I know this has been posted about before but I am looking for some more
opinions on the subject. I've got two Big Boy tomato plants that I
bought when they were about an inch tall and I planted them in big
pots. They have grown into big sturdy plants, but I have no tomatoes,
not even a small one yet. The flowers turn brown and fall off. Can
someone give me some ideas?? I was looking forward to homegrown
tomatoes this summer. I live in St. Louis, MO, and its been nice and
sunny and warm, and I know they've gotten enough water. I also am
pretty sure I am not overwatering because I had to adjust my watering
since the soil was drying out.

Thanks!

Licorice Tattoo wrote:

I know this has been posted about before but I am looking for some more
opinions on the subject. I've got two Big Boy tomato plants that I
bought when they were about an inch tall and I planted them in big
pots. They have grown into big sturdy plants, but I have no tomatoes,
not even a small one yet. The flowers turn brown and fall off. Can
someone give me some ideas?? I was looking forward to homegrown
tomatoes this summer. I live in St. Louis, MO, and its been nice and
sunny and warm, and I know they've gotten enough water. I also am
pretty sure I am not overwatering because I had to adjust my watering
since the soil was drying out.

Thanks!


Blossom Drop! (Cool name for a irritating problem

The problem is usually a result of some sort of stress.

What kind of fertilizer have you been using and how often?

What kind of soil do you have in the pots?

Are they outdoors?

Have there been temperature extremes between night and day?

Has the night temps gone below 55F?

Has it been overly humid or overly dry?

Is there anything you can think of that may have interfered with
pollination?

Any insect damage?

Have you removed any part of the plant (aside from young suckers)?

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

"Licorice Tattoo" wrote in message
oups.com...
I know this has been posted about before but I am looking for some more
opinions on the subject. I've got two Big Boy tomato plants that I
bought when they were about an inch tall and I planted them in big
pots. They have grown into big sturdy plants, but I have no tomatoes,
not even a small one yet. The flowers turn brown and fall off. Can
someone give me some ideas?? I was looking forward to homegrown
tomatoes this summer. I live in St. Louis, MO, and its been nice and
sunny and warm, and I know they've gotten enough water. I also am
pretty sure I am not overwatering because I had to adjust my watering
since the soil was drying out.

Thanks!

Blossum Drop. It's a common malady. I know there is a liquid that can be
sprayed on your plants but I forgot what it is at the moment. It's a
nutrient deficancy. I'l research and let you know what I find. In the
meantime see your local garden center. They will likely know what it is.
Dave...Down in Florida

1. The only thing I've been using in the way of fertilizer is Miracle
Grow Tomato food, once a week, mixed per the directions on the box.

2. Soil...........Well first I planted them in Miracle Grow Garden
Soil, then I read on the back about a week later not ot use with pots!
I thought I could get away with it but I replanted a few weeks later in
Miracle Grow Potting Soil to be on the safe side.

3. They are outside and they get sun almost all day long

4. It has been pretty hot and dry here in st. louis 90+. At night
probably only drops to 80 degrees.

5.See 4

6. See 4

7. I've been flicking the blossoms to encourage pollination

8. No insect damage that I can see

9. I haven't removed any part of the plant, even suckers.

All this said, my mom is growing tomatoes just fine in pots at her
house, which is also in St. louis.

Thanks!

Blossom Drop! (Cool name for a irritating problem

The problem is usually a result of some sort of stress.

What kind of fertilizer have you been using and how often?

What kind of soil do you have in the pots?

Are they outdoors?

Have there been temperature extremes between night and day?

Has the night temps gone below 55F?

Has it been overly humid or overly dry?

Is there anything you can think of that may have interfered with
pollination?

Any insect damage?

Have you removed any part of the plant (aside from young suckers)?

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

Blossum Drop. It's a common malady. I know there is a liquid that can be
sprayed on your plants but I forgot what it is at the moment. It's a
nutrient deficancy. I'l research and let you know what I find. In the
meantime see your local garden center. They will likely know what it is.
Dave...Down in Florida


Dave, thanks for the response. Please let me know if you find out what
that is. I called a nursery and the lady I talked to didn't know.

wrote:
1. The only thing I've been using in the way of fertilizer is Miracle
Grow Tomato food, once a week, mixed per the directions on the box.

Okay...the only thing I can see is that you might be over-fertilizing
them. Too much nitrogen in particular can cause blossom drop. Cut back
on the feedings to once every two weeks (even two and half or three weeks).


2. Soil...........Well first I planted them in Miracle Grow Garden
Soil, then I read on the back about a week later not ot use with pots!
I thought I could get away with it but I replanted a few weeks later in
Miracle Grow Potting Soil to be on the safe side.

