Help with my tomato plants, please

[luv2cook]

I have got 3 beautiful tomato plants and out of the 3, only one is starting to get 1 tomato. The others are just huge. Also, my bell pepper plant is the same way and the others have not done well at all.

Any thoughts on what could be wrong or I've done wrong?

I've watered them either every day or every other day and fertilized them. The only strange thing was that we got pelted with hail but they seemed okay. Any help would be appreciated.

[sneezles]

When did you plant them? Did you plant them deep enough? I have only one plant but it's loaded with tomatoes but it seems to be taking forever for them to ripen!

[mandarin2j]

I was just reading about tomato plants yesterday in my organic gardening encyclopedia for a different problem I'm having in my garden. It said you can prune tomato plants to encourage fruit growth. That struck me because it never occurred to me that something that has such a short growth cycle might need pruning. I'm far from a gardening expert, but if the other two plants are just huge, with no fruit, maybe the plants are spending all their energy on growing leaves & branches and not on producing fruit. One note: if you decide to prune, my book said to leave some leaves overhanging where fruit will grow to prevent sunburned fruit.

-Amanda

[sneezles]

Amanda,
When I first planted mine my DH mentioned something about removing the "suckers" from the plant as it grew. I said I didn't know what they were and he couldn't remember just that he use to do it when we had a big garden. So maybe that is where the pruning comes in...just how do you know which one to prune?

[gobluem82]

"Suckers" are the little shoots that start to grow between the main stalk of the plant and a main shoot. They should be pinched off to encourage larger tomatoes. Also, you may want to check the label of the fertilizer you are using--some fertilizers are intended to encourage nice, green foliage while some are formulated to encourage fruits or flowers.

You're lucky--I don't have any tomatoes at all yet--just flowers!

[SusanT]

Make sure you're not overfeeding the plants. If you over fertilize, the plants will produce foliage at the expense of fruit. Try backing off your feeding schedule a little. Your plants may be a little too fat and happy.

Another thought, how hot has it been in your area lately? Tomatoes and peppers like heat. If it's been a little unseasonably cool, they may just be waiting until the weather warms up.

[breadmama]

Novice that I am in the gardening department, I was so pleased last year to see how big my plants grew. All I did was water them. Piece of cake, I thought...until I realized that I wasn't getting any flowers, nor any tomatoes later. My expert gardener neighbor told me that I should have cut off the bottom offshoots (the suckers, probably), and now after reading what the rest of you say, I know what I'll need to do this year. My plant (notice singular!) isn't growing that well yet, but I bet when it warms up it will take off. Now I know what to do...

[Curleytop]

Where do you live? I live in the fog belt in So.Cal. and my tomato plants are not doing to well either. It is too cool and damp here. Today it was sunny!!!!
My plants are blooming, but the blooms are not setting! My dh bought some stuff to make the blossoms set. It is very cool here at night, in the 50s.

[luv2cook]

I live in Houston and no i haven't cut the "suckers" off yet but I will - where's my darn scissors?

The fertilizer is for vegetables, not greenery so I think I'm okay there...

My plants are in pots as I do not have garden space. There was an article in CL last month? that said this woman grows hers in pots and they're beautiful. AND she didn't fertilize. Go figger.

[mandarin2j]

Sneezles:

Looks like lots of answers got posted while I was offline, but here's another 2 cents:

Your DH is right about suckers, according to my book. I had totally forgotten about the sucker thing until your post. Guess I was a tad tired when I was reading last night!

The book has a picture, so here’s a description. From the main stalk, suckers are the little guys that grow in the “Y” joint between full-blown stems and the stalk. The book says they should just pop right off. If they need to be cut off, they’ve been allowed to grow too long. (Though the book doesn’t specify what horrible things will occur should you cut them once they’ve become established, so I’m guessing it just means you ought to really be on top of pruning so the plant doesn’t waste too much energy.)

-Amanda

[Beth]

If you planted them in pots with new composted or enriched soil AND fertilized, my first thought would be too much nitrogen. We had that problem the first year we lived here. We built new raised beds and got a truck load of composted garden soil and mulch, making the beds very rich. DH may have given them Miracle Grow too. We had 6-8 ft tall basil plants, gorgeous tomato and pepper plants, but not a single tomato. Withhold any more fertilizer and see what happens.

