Tomato plants not blooming

[jmoore]

As long as you're getting flowers now, do you guys give your tomato flowers a tap or a shake when you see them? I realize the weather/temp is a big factor here, but it wouldn't hurt to help them out a bit.

I've been doing everything with no luck. I agree with ted. It's just been too hot too early in the season. I'm praying the plants hold on until through the summer so I can get a fall crop. At least I have a few tom's growing on one of my plants.

[garden5]

So far, things have been going great with my tomatoes. They all are flowering and my early-planted ones already have some fruit on them. Even the brandywines are flowering. Hopefully, things keep going well.

[applestar]

Have considered/tried using shade cloth/house?

[tedln]

applestar,

Yes, I tap them or shake them. In most cases though, the blooms and the bloom buds just dry up and drop off the plant when it is this hot. They don't even get a chance to set if pollinated.

Ted

[rainbowgardener]

Have considered/tried using shade cloth/house?

yeah we here in Ohio as g5 noted are having a very different season.

But if I were in TX, I would be trying the shade cloth, because it seems like not only could you filter the light, but then you could wet the shade cloth down and it should provide a little bit of evaporative cooling.

[garden5]

Have considered/tried using shade cloth/house?

yeah we here in Ohio as g5 noted are having a very different season.

But if I were in TX, I would be trying the shade cloth, because it seems like not only could you filter the light, but then you could wet the shade cloth down and it should provide a little bit of evaporative cooling.

Yeah, when it get really hot, tomato production reduces so the plants can focus on survival.

[Mac-7]

Mac,

It has been a really weird year for gardens in the North Texas area. I got mine planted early enough that I am getting fruit from blooms that set in early spring, but almost nothing from blooms that should have set in late may. The early heat was simply to intense too early. My plants are acting the way they normally act in mid July. My cucumber plants have already grown over the top of the trellis and all of the lower leaves have turned yellow and dried. The growing tips of the plants are still setting a few fruit. I have already planted new cucumber seed between each plant that is growing and they are just starting to vine up the trellis. I will soon plant some new tomato plants grown from cuttings. The weather man said last night we have a fifteen day forecast of near and over 100 degree temps ahead with almost no prospect of rain. Gardens simply don't do well in those conditions. I just finished building a new 4' X 8' bed and have planted Swiss chard in it. It will germinate, but the seedlings may simply lay over and die when they are exposed to the heat.

Ted

Even my cucumbers are not fruiting.

I have plenty of leaves and plenty of flowers but not a single cucumber this year and they are about 5 feet tall.

It's very strange becuase cucumbers are very easy to grow.

[mansgirl]

I grew 4 brandywines last year and 4 beefeaters. Up here in Michigan, it was cold and wet, but I had a really good harvest of brandywines. I think they even beat my beefeaters out.

[Mac-7]

You know, every year I till the soil and add soil amendments as recommended.

I plant seeds in late winter under lights, nurture them into seedlings and in due time transplant them into my garden.

When they grow into healthy plants and produce fruit and vegetables to eat I feel kind of proud of myself as if I were the main reason for my success.

But it is years like this when I realize that I know practically nothing about natures secrets and probably shouldn't be offering advice to anyone else on the subject of gardening.

Does anyone want to buy a used genious cap at a good price?

[jmoore]

This cracks me up. I feel exactly the same. This is only my second year with a garden and people are always asking me for advice. I tell them what I know but I always feel like a little bit of a fraud.

The way I'm starting to look at my garden is the way I look at hunting. I do my best to prepare a good environment for life to grow and thrive in, and sometimes it works out the way I want it to, sometimes it doesn't. It makes it all that much better when it works out.

Keep your tom's alive and they will get there eventually. EVERYONE I've talked to in TX is having a weird year. Nothing is fruiting like it should be. It's gotta be the heat.

You know, every year I till the soil and add soil amendments as recommended.

I plant seeds in late winter under lights, nurture them into seedlings and in due time transplant them into my garden.

When they grow into healthy plants and produce fruit and vegetables to eat I feel kind of proud of myself as if I were the main reason for my success.

But it is years like this when I realize that I know practically nothing about natures secrets and probably shouldn't be offering advice to anyone else on the subject of gardening.

Does anyone want to buy a used genious cap at a good price?

[Mac-7]

I'm encouraged to see a few cucumbers beginning to grow.

This is very late compared to previous years.

But at least I'm finally getting something even if there are no tomatoes yet.

As long as the plants are healthy I will stick with them and hope for something in the Fall.