Tomato blossom bouquet

10 years ago

Pick a bouquet of tomato blossoms - goodness - these German Giant heirlooms are very prolific!? I have never seen so many blossoms on a truss?? Is this a good or bad condition? The plants are 7' high now with very thick stalks and stems and tons of blossoms on most every truss. This is the first year we have planted this heirloom - is this common for this variety?
What percent of blossoms can one expect will set fruit? The tomatoes on German Giants are as big as one's hand (in the write-up) - the more blossoms that set fruit on a truss the smaller the tomatoes will be?

Comments (6)

mambooman
10 years ago
I don't know the answers to your questions because I have never grown that variety. However, I can say I am quite jealous. I can't wait until my first blooms open and set fruit.
digdirt2
10 years ago
Indoors it will depend in part on what pollination assistance you are giving the plants. I have only grown it outdoors and average 2-3 fruit on each truss. Those that set more are definitely smaller but then fruit size isn't one of my goals.

That one 3 branch truss near the bottom of the pic won't be able to support much so I'd probably trim off the one on the right. Keep a close eye on it.

Dave
Related Professionals
Chesapeake Ranch Estates Landscape Contractors · Pleasant Hill Landscape Contractors · Spring Landscape Contractors · Tacoma Landscape Contractors · Vineyard Landscape Contractors · Waldorf Landscape Contractors · Erie General Contractors · Evans General Contractors · Jacksonville General Contractors · Lewisburg General Contractors · Hershey Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Midlothian Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Reading Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Richmond Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Springfield Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures
hudson___wy
Original Author
10 years ago
Dave - I agree - fruit size is not my goal either. Thanks for your trimming recommendation - that will be the answer if a high percentage set fruit. I hand vibrate the support to pollinate and have had good success with that method. Too many blossoms is a good problem to have if that condition doesn't in anyway inhibit fruit set or development? The amazing thing is that there is not shortage of truss clusters either - these plants may just like our Wyoming weather in our GH?!

Mambooman - Yes, we started early - planted seeds end of January and moved seedlings to the GH first week of March. We even have a couple almost ripe on the Sweet Baby Girl - payback for planting early and enduring the effort I suppose?

{{gwi:1324473}}
mambooman
10 years ago
I so want a greenhouse so I can start some ealier as well.
missingtheobvious
10 years ago
The amazing thing is that there is not shortage of truss clusters

Hudson, are you saying that you're getting trusses on a stem more often than the usual indet pattern of one-truss-after-three-leaves? If so, that would be an interesting mutation.
hudson___wy
Original Author
10 years ago
Missingtheobvious - I wasn't thinking that at all with the statement - just meant that there were the normal amount of trusses going up the plant. You got me thinking though and I had to check it out this morning. There are the normal - one truss after three leaves.

I did break off the top of one the plants this morning training the stem - dang it - hate it when I do that. There is another sucker close by but it just set the plant back some - I didn't apply more pressure than usual - just hit a weak spot I guess.