[luv2cook]

beth: that could be. we used miracle grow soil-the good stuff for my first adventure into growing. I figured I needed all the help I could get since I have a black thumb!

I mean, i can't even grow cilantro. It has now died and my dill doesn't look too good either... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

[Grace]

Just one more thing to add - different varieties have different cycles too - some produce early, some produce late - maybe you bought one that "matures" later....just a thought.

[Chefmom]

I am by no means an expert, I planted my very first tomato plant last year, this year is veggie garden #2. So far a big Pea crop is my nemisis!!

Okay, one thing stuck out with me that no one has yet mentioned. You said that you are watering every day. Don't. I spent a year reading online everything I could about tomatoes and veggies before planting myself, and the #1 thing I read from Tomato People was to water LONG and LOW about once a week, and twice a week in very dry times.

How are you watering? Tomatoes are a lot like roses, they like to be watered by the roots. I am using a soaker-hose this year, but before I would put the hose on low and water the areas around the roots. Watering deeply also promotes deep root growth. If you constantly water a little each day, then the roots grow very shallow. Say you are away for the weekend and its hot, then you can lose the whole plant since it doesn't have deep, long lasting roots.

So, I think you need to prune some of the bushy leaves, mulch heavily to keep the soil cool, and be sure to fertilize ONLY with a fertilizer that is for good fruit growth, not good leaf growth. The best fertilizer is good compost. In fact, I compost on the one side of my veggie bed, then I turn everything and spread it all out. So far I have had good yields. Except for those blooming peas!!!! I'm trying a Fall harvest this year.

Good Luck!!

Tami

[sneezles]

Well, since both luv2cook and I live in Southeast Texas and our plants are in containers, watering at least every other day is mandatory. Daytime temps are in the 90's and overnight lows are in the 70's so containers dry out quickly around here! I fertilized mine every other week to start and now just once a month. I have plenty of fruit just anxious for it to ripen!

[Vanessa]

Tomatoes respond well to fertilizer applications, especially phosphorus. Excess nitrogen fertilizer can result in plants with extremely vigorous vine growth but little fruit production. Apply 2-1/2 to 3 pounds of a complete fertilizer, such as 5-10-10, 5-20-20, or 8-16-16 per 100 square feet of garden area. Work the fertilizer into the soil about 2 weeks before planting. An additional sidedressing of a nitrogen fertilizer may be desirable after the first cluster of flowers have set fruit.

[Emdg]

I will begin by saying I have never lived in the South, so your season is very different from mine. I am in Ca. on the Central Coast. I grow 12 different varieties of tomatoes, three of which are grown in pots. I have no ripe fruit yet (still too early for an early May planting)Judging by your letter I would agree with the others, stop fertilizing them...there is an old folk saying:

The melon gets a bucket,
The cabbage gets two,
But if you feed the tomato,
It won't feed you.

Also, in regards to sucker pruning.There is debate amongst master gardeners about this one. It was once done to cope with indeterminate varieties which vine all over the place. The practice is supposed to yield earlier, bigger fruit. And it will, if properly executed. However it is not worth the work. It will reduce your overall yield, and because so much foliage is removed you can end up with more cracking, blosson-end rot, and sunscald on the fruit. If you want earlier fruit it seems it would be better to plant a fast-maturing variety. I do not sucker prune.

Watering is always a tricky thing. The main thing is to try to keep the soil evenly moist, not waterlogged, not dry. Mulch can help you here. Too much water will dilute the flavor of your tomatoes.

Sorry to be so long winded...gardening is a passion that teaches me lots of lessons, and after 10 years of serious growing I still learn lessons all the time...patience is one of them! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Anne]

Just a quick thought - tomatoes need more calcium than most veges. I don't know your soil conditions but you might consider adding a bit of crushed egg shell or sea shell. Your local county extension agent (4-H) or gardening club might be a big help.

[luv2cook]

thanks, ya'll. I appreciate the input. I will print this out and give to hubby. He picked the soil.