tomato question

so im in texas and its pretty hot my tomato plants get the afternoon sun which is really hot so i put up some burlap shade cloth for them. my question is how come my tomatoes pollenate but do not grow bigger? i was told by someone that it is because it is hot but when i look it up it is saying that if its too hot the flowers wont pollenate. i have alot of flowers/ set fruit. but non grow at all. is it cause it is too hot also? its a early girl if that makes any difference.

find tomatoes take like 4-6 weeks to finish, how long has it been?

im sure i emember reading somewhere the flowers fall off in temps above 90. i know here in ohilly my toms looked like shit in july (mostly above 90) and now they're all popping at the same time. im also growing early girl. i also had a lot of bottom end rot probs. mb when it cools down there you might get a small payoff?

its been around 2-3 weeks since the first ones were pollinated.

when you say flowers fall off does this mean they fall off before pollination? my flowers fall off after they have been pollinated. but than the fruit does not grow.
im hoping that when it gets a little cooler it will help the tomato want to grow its fruit.

yea pretty sure thats what he means. tomato/nightshade flowers in general are very tender and even brief breaks in regular watering during high heat/irradiance/dryness = less yield as the flowers (tender new shootds) are the first to die. sucks about the blossom-end rot, db, looks like it could be partially Ca def, I don't see it often and can confirm via the local "pioneer weeds" that my till is Ca rich---I see it if i use fish too heavy with fruit on the vine, even green:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3117.html
Cause

Blossom-end rot is not caused by a parasitic organism but is a physiologic disorder associated with a low concentration of calcium in the fruit. Calcium is required in relatively large concentrations for normal cell growth. When a rapidly growing fruit is deprived of necessary calcium, the tissues break down, leaving the characteristic dry, sunken lesion at the blossom end. Blossom-end rot is induced when demand for calcium exceeds supply. This may result from low calcium levels or high amounts of competitive cations in the soil, drought stress, or excessive soil moisture fluctuations which reduce uptake and movement of calcium into the plant, or rapid, vegetative growth due to excessive nitrogen fertilization.

dank smoker420 said:

its been around 2-3 weeks since the first ones were pollinated.

when you say flowers fall off does this mean they fall off before pollination? my flowers fall off after they have been pollinated. but than the fruit does not grow.
im hoping that when it gets a little cooler it will help the tomato want to grow its fruit.

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you have to tap the trellis its on to pollinate the flower. dont forget to pull off and shoots that come from the middle of the stock and leaf branch, they such nutes from the plant.

i think i have blossom drop. i believe that the flowers die before it can be fully pollenated since it is about over 100 everyday. and than the pedals dry up and fall off. but i still have a little tiny fruit. is this what is left over when that happens?


they havent grown any since being "pollenated." i think im going to just cut off the blooms for now and let her veg out some more and than when it get cooler i will let her start flowering.

yeah i would stick with the heirlooms

dannyboy602 said:

im sure i emember reading somewhere the flowers fall off in temps above 90. i know here in ohilly my toms looked like shit in july (mostly above 90) and now they're all popping at the same time. im also growing early girl. i also had a lot of bottom end rot probs. mb when it cools down there you might get a small payoff?

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I was in new spot this year and didn't have enough calcium, had a lot of end rot as well. But now I know for next year, I'm already prepping a second garden spot for next year so I have room to do everything I missed out on this year.

dank smoker420 said:

so im in texas and its pretty hot my tomato plants get the afternoon sun which is really hot so i put up some burlap shade cloth for them. my question is how come my tomatoes pollenate but do not grow bigger? i was told by someone that it is because it is hot but when i look it up it is saying that if its too hot the flowers wont pollenate. i have alot of flowers/ set fruit. but non grow at all. is it cause it is too hot also? its a early girl if that makes any difference.

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I've grown outside in Ca., Oregon, and Ga., and never had a temp issue, my understanding was they like heat and sun, since I have relatives with tomato farms in the valley, and they always finish around this time.
You didn't mention what strain you have........... sure you're not growing a cherry type tomato?
Do you spray with 'tomato set'?

imchucky666 said:

I've grown outside in Ca., Oregon, and Ga., and never had a temp issue, my understanding was they like heat and sun, since I have relatives with tomato farms in the valley, and they always finish around this time.
You didn't mention what strain you have........... sure you're not growing a cherry type tomato?
Do you spray with 'tomato set'?

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i have also herd that is you plant them early and they set in the spring than they will continue to go into the hotter months. but if it is a newer plant and has not produced before the heat than the heat will not allow it to. that my understanding i guess it will reallybe put to test next year. i have early girl and a cherry type called gold rush. and i do not use tomato set. i think that i might have a few small ones growing since the temp has cooled down and the little tomatoes i see are a bit bigger than the others that did not grow.

COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER is upon us and killing my vegetable harvests!To help my veges pollenate I have lavender,sage,and lots of clovers planted,the bees love it.Do not plant these bee loving flowering plants up high bees hate the wind.You can pollenate by hand by plucking male flowers and gently rubbing female flowers with it.I can only say that a male flower has something(stamen?)sticking out from the middle of the flower,female ones don't.I don't think it's the heat,it's more the damn humid and damp,dewy mornings we have in TEXAS that kills us.Pollen and water is no good,yeah and water your plants on the soil,i only foliar feed an hour before sunset.BTW I grow heirlooms(black krim,Cherokee purps),peppers,cucs,cantelope and carrots.I hope my post can help somebody good luck with y'alls gardens

dannyboy602 said:

im sure i emember reading somewhere the flowers fall off in temps above 90. i know here in ohilly my toms looked like shit in july (mostly above 90) and now they're all popping at the same time. im also growing early girl. i also had a lot of bottom end rot probs. mb when it cools down there you might get a small payoff?

Click to expand...

My tomatoes did wonderfully this year with Temps in the 100's & high 90's most of the summer. Water, Water, Water that's the key!!!!!!..... I still have some I'm harvesting.......... if it stay's hot enough I should have some in Oct. ........ & of course proper soil makes a big diff.