This is the other possibility. Blossom drop can be caused by any
stressor. The potting soil is the stuff for containers cause the regular
stuff would be too compact. It's possible that they were affected by the
transplantation. If this is the case, subsequent flowering should be okay.

Another thought too...with the weekly fertilization and the (rich)
Miracle Gro potting soil...it could simply be too much of a good thing.
Cutting back on the feeding is definitely a necessity.

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.




3. They are outside and they get sun almost all day long

4. It has been pretty hot and dry here in st. louis 90+. At night
probably only drops to 80 degrees.

5.See 4

6. See 4

7. I've been flicking the blossoms to encourage pollination

8. No insect damage that I can see

9. I haven't removed any part of the plant, even suckers.

All this said, my mom is growing tomatoes just fine in pots at her
house, which is also in St. louis.

Thanks!


Blossom Drop! (Cool name for a irritating problem

The problem is usually a result of some sort of stress.

What kind of fertilizer have you been using and how often?

What kind of soil do you have in the pots?

Are they outdoors?

Have there been temperature extremes between night and day?

Has the night temps gone below 55F?

Has it been overly humid or overly dry?

Is there anything you can think of that may have interfered with
pollination?

Any insect damage?

Have you removed any part of the plant (aside from young suckers)?

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

On 25 Jun 2006 09:32:51 -0700, wrote:

Blossum Drop. It's a common malady. I know there is a liquid that can be
sprayed on your plants but I forgot what it is at the moment. It's a
nutrient deficancy. I'l research and let you know what I find. In the
meantime see your local garden center. They will likely know what it is.
Dave...Down in Florida


Dave, thanks for the response. Please let me know if you find out what
that is. I called a nursery and the lady I talked to didn't know.

I think he might have confused Blossom Drop with Blossom End Rot.
There is a product for the later, but not the former.


Penelope

--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

Steve, if it has been above 90° daytime temp and above 75° at night,
this is the problem. Most tomatoes will not set fruit at those
temperatures. This is why it is important to plant them early enough
that they have a chance to set their first blossoms while the
temperatures are still below those I mentioned above.

wrote:

1. The only thing I've been using in the way of fertilizer is Miracle
Grow Tomato food, once a week, mixed per the directions on the box.

2. Soil...........Well first I planted them in Miracle Grow Garden
Soil, then I read on the back about a week later not ot use with pots!
I thought I could get away with it but I replanted a few weeks later in
Miracle Grow Potting Soil to be on the safe side.

3. They are outside and they get sun almost all day long

4. It has been pretty hot and dry here in st. louis 90+. At night
probably only drops to 80 degrees.

5.See 4

6. See 4

7. I've been flicking the blossoms to encourage pollination

8. No insect damage that I can see

9. I haven't removed any part of the plant, even suckers.

All this said, my mom is growing tomatoes just fine in pots at her
house, which is also in St. louis.

Thanks!


Blossom Drop! (Cool name for a irritating problem

The problem is usually a result of some sort of stress.

What kind of fertilizer have you been using and how often?

What kind of soil do you have in the pots?

Are they outdoors?

Have there been temperature extremes between night and day?

Has the night temps gone below 55F?

Has it been overly humid or overly dry?

Is there anything you can think of that may have interfered with
pollination?

Any insect damage?

Have you removed any part of the plant (aside from young suckers)?

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

Penelope Periwinkle wrote:
On 25 Jun 2006 09:32:51 -0700, wrote:

Blossum Drop. It's a common malady. I know there is a liquid that can be
sprayed on your plants but I forgot what it is at the moment. It's a
nutrient deficancy. I'l research and let you know what I find. In the
meantime see your local garden center. They will likely know what it is.
Dave...Down in Florida


Dave, thanks for the response. Please let me know if you find out what
that is. I called a nursery and the lady I talked to didn't know.

I think he might have confused Blossom Drop with Blossom End Rot.
There is a product for the later, but not the former.


Penelope

--
Don't you just hate those know it alls who right away assume others are
confused?

Dave was probably thinking of something like
http://www.gardensalive.com/product....cd2=1151640642

Don't know if it works or not.

On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:51:07 -0700, Licorice Tattoo wrote:

I know this has been posted about before but I am looking for some more
opinions on the subject. I've got two Big Boy tomato plants that I
bought when they were about an inch tall and I planted them in big
pots. They have grown into big sturdy plants, but I have no tomatoes,
not even a small one yet. The flowers turn brown and fall off. Can
someone give me some ideas?? I was looking forward to homegrown
tomatoes this summer. I live in St. Louis, MO, and its been nice and
sunny and warm, and I know they've gotten enough water. I also am
pretty sure I am not overwatering because I had to adjust my watering
since the soil was drying out.

Thanks!

