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rhyu

Tomato not blooming

Rhyu
9 years ago

Hey there guys!

I've got some 14 or so tomato plants in containers which seem to be doing pretty well, except for one.

The others are all blooming with at least a few dozen fruit set on each plant (the cherries of course having a lot more than a couple dozen), and I've gotten a couple of red tomatoes off my tumbling tom's that I decided to give a go just for the heck of it (but that's all I've had ripen yet).

Now I've got this one Pineapple tomato (I think, it was one of the last two in the nursery so who knows, maybe the tag got switched), its in a 15 gallon fabric grow bag, and is about 5.5 feet tall. It occasionally makes some bud clusters, but they never seem to open.

I've recently tried "stressing" the plant a bit by trimming off a bit of lower foliage, removing a few suckers to hopefully make the plant feel it needs to do something, but its not doing much other than growing. I don't think it's pressed for nutrients, its in the same approximate medium as my other plants that are blooming and setting well, and growing like bloody weeds, but if you think it needs some fertilizer to kick it in gear, let me know.

I'm just worried that if it doesn't set anything soon, it wont have time to ripen properly. Is this perhaps just a non-fertile plant?

Thanks in advance for any wisdom!

Comments (5)

  • sharonrossy
    9 years ago

    When you say you don't think it's pressed for nutrients, what is your fertilization schedule for your plants? I also use grow bags and fertilizing properly in containers is more challenging than in ground tomatoes. Are you experiencing any blossom drop? And what is your sun exposure and what are you using as your growing medium? Lots of things to consider! I'm from Montreal so we have a short season here!
    Sharon

  • Rhyu
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I currently haven't added extra fertilizer since I think I likely over did it at the start of the season with the growing medium I made (2 parts peat, 1 part mushroom manure, 1/2 part perilite, and then I PH adjusted with dolomite lime, added Epsom salts, and a fair bit of slow release fertilizer which was targeted at tomatoes with micro nutrients in it). I figured the manure aspect would provide more than enough N for a while, which seems to have been the case.

    My other plants are likely just about at a point where they could stand some more, low N fertilizer I think, but they're very very green and full bodied with lots of foliage and quite a few flowers, with more coming. I'm aware you usually fertilize quite frequently in containers, but I was wanting some of the excess to go through first >_>.

    I haven't been having much issue with blossom drop, most of my flowers have been setting fruit on my other plants, though I do tend to go through and shake my plants/flowers when I get the chance. Though I seem to be getting a fair bit of fused blossoms on the "non-cherry" plants, so I'm getting some interestingly shaped fruit, especially on my super fantastic and black from tula. I haven't noticed any blossom end rot either.

    Exposure wise, its somewhat dependent on the plant, but I'm pretty sure they're getting at least the minimum number of hours (8+) of direct sun for "full sun." I've got the pineapple right up by the house under the eve so its getting reflected light off the light colored house on its backside as well.

    I'm from the lower mainland in BC, so we've actually got a fairly long growing season (first frost is usually early to mid nov for us), but its generally pretty mild, which is more of my concern.

  • sharonrossy
    9 years ago

    I would give a diluted feeding of MG 24-8-16 or Foliar Pro 9-3-6. Actually all your plants should get a weekly feeding. You can give them 1/2 dose. Water your containers first, let water run through, wait a few minutes then fertilize. It's also not a bad idea to add a bit more water after fertilizing to push the solution to the roots.
    Hope that helps.
    Sharon

  • Weicker
    9 years ago

    I have an Old German doing the same thing. Tons of dark, lush green foliage... not a flower in sight. I also overdid the fertilizer/N in my medium. Lol. I just took a cutting from it today to start fresh with.

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    When plants are growin in too rich soil or are getting too much fertilizer added to inground or container grown plants, it keeps them in the vegetative cycle and prevents them from going into the sexual cycle of blossom formation and fruit set.

    Initially I grew all my plants inground and fertilized them only twice, once about two weeks after the plants were set out and then again when they first started setting fruits.

    Later in the summer if they looked like they needed it I gave them some low NPK foliages prays b'c by that time I couldn't get near the plants to add to the soil since my rows were 250 ft long and 5 ft between rows /

    Summary? Use as little fertilizer as you can since too much, or growing in too rich soil,keeps plants in the vegetative cycle of stem and foliage growth and does not allow the plants to go into the sexual cycle of blossom formation and fruit set.

    Carolyn

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