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Help! I started doing container gardening when I moved into my apartment - tiny places, so container gardening rocks! However, I've run into a few issues. My tomato plant and my jalapeno plant aren't growing any fruits! They both have loads of blossoms, and the tomato plant is absolutely enormous. It's almost 3 feet tall, with about 8 different clusters of blossoms... but no fruits

I'm obviously not getting any pollination... but can I do anything? I read on the tomato thread that your tomato plant can become sterile - is that why it's so big, but not bearing fruit? Is my poor tomato plant... broken!?

My mom ( a long time gardener) suggested that I may be able to get some fertilizer that would help it out. Ideally, I would also be using my own compost on the poor things, but living in an apartment complex full of snobs doesn't really allow me to do that

So.... any ideas?

I have one tomato plant not producing fruit, just flowers.

I read on another post here that it is a pollination problem and should clear up but two weeks later, we are eating tomatoes but that one plant is still bare. Please let us know if anything changes. I'm sorry I don't have much help. It might be more of a pollinating insect problem than a plant problem. I hope you get your tomatoes!

I don't know if this will help pippx but the peculiarity of the Tomato flower is that it pollinates internally - that is, the anthers are fused together forming the cone you see in the centre of the flower. Pollination is aided by gently knocking the plant or even the truss itself occasionally when the flowers are fully open; or regularly spraying with water, but of course that can't be done easily in an apartment.
The pepper pollination would need assistance if pollinating insects are absent. Use a fine artists brush and transfer the pollen from the anthers onto the stigma by hand.

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Get a tuning fork of middle c. Ring the fork and place the base against the base of the TOMATO flower. Pollination will occur.
This mimics what bumblebees do naturally(the buzz is what causes the pollination). This technique has been used in (small) greenhouses for a very, very long time. Large greenhouses use other methods as it is too time consuming to 'ring' every single flower.

Pollinating peppers is a bit harder.
ed: I say that because they are S2B self pollinating but if they are not doing it, I don't know what key will stimulate it to occur. ...have not tried middle c, maybe you can?

Loud (to the plant) classical music might work. I had a friend years ago that had amazing plants all over the place and claimed it was the (classical) music. I read some research reports indicating positive reactions by various kinds of plants but, honestly, I don't know.
The "snobs" probably won't be bothered by classics. They might even start being nice to you.

One more thing:
If you are feeding the plants with a (relatively) high nitrogen content fertilizer, stop. Too much nitro' will cause both peppers and tomatoes to grow but not set fruit.
Depending on the size of the container, try a pinch or two of EPSOM SALTS( Mg sulfate ) instead. Grocery store, drug store, ... carry Epsom Salts. The tomato will appreciate Epsom Plus(Mg + potash) but that is probably going to have to be obtained from a garden center(or internet).
Just a pinch tho' cuz too much won't make it work any faster|better and can burn the roots(plants die from that).
(pinch == 1/8 - 1/4 tsp out spread around the edge of the plants' "drip line" & water it in afterwards).

Good Luck!

Hi pippx,

Since your plants are inside they do need pollenated. You have no bees in there I hope so what you can try is touching all of the flowers very lightly. If you touch them all a few times a couple times a week you should pollenate the yourself. It should work because that what the bees do!!!

Kitty

Most tomatoes are self polinating and come after the flowers but if you are concerned about polinating, you could use a soft paint brush and do it yourself and see if it makes any difference.

Hope this helps