On Mon, 08 Sep 2003 11:34:42 -0700, hawk
wrote:

OK, I have the same problem. Lots of blossoms but they just dry up and
fall off. I tried some spray on stuff that is supposed to cure that
problem with no success. My near by mint bush and rose bush have lots of
bees, so I don't think pollination is the problem. In past years three
tomato bushes produced more tomatoes than we could eat. Sacks full given
away, etc. This year one bush has produced a few tomatoes and one bush has
produced exactly ONE tomato. (I only planted two bushes this year because
of the huge production in past years.) My area is a desert so I have
complete control over water and I haven't changed my watering schedule. I
have never had this problem before, same garden location, same amount of
sun, same temperatures, same fertilizer, etc.

Tomatoes are (wholly or largely) self-fertile - that is,
each flower fertilizes itself. So the problem is not likely
to be lack of bees or other pollinators - I don't think
pollination is the problem either.

Weather conditions would certainly be a possibility - too
hot, too cold. Both are possibilities, I believe.


I wonder if the variety could be the problem. Better Boy, both plants. I
meant to get two different varieties as is my usual practice but somehow
ended up with two Better Boy, which I haven't tried before.

I'm growing Better Boy this year too and I'm not really
terribly impressed with it, but we've had a LOT more
tomatoes per plant than you have. I haven't counted, but
we've been giving them away in basketfuls (plus eating a lot
of them, and drying a lot of them too).

The reason I'm not impressed with it is the lack of flavor:
although this might be unfair to Better Boy. We've had an
exceedingly wet year and this is supposed to 'water down'
the flavors.

Nevertheless, I'm not going to grow it again.

Pat



--
"Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of
supply and demand. It is the privilege of human beings to
live under the laws of justice and mercy." - Wendell Berry