I've got 3 dozen tomato plants in my garden and they don't have any signs
of tomatoes yet. The plants are big and healthy looking and they have
flowers but no sign of fruit. I put them in in early June so I'm hoping
it's just a matter of time. I'm in New England, we've had an incredible
amount of rain this year. Is there any hope that I'm going to get anything?

General Schvantzkoph wrote:
On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:51:07 -0700, Licorice Tattoo wrote:

I've got 3 dozen tomato plants in my garden and they don't have any signs
of tomatoes yet. The plants are big and healthy looking and they have
flowers but no sign of fruit. I put them in in early June so I'm hoping
it's just a matter of time. I'm in New England, we've had an incredible
amount of rain this year. Is there any hope that I'm going to get anything?

Are they all one variety?

I've been able to harvest 6 Jolly tomatoes. Some of the other
varieties have some green fruits. My Pineapple tomatoes have flowers
only and some of them dropped. So I guess it depends on which variety
you got. Besides you've only had them in the ground for less than 30
days.

On Mon, 03 Jul 2006 18:00:42 -0700, James wrote:


General Schvantzkoph wrote:
On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:51:07 -0700, Licorice Tattoo wrote:

I've got 3 dozen tomato plants in my garden and they don't have any signs
of tomatoes yet. The plants are big and healthy looking and they have
flowers but no sign of fruit. I put them in in early June so I'm hoping
it's just a matter of time. I'm in New England, we've had an incredible
amount of rain this year. Is there any hope that I'm going to get anything?

Are they all one variety?

I've been able to harvest 6 Jolly tomatoes. Some of the other
varieties have some green fruits. My Pineapple tomatoes have flowers
only and some of them dropped. So I guess it depends on which variety
you got. Besides you've only had them in the ground for less than 30
days.

Several different varieties, Early Girls, Big Boys, and a couple of others.

"Jim Elbrecht" wrote in message
...
[snip]
I gave up on Early Girl this year. [never seemed that early-- and the
fruits were always real small with little flavor] For my early
tomato I planted Scotia. My 6 Scotia plants have a few dozen
tomatoes- several slightly larger than golf balls.

I/ve had much better luck (better size; flavor) with EGs as a late season
crop. I/m getting ready to set EG plants this weekend. They/ll start
coming in around mid-September.

"TQ" ToweringQs AT adelphia.net wrote:

-snip-
I/ve had much better luck (better size; flavor) with EGs as a late season
crop. I/m getting ready to set EG plants this weekend. They/ll start
coming in around mid-September.

That sounded like such a good idea that I was thinking about where I
would get some seed. Then I remembered that in my part of the world,
Zone 5-6 in NY, I'm still picking lots of indeterminates in mid Sept--
and wondering when a hard freeze will kill them all. [Average killing
frost is Sept 15 here-- but I was still picking tomatoes on Oct 4th in
1987 when we got an early 6 inches of snow.]

I've gotten a second crop of peas, and a second of beans-- but I'll
leave a second crop of Tomatoes to you folks below the Mason-Dixon.

Jim

On Tue, 04 Jul 2006 07:04:10 -0400, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

General Schvantzkoph wrote:

-snip-
Several different varieties, Early Girls, Big Boys, and a couple of others.

I'm near Albany, NY. We had the same weird spring with a *very*
hot/wet May, and a super-soaker of a June. Though in New England you
probably got even more rain than we did- we got 9-10 inches. Not good
blossom setting weather.

I gave up on Early Girl this year. [never seemed that early-- and the
fruits were always real small with little flavor] For my early
tomato I planted Scotia. My 6 Scotia plants have a few dozen
tomatoes- several slightly larger than golf balls.

Beefmaster has a couple tiny tomatoes, nothing on the Roma or San
Marzaan -- and oddly, I think, nothing showing on the Sweet 100s.

I'm in the San Joaquin Valley, CA and my Sweet 100s have been very
prolific. I have two plants and have been getting bowls of tomatoes
for about two weeks. I planted on April 22. Delicious!

Celebrity and Brandywine have blossoms but no fruit yet.

I'm starting to harvest from my 3 Celebrities. I also have 3 of some
Beef Steak variety that are looking really good. There must be at
least 100 green tomatoes in various stages on these 6 plants. The
last couple of years I had horrible luck with the tomatoes - blossom
drop just like the OP. This year I moved my garden about 8 blocks
away to my gentleman friend's nice raised bed. We had an excellent
spring into early summer with not the usual high heat which I'm
thinking probably was a significant factor in the blossom drop
business in the past.
I'm itching to get enough tomatoes all at once to start canning.
Hopefully I'll have enough bell peppers of my own to use in the stewed
tomatoes.
Sue


The season is young.

Jim