I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.

On 08/01/2014 09:06 AM, Gus wrote:
I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.




Hi Gus,

Describe for us what happens to the flowers after they
bloom.

-T

On Friday, August 1, 2014 9:38:27 AM UTC-7, Todd wrote:
On 08/01/2014 09:06 AM, Gus wrote:

I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but one

plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and

biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet

tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one tomato.

It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many

tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any tomatoes,

and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.



Hi Gus,



Describe for us what happens to the flowers after they

bloom.

Also, wonder if you were overwatering this plant? Not supposed to water much after flowers appear to keep plant from putting its strength into greenery rather than fruit

HB

"Todd" wrote in message
...
On 08/01/2014 09:06 AM, Gus wrote:
I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but
one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one
tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any
tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.




Hi Gus,

Describe for us what happens to the flowers after they
bloom.

-T


I don't know. I don't notice them on the ground. I just let it grow
without doing much other than staking/caging it for support. I've
treated it the same as the other plants, which is pretty much just let
it grown on it's own.

"Higgs Boson" wrote in message
Also, wonder if you were overwatering this plant? Not supposed to
water much after flowers appear to keep plant from putting its
strength into greenery rather than fruit
---

I've not been watering it all. We've had quite a bit of rain this year,
and so far has not been necessary. I've done nothing to it different
than the other plants that are producing. There is one just about 4
feet away and it's more scraggly, but producing. I've never had a plant
do this before. It looks extremely healthy and has many yellow flowers.

On 08/01/2014 01:14 PM, Gus wrote:
"Todd" wrote in message
...
On 08/01/2014 09:06 AM, Gus wrote:
I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.




Hi Gus,

Describe for us what happens to the flowers after they
bloom.

-T


I don't know. I don't notice them on the ground. I just let it grow
without doing much other than staking/caging it for support. I've
treated it the same as the other plants, which is pretty much just let
it grown on it's own.

Disclaimer: I have a black thumb, so I am probably wrong.


Hi Gus,

If you have bees, and if your flowers close up, turn black,
and fall off, then you are under watering them.

The local organic greenhouse, before the turkeys moved to
another county on me, use to soak their tomatoes every day.
They told me that they are a Amazonian tropical plant and
the expect to get *drenched* every day. But to make sure
the soil drains. They don't like sitting in water.

HTH,
-T

On Friday, August 1, 2014 1:17:12 PM UTC-7, Gus Overton wrote:
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message

Also, wonder if you were overwatering this plant? Not supposed to

water much after flowers appear to keep plant from putting its

strength into greenery rather than fruit

---



I've not been watering it all. We've had quite a bit of rain this year,

and so far has not been necessary. I've done nothing to it different

than the other plants that are producing. There is one just about 4

feet away and it's more scraggly, but producing. I've never had a plant

do this before. It looks extremely healthy and has many yellow flowers.

It IS weird, how one plant will take off & leave the others behind (my cucumbers) and sometimes all will do well except e.g.your big contrarian.
And they say plants have no personalities!

HB

"Higgs Boson" wrote in message

It IS weird, how one plant will take off & leave the others behind (my
cucumbers) and sometimes all will do well except e.g.your big
contrarian.
And they say plants have no personalities!

HB


So you've had a healthy looking plant not bear anything sometimes? I
don't plant much and only tomatoes this year. First time I have seen
this happen. I keep expecting one day for it to have a whole bunch of
tomatoes, but it is August and still not one... It would make more sense
if the plant right next to it wasn't bearing anything too, but it is.
Or, there was something about the exact spot that the pollinators are
avoiding, but it's same spot I had one last year that also grew huge and
bore many fruit.

On Saturday, August 2, 2014 7:12:40 AM UTC-7, Gus Overton wrote:
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message



It IS weird, how one plant will take off & leave the others behind (my

cucumbers) and sometimes all will do well except e.g.your big

contrarian.

And they say plants have no personalities!



HB





So you've had a healthy looking plant not bear anything sometimes? I

don't plant much and only tomatoes this year. First time I have seen

this happen. I keep expecting one day for it to have a whole bunch of

tomatoes, but it is August and still not one... It would make more sense

if the plant right next to it wasn't bearing anything too, but it is.

Or, there was something about the exact spot that the pollinators are

avoiding, but it's same spot I had one last year that also grew huge and

bore many fruit.

This isn't directly relevant to your huge, egotistical outlier g but I noticed you planted same veg in same spot as last year. I understood it's preferable to rotate to different areas each year. Avoid possible ? bad stuff in soil and possibly depleted ? good stuff for given plant.

Very vague,but does anybody know what I'm talking about? Agree/disagree? Fill in question marks?

