A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Tomato plant flowers

Hi, I've only strated gardening this year and really don't know what I'm doing. Most of my plants are growing really well but I'm worried about my tomato plants. I have some outside in an unheated mini greenhouse & some on my kitchen windowsill. They've all just started flowering in the last week and are only flowering at the very tops of the plants. Is this too late to produce tomatoes? Should they be flowering all over? I've been pinching out new growths off the stem and watering them any time they start to look a bit dry (and feeding for the last month or so) Are they OK?

Hi Caragh,
Welcome!

I'm no expert (this is my first year gardening too), but I'm am successfully growing 2 tomato plants right now. I think the answer to your questions will depend on several factors. When did you plant them? How many months of warm weather are left in your season? What kind of tomatoes are you growing?

Tomato plants generally take around 65-80 days to mature, and they need about 6 hours of sunshine per day. There are some guidelines about minimum and maximum temperatures, but I don't know that information. I'm sure someone will answer about that.

First the plants will make flowers, then the tomato develops where the flower joins to the plant, then the flower falls off. To give you a idea (but I don't know if this is typical) my cherry tomatoes have been green and hanging on the vine since mid June. None have turned red yet. My regular tomatoes are on about the same schedule.

You mention you have some tomatoes growing on your windowsill. I want to caution you that they will grow very tall (mine are taller than I am), so they need a sufficiently large pot (mine are in 20" diameter containers), and plenty of vertical space as well.

Best of luck to you. I'm sure you'll find the help you need on this forum.

Hi Carah
I have grown tomatos for 40yrs or so, and worked in a garden centre for half of those years. To get back to your question. You should have your tomatos outside where the bees can polinate the flowers so they will have fruit for you. If that is not possible you can polinate them yourself by using the thing you clean your ears out with. Just put into the middle of the flower and take it the next one and so on. This what the bees do they go from flower to flower. The other lady said something they will get large both in height and width. That is true, so you might want to move them somerwhere were they can grow. You will have to stake them so they don't fall over.

Hi,
Thought I would add my tomato 2 cents, smile. They need night time temps of at least 55 degrees. Any colder and you have to provide some sort of cover/protection. You may want to do a search on this board for tomatoes AND containers or just container gardening. I won't go into it here, but root space, soil texture, watering and feeding schedules are very different from planting in the ground.
Diana

I'm only fourteen and have been gardening for four years this year my tomatoes would flower but wouldn't produce tomatoes. So I asked my 84 year old great grandma what to do. at first I thought she was crazy, but i have to admit that it worked. she said to take a broom and beat the bush, and it would start producing tomatoes. in a few weeks all five of my tomatoes started producing tomatoes. They are an easy plant to take care of. I was just goofing around one year and cross pollenated a "big boy" tomatoe with a "cherry" Tomatoe I came up with a little plant that produces med. tomatoes. Good Luck!!!

Thanks to everyone who replyed, I'll definately be trying your suggestions. X