Outdoor Tomato problem

[Twospot Ladybird]

This is my first ever attempt at growing tomatoes. I decided to try the Outdoor Early Bush variety 'Sub-Arctic Plenty'. I chose this one because 1/ I don't have a greenhouse or room for one, 2/It's ability to set fruit at low temperatures and 3/ I live in Scotland. It's supposed to produce ripe fruit from July onwards, mine has only just set fruit now. It's had flowers on it from the beginning of July but those first ones just withered.

My thought is that there has not been a single insect near it, so therefor it has not been pollinated. It has only set fruit since I got out a small paint brush and hand pollinated. I've done this twice so far, about 2 weeks ago and last week.

What I would like to know is has and one else had this problem?

[Twospot Ladybird]

[wardy]

I would agree with the bees etc pollinating your toms quite easily as they are in the open.  Don't forget you're very far north so I wouldn't be surprised at no toms being ready yet.  Mine aren't either but then I didn't put them out too soon as we got severe frosts on 5 and 5th June which decimated by spuds and beans.  I've only just got toms forming - the ones at home are the same so I'm not worried (yet :))    Some of the flowers may wither if you get drying dessicated winds which you probably do.  The variety you mention is quite well known and if you search on here you will find comments about it which may well help answer your question  :)

[daisymay]

Hi Two spot,

we have 2 outdoor tomato plants and they have flowered but not yet produced any fruit. I was starting to give up hope too!

Have had a few flowers wither, so will take your advice Wardy and protect them from the wind a bit more and see if this helps.

[Twospot Ladybird]

Hi all,

FB and Wardy, I too would have expected insects to be pollinating in an outdoor environment but it seems not  :-\.

Wardy and Daisymay, the plant is in a sheltered position and produced it's first flowers during the heatwave at the beginning of July. The plant was kept well watered too.

Looking at Thompson & Morgan website, this Tomato Plant was developed in the 1940's to provide the US Airforce stationed in Greenland with fresh Tomatoes. See info here http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/list/vegetable-fruits/6

Scotland's warmer than Greenland isn't it?

Maybe the insects round here just don't like Toms or maybe it's just a duff plant  :-\.

[Twospot Ladybird]

Just had a thought, maybe what T&M mean by harvest from July to first frost applies to the very south of England  >:(, not that that explains the lack of pollination.

[ken (69)]

Hi Twospot...my toms here in Norfolk are not yet ripe..in the greenhouse!!...Gardeners Delight are just starting to turn, and not so much natural pollination as last year. It's the way it goes.

[organicartist]

Two spot, you're not alone, only one plotholder out of 40 on our site has red tomatoes, all the rest are still green.

[Derekthefox]

Yes I will add to that, mine are all still green, and I live in sunny Coventry!  :D

[Jill]

Ours are all still green down in Kent :(

[Mubgrub]

All's green in  south wales too.  eaten one but that one set about a fortnight before the others!

[campanula]

me too- a scany handful so far here in sunny Cambridge

[the_snail]

It sounds like a bad year for tommies! I got loads of groath and nice GREEN tommies but small (var. Alacantie) I think I spelt that right ::)

The_sexy_Snail (aka The_Snail)

[Twospot Ladybird]

It maybe is a bad year for Toms but I didn't expect to have to go out and hand pollinate  a Tomato Plant that's in the garden  ??? and even doing that has only produced 2 tomatoes  :'( and they're not even on the same truss.

[wardy]

Mine are still pea sized and green  :(

[moonbells]

I have had one Cream Sausage ripen on the lottie so far - and that one set a couple of weeks before all the rest. So I am hoping that the blight stays clear for another fortnight so I get more ripening ones. These are the paste tomatoes for sauces, and I rather like the idea of yellow tomato sauce!

Hanging basket Tumblers are doing brilliantly - picking some lovely cherrys off them.    I got those going a couple of weeks after the lottie ones too, but did keep the plants inside the conservatory in the baskets to establish rather than put them in the cold frame during May... so that definitely accelerated them!

moonbells

[janebb]

I thought tomatoes were wind pollinated.  The problem could therefore be that there is insufficient breeze to blow the pollen around.  I think I read somewhere that if there is very little breeze you can pollinate by giving the plants a gentle tap.

[ruudbarb]

Hi Twospot - Jane below is right that tomatoes are wind polinated and this year we have had a lot of cool dry winds mainly from a northerly direction.  My guess is the growing conditons are less than ideal as we have been munching indoor toms from early July but the outdoor ones haven't many more on than had already set in the greenhouse prior to planting out.  Seed was sown in March.

Let's hope the weather turns warm until November....... 8)

[Twospot Ladybird]

Thanks Jane and Clodhopper, I always assumed that they were pollinated by insects. Certainly makes sense now  ;D