HB

Gus wrote:
I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.

there are many possible reasons, but if the
plant is not in some way isolated from pollinators
or otherwise protected from the wind or the rain
then i would guess that it is a mutation that
affects self-pollination.

you could try to take pollen off another plant
and to hand pollinate a flower and see if that
works (using a small paint brush).

this year for us our cherry tomatoes are fairly
barren, the beefsteaks are doing fine. usually
we have more cherry tomatoes than we can eat.


songbird

"songbird" wrote in message
...
Gus wrote:
I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but
one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one
tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any
tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.

there are many possible reasons, but if the
plant is not in some way isolated from pollinators
or otherwise protected from the wind or the rain
then i would guess that it is a mutation that
affects self-pollination.

you could try to take pollen off another plant
and to hand pollinate a flower and see if that
works (using a small paint brush).

this year for us our cherry tomatoes are fairly
barren, the beefsteaks are doing fine. usually
we have more cherry tomatoes than we can eat.


songbird


This may be a dumb question, but is there some art/technique to this?
Just brush the flower(s) of a different plant and then brush the flowers
of the non-producing plant? It's a beefsteak plant which are my
favorite garden tomato.

I'm going to go check the plant now. I used to have a small paint
brush. I think it's still around here somewhere.

"songbird" wrote in message
...
Gus wrote:
I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but
one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one
tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any
tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.

there are many possible reasons, but if the
plant is not in some way isolated from pollinators
or otherwise protected from the wind or the rain
then i would guess that it is a mutation that
affects self-pollination.

you could try to take pollen off another plant
and to hand pollinate a flower and see if that
works (using a small paint brush).

this year for us our cherry tomatoes are fairly
barren, the beefsteaks are doing fine. usually
we have more cherry tomatoes than we can eat.


songbird


Just checked and still no tomatoes on that one plant. I can't find my
little paintbrush but have a new 1.5 inch; I guess that will work if
careful?

Another half eaten tomato from the plant next to it. I've come to the
conclusion the only way to deal with the squirrels here is just plant so
many tomato plants it can't eat them all. They are very territorial so
I think it's just the one squirrel, maybe it's mate too. Earlier this
year, I harvested about a dozen tomatoes after it started in on eating
the green ones. A second crop is forming now and should be ready for
picking in a week or two.

"songbird" wrote in message
...
Gus wrote:
I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but
one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one
tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any
tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.

there are many possible reasons, but if the
plant is not in some way isolated from pollinators
or otherwise protected from the wind or the rain
then i would guess that it is a mutation that
affects self-pollination.

you could try to take pollen off another plant
and to hand pollinate a flower and see if that
works (using a small paint brush).

this year for us our cherry tomatoes are fairly
barren, the beefsteaks are doing fine. usually
we have more cherry tomatoes than we can eat.


songbird



This seems helpful. I do have Qtips... I didn't know there were male
and female flowers. In the past, I just planted plants and they grew
and produced on their own.

http://vegibee.com/index.php/hand-pollination

"Gus" wrote in message
...
"songbird" wrote in message
...
Gus wrote:
I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but
one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one
tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any
tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.

there are many possible reasons, but if the
plant is not in some way isolated from pollinators
or otherwise protected from the wind or the rain
then i would guess that it is a mutation that
affects self-pollination.

you could try to take pollen off another plant
and to hand pollinate a flower and see if that
works (using a small paint brush).

this year for us our cherry tomatoes are fairly
barren, the beefsteaks are doing fine. usually
we have more cherry tomatoes than we can eat.


songbird



This seems helpful. I do have Qtips... I didn't know there were male
and female flowers. In the past, I just planted plants and they grew
and produced on their own.

http://vegibee.com/index.php/hand-pollination



I'm more confused. All the flowers on the plants look the same. I don't
see any that look female like the article shows. Even on the other
plants that are producing they all have what appears to be a stamen
sticking out of the flower. The flowers all look the same.

Gus wrote:
"songbird" wrote in message
...
Gus wrote:
I have 8 plants and 7 all have had a decent number of tomatoes, but
one
plant has not had any. It is the plant the has grown the best and
biggest and looks the healthiest. It's actually huge-- over 6 feet
tall, and filled out well. Has had lots of flowers, but not one
tomato.
It's in the same spot as I had one last year that produced many
tomatoes. I'm confused why this one plant is not growing any
tomatoes,
and it is the biggest and healthiest of the lot.

there are many possible reasons, but if the
plant is not in some way isolated from pollinators
or otherwise protected from the wind or the rain
then i would guess that it is a mutation that
affects self-pollination.

you could try to take pollen off another plant
and to hand pollinate a flower and see if that
works (using a small paint brush).

this year for us our cherry tomatoes are fairly
barren, the beefsteaks are doing fine. usually
we have more cherry tomatoes than we can eat.


songbird


Just checked and still no tomatoes on that one plant. I can't find my
little paintbrush but have a new 1.5 inch; I guess that will work if
careful?

Probably not.

The hand pollination is a long shot. Tomatoes are usually self-pollinating.
While bird's idea is not impossible it is far from likely.

By 'small' I would picture a brush of 3mm (1/8th in) not 1.5in. You have to
get the tip into the flower and on to the anther, the little spike in the
middle.



Another half eaten tomato from the plant next to it. I've come to the
conclusion the only way to deal with the squirrels here is just plant
so many tomato plants it can't eat them all.

Or perhaps yopu will produce a boom in their numbers.

They are very
territorial so I think it's just the one squirrel, maybe it's mate
too. Earlier this year, I harvested about a dozen tomatoes after it
started in on eating the green ones. A second crop is forming now
and should be ready for picking in a week or two.

Have you tried netting them? Bird net is cheap.

--
David

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A better world requires a daily struggle
against those who would mislead us.