I'm in Columbia SC and planted late (early June) in a new garden plot
w very rich soil. I also added Miracle grow tomatoe fertilizer not
realizing I was probably over fertilizing. I now have a Mortgage
Lifter that is over 6 feet high but few blossoms and a Marion that is
smaller but also barren. A few blossoms but only one tomatoe so
far.
Can I do anything?
Will these plants likely bear fruit once it cools down some (some days
are below 90 but not for long usually).

--Don

In article .com,
DH Doyle wrote:

Can I do anything?

I don't think so.

Will these plants likely bear fruit once it cools down some (some days
are below 90 but not for long usually).

Yes, but over 90 is just too hot. Temps need to be below that and below
70 F at night for fruit to set. Sometimes you can help pollination
along with a paintbrush or even a good shaking when the temps are too
high. If you have some blossoms, that might be worth a shot.

marcella

In article ,
Marcella Peek wrote:

In article .com,
DH Doyle wrote:

Can I do anything?

I don't think so.

Will these plants likely bear fruit once it cools down some (some days
are below 90 but not for long usually).

Yes, but over 90 is just too hot. Temps need to be below that and below
70 F at night for fruit to set. Sometimes you can help pollination
along with a paintbrush or even a good shaking when the temps are too
high. If you have some blossoms, that might be worth a shot.

marcella

He could try flooding their feet every day to leach the excess
N out of the soil, but at some point, he'd start depriving the
plants of the oxygen they need in the soil. (Waterlog the roots.)

And what you said about high temps, I know it's true, although
we don't have that problem locally.

All of my 'maters are in a hothouse. I shake each plant every
day to ensure pollination, in case a few bees forget to visit.
I have really reliable fruit set. (The paintbrush is for people
with more time than I have to spend on the 'mater plants.)

Jan in Alaska

On Jul 30, 9:32 pm, DH Doyle wrote:
I'm in Columbia SC and planted late (early June) in a new garden plot
w very rich soil. I also added Miracle grow tomatoe fertilizer not
realizing I was probably over fertilizing. I now have a Mortgage
Lifter that is over 6 feet high but few blossoms and a Marion that is
smaller but also barren. A few blossoms but only one tomatoe so
far.
Can I do anything?
Will these plants likely bear fruit once it cools down some (some days
are below 90 but not for long usually).

--Don

Depending on the size of the plot, you can build a shade or arbor
over it to reduce the direct heat and sun on the plants. By doing this
you create a cold spot for them. The shade will cool the soil and the
indirect sunlight will help reduce the strian on the plants.

On Jul 30, 9:32 pm, DH Doyle wrote:
I'm in Columbia SC and planted late (early June) in a new garden plot
w very rich soil. I also added Miracle grow tomatoe fertilizer not
realizing I was probably over fertilizing. I now have a Mortgage
Lifter that is over 6 feet high but few blossoms and a Marion that is
smaller but also barren. A few blossoms but only one tomatoe so
far.
Can I do anything?
Will these plants likely bear fruit once it cools down some (some days
are below 90 but not for long usually).

--Don

As an addition the my last post. Youi can also creat the same
effect by planting the tomatoes between a double row of corn on either
side. The corn also works great for other cool weather crops like
peas, beans, lettuce ect.

I now have a Mortgage Lifter that is over 6 feet high but few blossoms

Too much nitrogen being the first thing to think of, but you probably
already realize that with your comment about overfertilizing.

Also, do they get full sun?

Will these plants likely bear fruit once it cools down some (some
days are below 90 but not for long usually).

If the heat is the problem, I think so. Tomatoes should keep bearing
all season, although they can taper off later in the season.

From all these comments, I'm guessing that next year I need to plant
earlier, not fertilize, and perhaps arrange for some shade. The plot
is exposed to full or almost sun at least half the day. The garage
wall shields the plants from the sun the second half of the day. If
the soil is the problem, can't I send a sample to some state service
and get it analyzed. Let's say I learn there is "too much" nitrogen
in the soil; what then is the solution before I plant?

Meanwhile, I'll wait and see if they don't start setting fruit and
bearing tomatoes later in the season.

On Aug 1, 7:10 am, DH Doyle wrote:
From all these comments, I'm guessing that next year I need to plant

earlier, not fertilize, and perhaps arrange for some shade. The plot
is exposed to full or almost sun at least half the day. The garage
wall shields the plants from the sun the second half of the day. If
the soil is the problem, can't I send a sample to some state service
and get it analyzed. Let's say I learn there is "too much" nitrogen
in the soil; what then is the solution before I plant?

Meanwhile, I'll wait and see if they don't start setting fruit and
bearing tomatoes later in the season.

If you do find out that the soil is nutrient rich, just wait until
it leaches out or plant a heavy feeder crop like corn in it. Also you
can try to add a mulch to the soil that will eat up the nitrogen
during decomposition, like fresh pine or hard wood sawdust or chips.

In article . com,
DH Doyle wrote:

From all these comments, I'm guessing that next year I need to plant
earlier, not fertilize, and perhaps arrange for some shade. The plot
is exposed to full or almost sun at least half the day. The garage
wall shields the plants from the sun the second half of the day. If
the soil is the problem, can't I send a sample to some state service
and get it analyzed. Let's say I learn there is "too much" nitrogen
in the soil; what then is the solution before I plant?

Meanwhile, I'll wait and see if they don't start setting fruit and
bearing tomatoes later in the season.

I can't imagine there being too much nitrogen in the soil, unless it is
a dung heap or it got nuked by Miracle-Grow. I doubt the former and the
later will be flushed away by rain and snow. The Sun may be a problem
because they need about 6 hr of Sun and they don't get the warm
afternoon Sun. Then again it could all be the variety of tomatoes that
you planted. San Marzanos, Brandywines, Mortgagelifters , and others
large tomatoes don't set until late season. These may struggle in
minimal Sun light. Next year, be sure to plant early and midseason
tomatoes as well, to gauge their viability.

Organics encourage soil life and diversity. They create an biome that
will retain and supply nutrients to your plants. Chemicals, like Miracle
Grow, are by and large salts that can kill off most of the microscopic
life of the soil and the larger ones who feed on them.

Bon chance.
--
FB - FFF

Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/