Tomato Flowers Not Setting
 

My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling off
and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!

Lowes carrys a product called "Blossom setter", formulated just for this
problem. I've used in the last two years on mine and it seems to work.

D.D. Palmer wrote:
My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling off
and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!

Is it a spray?


"Larry" wrote in message
ink.net...
Lowes carrys a product called "Blossom setter", formulated just for this
problem. I've used in the last two years on mine and it seems to work.

D.D. Palmer wrote:
My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling
off and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!

Try flickin' 'em.


My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling off
and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!

D.D. Palmer wrote:
My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling
off and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!

Larry wrote:
Lowes carrys a product called "Blossom setter", formulated just for this
problem. I've used in the last two years on mine and it seems to work.

Flowers not setting is a symptom of a problem. How do you know that "Blossom
setter" is the right solution to the underlying problem? It may be a
solution to *a* problem that has a symptom of flowers falling off, but the
problem DD is having might not be that problem.

More information is needed before a diagnosis can be done, and an accurate
diagnosis is needed before one can declare a particular product to be the
solution to the problem. It doesn't make sense to start spraying some random
chemical on plants growing what will eventually be food.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
What's on TV? See the new fall network schedules online:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/tele.../fall2005.html

On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:51:08 -0400, D.D. Palmer wrote:

My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling off
and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!

Good day D.D. As I read above, I'm asuming that your plants are otherwise
healthy. There are two possibilities that I can think of, one being over
fertilization. If you used a high nitrogen fertilizer this can retard
flower and / or fruit set.

The other possibility could be some sort of insect. Earwigs come to mind
for me. I've seen them do great damage to apple trees. They tend to cut
the blooms off.

If you over fertilized, then you can leech it outof the soil with a few
good waterings. For earwigs, look for any insect activity during the early
morning and late evening.
Then always the third possibility... I wrong on the first two 80(

Good luck

--
Yard Works Gardening Co.
http://ywgc.com/resources.html

What else do you want to know? The plants look great otherwise. It's been
hot and humid although there were long days where there was no rain and I
was careful to only water around the roots. Perhaps the lack of physical
stimulation (pollination?) was the problem? I don't know what else to tell
you.


"Warren" wrote in message
...
D.D. Palmer wrote:
My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling
off and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!

Larry wrote:
Lowes carrys a product called "Blossom setter", formulated just for this
problem. I've used in the last two years on mine and it seems to work.

Flowers not setting is a symptom of a problem. How do you know that
"Blossom setter" is the right solution to the underlying problem? It may
be a solution to *a* problem that has a symptom of flowers falling off,
but the problem DD is having might not be that problem.

More information is needed before a diagnosis can be done, and an accurate
diagnosis is needed before one can declare a particular product to be the
solution to the problem. It doesn't make sense to start spraying some
random chemical on plants growing what will eventually be food.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
What's on TV? See the new fall network schedules online:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/tele.../fall2005.html

I am growing both in the ground with mushroom manure as the only fertilizer
and in EARTHBOXES. The setting problem (or, lack thereof) is seen in BOTH.


"Timothy" wrote in message
news:1118716672.970852f0d60217c834d8b753644379af@t eranews...
On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:51:08 -0400, D.D. Palmer wrote:

My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling
off
and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!

Good day D.D. As I read above, I'm asuming that your plants are otherwise
healthy. There are two possibilities that I can think of, one being over
fertilization. If you used a high nitrogen fertilizer this can retard
flower and / or fruit set.

The other possibility could be some sort of insect. Earwigs come to mind
for me. I've seen them do great damage to apple trees. They tend to cut
the blooms off.

If you over fertilized, then you can leech it outof the soil with a few
good waterings. For earwigs, look for any insect activity during the early
morning and late evening.
Then always the third possibility... I wrong on the first two 80(

Good luck

--
Yard Works Gardening Co.
http://ywgc.com/resources.html

Yes D.D. it is a spray.

D.D. Palmer wrote:
I am growing both in the ground with mushroom manure as the only fertilizer
and in EARTHBOXES. The setting problem (or, lack thereof) is seen in BOTH.


"Timothy" wrote in message
news:1118716672.970852f0d60217c834d8b753644379af@t eranews...

On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:51:08 -0400, D.D. Palmer wrote:


My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling
off
and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!

Good day D.D. As I read above, I'm asuming that your plants are otherwise
healthy. There are two possibilities that I can think of, one being over
fertilization. If you used a high nitrogen fertilizer this can retard
flower and / or fruit set.

The other possibility could be some sort of insect. Earwigs come to mind
for me. I've seen them do great damage to apple trees. They tend to cut
the blooms off.

If you over fertilized, then you can leech it outof the soil with a few
good waterings. For earwigs, look for any insect activity during the early
morning and late evening.
Then always the third possibility... I wrong on the first two 80(

Good luck

--
Yard Works Gardening Co.
http://ywgc.com/resources.html

D.D. Palmer said:

What else do you want to know? The plants look great otherwise. It's been
hot and humid although there were long days where there was no rain and
I was careful to only water around the roots. Perhaps the lack of physical
stimulation (pollination?) was the problem? I don't know what else to tell
you.

Exactly how hot and humid? Night-time low temperatures much above
70-75 deg. F or daytime highs in the 90s can cause blossom drop. High
humidity can also interfere with pollination.

There are specific varieties selected to tolerate high temperatures.

http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/Tomato/heat.html


--
Pat K. ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
I am growing both in the ground with mushroom manure as the only fertilizer
and in EARTHBOXES. The setting problem (or, lack thereof) is seen in BOTH.

Where are you located?

I guess it was that hot...which is rare here in Pittsburgh (meaning no
reason to buy heat-resistant varieties usually).

"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
D.D. Palmer said:

What else do you want to know? The plants look great otherwise. It's been
hot and humid although there were long days where there was no rain and
I was careful to only water around the roots. Perhaps the lack of physical
stimulation (pollination?) was the problem? I don't know what else to tell
you.

Exactly how hot and humid? Night-time low temperatures much above
70-75 deg. F or daytime highs in the 90s can cause blossom drop. High
humidity can also interfere with pollination.

There are specific varieties selected to tolerate high temperatures.

http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/Tomato/heat.html


--
Pat K. ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

Pittsburgh

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"D.D. Palmer" wrote in message
...
I am growing both in the ground with mushroom manure as the only
fertilizer and in EARTHBOXES. The setting problem (or, lack thereof) is
seen in BOTH.

Where are you located?

Larry wrote:
Lowes carrys a product called "Blossom setter", formulated just for this
problem. I've used in the last two years on mine and it seems to work.

D.D. Palmer wrote:

My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling
off and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!


I get the same results using Miracle Grow for Tomatoes and a teaspoon of
sugar to the gallon. Yes, sprayed on.

D.D. Palmer wrote:
My tomato plants look terrific this year, but many flowers are falling off
and not setting. Never had this problem before. Help!


I had a friend who fertilized frequently with Miracle Grow (I believe).
He wound up with 8' high green tomato plants but no tomatoes because
of all the nitrogen. Use a little fertilizer after planting and then
stop unless there is some reason. Plants need to starve a little to
make them set fruit.