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Produce => Under Glass => Topic started by: Tee Gee on July 02, 2018, 13:42:51
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Is anyone else having unusual growth patterns with their tomato plants?
My plants seem to be in good health apart from truss formation, I planted out compact plants rather than say 'leggy'plants and they have all grown on quite nicely except where normally I would expect truss formation every 8"-9" apart, this year they are well in excess of 12" apart, plus there are fewer tomatoes on them than normal.
OK I think the fewer fruits is down to poor pollination due to the particularly dry weather this year, but I can't think of why the spacing is as it is?
Usually when this happens I put it down to the plants have lacked light and have forced there way up to the light but this year the light has been particularly bright so it has me a bit puzzled. :dontknow:
All I can think it is,and this is only an opinion; because the temperatures have been so high during the day the plants have become stressed despite regular watering thus affecting the daytime growth, then overnight the temperatures have been over 60°F (16°C) and they have perhaps continued growing in the dark hence the "legginess" I just don't know. :dontknow:
Looks like I won't have my usual glut of tomatoes this year, then there is the other thought......these stresses may cause more 'blossom end' rot than normal meaning I will get an even smaller crop.
Anyone have any suggestions?
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It may be the variety, as we tend to have cooler weather varieties and they may well be 'out of sorts' this year. Heat isn't normally such a problem, but tomato fruit can actually get sunburn. It may be a good idea not to prune as much as normal while this weather persists, to give the plants a bit of shading. No doubt soon enough all will be back to normal. :wave:
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My ones in the greenhouse that usually do well just aren't growing on ... despite having fresh soil this year and normal watering routine ... one variety is doing better than the rest, but they're all very short. In stark contrast ... my outdoor toms which I always plant just in case we escape the blight ... are like a jungle despite having given them no water since they were planted out at the end of May! Sometimes it just seems like alchemy ... the only good advice seems to be to grow everything and cross your fingers!
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My tomato plants have not grown at all well this year they are only about 8 inches high I tried 2 new varieties to me this year so was looking forward to them the varieties are rosella and goldkrone along with gardeners delight so am a bit disappointed but I still have hope
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I was only thinking how leggy my plants are growing this year and wondering why, similar to how you describe yours Teegee.
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Can concur.
The greenhouse toms, 3 varieties ,all have done the same.6ft tall, three poor trusses. One individual had grown 5feet and had not produced a single flower stalk. (Gone!) However a second batch ,from side shoot cuttings, will hopefully survive and make up the deficit in crop. Nobody said it would be easy...
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I planted tomatoes outdoors this year cos we can here and then realised I also had potatoes (OH's demand) so planted more in the polytunnel. No information about types so I gaily put in supports to grow them as cordons but every single one has decided to be a bush. It's a jungle! On the upside, lots of fruits forming and some now ripening and the leaves are protecting them from sunburn.
Planted loads this year to see what did well so there'll be a narrower range next year and also more space between plants.
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My small greenhouse is a jungle from just four plants - none of them doing very well :BangHead:. Two of them are supposed to be Sungold, but at well over five feet they have still not produced any trusses. Instead, there are weird clusters, very tiny, here and there along the STEMS which show no sign of developing.
The four grown in pots outside, and four in the ground in ring culture are doing very well so I'm inclined to think that the heat in the greenhouse, even shaded it gets above 30C, is to blame.
Yes, all very strange :glasses9:.
Tricia :wave:
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Apart from San Marzano which I sowed myself and which do look as tho they may form cordons, all mine are heritage varieties form a local grower who says he isn't organic - too faffy to get the accreditation - but uses organic compost, seeds form organic plants, a cold greenhouse and he plays them classical music in teh daytime. Got to love it.
Green Zebra, Big Yellow Zebra, Joyau d'Oaxaca, Miel du Mexique, Coeur de Boeuf, Gregori Altaļ, Cherokee Chocolate, Black Ethiopian, Brandywine Noire and Valencia. I also have a few more from an organic potager garden but can't remember what. I'm looking forward to the taste tests.
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I was only thinking how leggy my plants are growing this year and wondering why, similar to how you describe yours Teegee.
Mine are the same, at least I can now assume it wasn't caused by anything I've done - everything was as usual, except the weather. I spent a lot of this morning thinning out the foliage, tying them to their canes and removing many side-shoots. Even my small Kibits tomato has grown into a big bush this year!
There will be no tomato glut here, either, by the look of things so far:(
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My outdoor toms are going great guns but I stopped doing them in the poly as I just can't regulate the temps and I got the same as OP - tall plants - large inter truss spacing and poor fruit formation. I always though it was caused by high temps or temp fluctuation.
I hope we don't get blight early doors this year as it is looking great atm..
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Shirley doing well; all looking as they should. MOneymaker look odd and some of the "Italian" varieties I grow are decidedly stunted this year and have been a pain with side shoots. Giving more water and they are picking up.
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1st Tomato of the season out of my new Greenhouse (pic1 )
these stresses may cause more 'blossom end' rot than normal meaning I will get an even smaller crop.
This is what I saw when I turned it over. (pic2)
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its definatley stress by the hot weather and the long day length so as the days get shorter blossom end rot seems to die out i know its calcium uptake or the lack of it should i say however early in the season greenhouse temps are high by 7.30 on a sunny day and still hot at 9 as the day length gets shorter temps peak later in the day so the plant is under less stress and grows more steady and evenly takes nuitrients here on the sunshine coast most poeple grow there toms outside so its not so much of a problem hope this helps
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these are a few of the 141 plants that are outdoors they love the sunshine
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and a few more