Setting Fruit?????

[Mike Belt]

This is my first year at a straw garden. My beans and tomatoes look great. My tomatoes are and have been loaded with blooms. According to the maturity date I ought to be eating tomatoes come July 1. The problem is I have no tomatoes. Someone was telling me that in order for a plant to "set" fruit the temperature couldn't consitantly stay in the 90's. I never paid much attention to it before and always had tomatoes but they were planted in the ground. Is there any truth to this or do they fruit later since they're in straw?

 

[TX300mag]

Most tomato (almost all) will stop setting fruit when the temperatures STAY above 92 during the day and 72 at night.

West TN usually slows a little during the heat waves of July and August, but doesn't usually stop.

Mine on the Texas gulf coast stop setting fruit aboout the 4th of July and won't resume until mid Sept.

Is it possible you have too much nitrogen?

 

[Mike Belt]

33-0-0 before I planted. 10-10-10 twice since then. Other than that 2 or 3 doses of Scott's tomato food.

 

[TX300mag]

OK, that's the problem.

33-0-0 is ALL nitrogen and generally only useful for corn. Without knowing your soil, it's difficult to narrow it down exactly.

But a good guess would be to fertilize with 13-13-13, 10-10-10, etc at planting. I wouldn't fertilize again until the fruit is set, almost golf ball size. Once a week at most after that, and a low Nitrogen mix like Miracle Grow or Miracle Grow for maters.

I've corrected Nitrogen imbalances with a little success, but it takes time and a LOT of organic material incorporated into the soil.

 

[Mike Belt]

This was my first time straw gardening. As I understood it you had to "condition" your new bales with the 33-0-0 at the beginning to get them to begin to break down. I understand about too much nitrogen. You end up with pretty plants but that's all. Thanks.

 

[WTM]

my jetstars are setting fruit like crazy. have 10 plants with about 100 or so tomatoes on them.

my wife had a problem with her big boys and better boys last year in the heat. they bloomed and then fell off in the heat.

 

[Wobblyshot1]

First of all, I want to thank TX300mag for all the info. I havn't been gardening for too many years and your knowledge is always helpful.

As far as the tomatoes not setting fruit, I've been having the same problems in some of the heirloom variaties that I mostly grow. Some are setting and some aren't.

We've had some uncommonly hot early June temps this year in Tennessee with daytime highs in the mid to upper 90's and lows only in the 70's for days on end. As Tx300 said, not very good for tomatoes.I think herein lies the problem. Several other folks have told me that they've had the same issues.

Temperatures have started to moderate and we've had plenty of rain so I'm hoping the one's not setting fruit will start doing so soon.

 

[TX300mag]

It's hard to say for sure, and anything's a guess (especially from 600 miles away).

I've never done straw garden, I admit. But I can see how a little too much could easily slow things down. If it was, it should self correct over a few weeks.

Mine are slowing, but right on time. We set a record for the number of days over 100 in June. I really envy those of you who can grow them all through the summer!

I'm planting some for seeds Tuesday shooting for an Aug 1 transplant date-and crossing my fingers for a late frost!