My tomatoes are greenhouse grown, large, healthy but loads of leaves, not many flowers, why?
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Make sure you remove the suckers - shoots that grow in the junction where an artery branch leaves the main stem. These use up lots of energy and don't produce fruit.
Too early. They will start to set trusses within the next 2-4 weeks.
They must not be ready. Its just too early. Give it another two or 4 weeks
I think your problem is you have to much leaf growth. If you cut most of the lower leaves off at the axle the goodness will be drawn to the tomato truss. However remember to side shoot as well.
I was fortunate enough to get my tomato`s in early and because of the good weather they have come on leaps and bounds.
Good luck
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They are getting too much nitrogen (perhaps from a compost not well rotted?) Or too much nitrogen in the fertiliser? To make fruit, the tomato needs more potash. In the UK, you will find Tomorite very good.
What did you do to the soil to present the plants? It is early for flowering in most areas.
Make sure the plantings have room to grow both verticle and horizontal. If you have bush tomatoe plants have you installed the cages into the soil? If not do so now! If you have upright plants have you installed the stakes for tie? If not do so now!
At this early stage a leafy plant is a good thing. Provided you properly prepared the bed with good depth, proper acidic soil, and have irrigation readily available, you will be fine. Sounds as if you did not do this based on your question.
If you have not already caged or staked the plants do so this weekend. In the case of staking purchase some cheesecloth strips or save yourself some money and go to the local $1 store and buy pantyhose (yes, pantyhose!). Make sure your spacing of plants allows for the spread of both the plant and roots.
While out and about you will want to purchase a few other items for a good yield. First will be a low nitrogen fertilizer that is high in Phos, and Potash. Frankly, I hate to say it, however, the Mircle-Gro products (granular and Liquid) are great for your application. If you happened to Mulch the plants make sure the mulch is a minimum of three inches from the base of the plant. If you did not mulch get a shreeded hardwood mulch for a minimum of two inches depth around the plant. I would purchase the Mir-Gro sprayer and chemical. While I am at it I would purchase a pint of Ivory Liquid Dish Detergent, and a Bayer Fruit&Veg organic spray.
The sprayer is going to be handy.
Fert as per the manuf. dir. Use the Ivory soap at 1Tbsp per gallon over the entire plant (top and bottom of leaves) once a month until harvest. This will control a number of insects. Utilize the Bayer product as per the manuf. dir.
A cage plant needs more care than a staked. In mid June, after the full flowering, you need to remove any and all brown leaf material from the plant to the stem. You need to do this a minimum of once a week. This is a sign of disease or distress. To reduce the stress/disease water the plants deeply 1" per week and sprinkle as needed. Remulch in mid July and again in mid August with mixing the existing mulch into the soil and a light layer of mulch to the surface.
The staked plants is where the pantyhose come into play.
As the stem grows upwards you are going to use the cuttings of a pantyhose to support and secure the plant. Cut the pantyhose into long strips that can wrap, one time, around the stem and the stake. Make the strips long enough, and the knot loose enough, that you can allow for extra room as the plant grows. The bottom ties need to be loosened in August while the tops will be loosened in September. Good Luck.
Lilypad answered the Q,
Too many big ole hybrid leaves,
the poor honey bee cant find your blossom.
the problem is too much nytrogen in the feed you are using.make sure you are using a tomato feed this is higher in potash. if you are growing in growbags they are always high in nytrogen at the start but it will be used up quite quickly and you should get the growth back under control
are they in an area that receives really right light? would it be possible to take them from the greenhouse into full sun?
use a fertilizer where the second # is higher that the first and the last. several ppl have said this, but have not explained the reason.
the first # is for top growth
the second is for blooms, blossoms
the third for root growth
hope this helps.
hope they are in a new growbag and not last years one! you need to get rid of the nasty suckers that grow out from leaf joints they are taking away the goodness for the rest of the plant and flowers you need to do this every week.give the plant a light shake as well to help rooting..use only tomatoe feed as well.. nip the top out as well .happy growing
You've not been pinching out the side shoots, the shoots that grow between the main stem and the horizontal shoots. It's best to snap them off when they are about and inch long.
It's probably not too late to do it now.
As for the flowers, it's still a bit early yet.
I planted mine on Mother's Day. Only one bloom. But its way early yet. Just wait, water, and wait. They'll come along.
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