds to see if theres a temp difference :wink:
A cold snap would probably affect gravel more than soil as the gaps are more accessible to cold air.

Author:  dthawk [ Jan 3rd, '09, 06:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

you have no fungus or mildew? The water in AP can tend to lead toward fungus if the plant is not well pruned. Bicarb water and veg oil will take care of that.

Author:  Sleepe [ Jan 3rd, '09, 06:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

I'm with Myles, trim the lower leaves, hard. Too much energy going into growth.

Author:  novaris [ Jan 3rd, '09, 06:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

mylesau wrote:
Could just be a pollination issue I suppose - why one would attract insects and not the other I have no clue
I Don't think it is pollination, the growbed's are a haven for insects, I always have dozens of bees getting their water from the beds, it's been a real boon for our whole garden.
Sleepe wrote:
I'm with Myles, trim the lower leaves, hard. Too much energy going into growth.
I will try that. But I am starting to think it's something to do with the tomato variety and temprature, I have a cherry tomato in the AP and it seems to be setting fruit. Maybe a bit more warmer weather will help.

Author:  TCLynx [ Jan 3rd, '09, 06:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: Tomato not setting fruit

I've experienced tomatoes not setting fruit when it's too hot. Sometimes the dirt tomatoes set more fruit than the ones inside the greenhouse because the greenhouse gets too hot during the day. Sounds like that isn't the case for you though.

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