tomato flowers die on the plant.

davethetaller

I am new to growing veg. so any help will be good.

I have a hydroponics system in my conservatory, and I have two tomato plants, and one pepper plant growing strongly and looking well.The toms are about seven feet tall, have lots of flowers opened, but flowers fall off regularly, which may be natural selection or similar,but my main concern, is that a number of flowers, shrivel and die on the plants. Sometimes this is preceded by the knuckle (I think that it is called) or the "joint" immediately behind the flower, snapping, and just barely hanging on, until it withers away.Since the plants were installed seven weeks ago at one foot tall, I have changed the feed solution at the recomended time,... it is due another change next week, reduced perhaps ten per cent foliage, seen off the sideshoots, and generally enjoyed watching it gallop on. There are two fruits on one of the lower branches, which look healthy, although on that same truss, flowers have fallen. The only things that I have knowingly not done, is misting, which I have only just found out about, or pollination.(are these necessary) ?
Am I being unduly concerned?, the pepper be the way, in the same solution, looks good at two foot tall, with flowers and a fruit.

G-G_4

Well, my little yellow flowers on the tomato plant fall off and the fruit grows behind it..

Apart from that I just water mine every other day and leave them to it?

Do you have a stick holding them up?

Hope someone more helpful can come along soon, i'm pretty new to it all aswell..

Jamboboy

Yeah mine fall off but they usually get a fruit grow after it, I've never had that happen to be honest.
One thing I will say is that I tried the method of hanging the plants upside down this year and both plants that i did it with have grown what looks like warts up the stem.
If anyone knows what this is then please let me know.
Cheers.

davethetaller

G-G wrote: »

Well, my little yellow flowers on the tomato plant fall off and the fruit grows behind it..

Apart from that I just water mine every other day and leave them to it?

Do you have a stick holding them up?

Hope someone more helpful can come along soon, i'm pretty new to it all aswell..

Thanks for your reply.
It is not just the dried up petals falling off, leaving the calix and immature fruit in place, it is just as though I had cut the flower off with a pair of scissors! There is just the stem left.

a11waysindebt

davethetaller wrote: »

I am new to growing veg. so any help will be good.

I have a hydroponics system in my conservatory, and I have two tomato plants, and one pepper plant growing strongly and looking well.The toms are about seven feet tall, have lots of flowers opened, but flowers fall off regularly, which may be natural selection or similar,but my main concern, is that a number of flowers, shrivel and die on the plants. Sometimes this is preceded by the knuckle (I think that it is called) or the "joint" immediately behind the flower, snapping, and just barely hanging on, until it withers away.Since the plants were installed seven weeks ago at one foot tall, I have changed the feed solution at the recomended time,... it is due another change next week, reduced perhaps ten per cent foliage, seen off the sideshoots, and generally enjoyed watching it gallop on. There are two fruits on one of the lower branches, which look healthy, although on that same truss, flowers have fallen. The only things that I have knowingly not done, is misting, which I have only just found out about, or pollination.(are these necessary) ?
Am I being unduly concerned?, the pepper be the way, in the same solution, looks good at two foot tall, with flowers and a fruit.

6ft in 7 weeks:eek: I think off hand you need to change the feed to force them to flower.

Normally with hydro there are 2 feeds one for vegetation and one for flowering.

JWF

Maybe the flowers are not getting pollinated, due to being grown indoors. You could try either giving the plants a shake every now and then (only gently mind!!) or gently misting. Don't mist in the heat of the midday sun though as it may burn the plants.

If they keep growing at that rate they'll be taller than your house soon!

alanwjones

Blossom drop is a common tomato growing problem that can be extremely frustrating to the home gardener. Otherwise healthy looking tomato plants set flower blossoms, only to have them dry up and fall off the plant before a fruit is formed. What Causes Blossom Drop in Tomatoes?

Blossom drop can be attributed to several causes, most often related to either temperature and / or stress.

• Temperature Too High or Too Low
• Lack of Pollination
• Nitrogen - Too Much or Too Little
• Humidity Too High or Low Humidity.
• Lack of water
• Stress from insect damage or disease
• Too Heavy Fruit Set

Controlling Tomato Blossom Drop

1. Grow varieties suited to your Climate
   The most frequent cause of tomato blossom drop is temperature.
   • High daytime temprature.

See also
http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4HPNN_en___GB276&q=Tomatoes+falling+off+plants

Alan.

davethetaller

a11waysindebt wrote: »

6ft in 7 weeks:eek: I think off hand you need to change the feed to force them to flower.

Normally with hydro there are 2 feeds one for vegetation and one for flowering.

Thanks for that, The feed is due for a change,so I will do it today.

They seem to be growing lots of flowers, as well as foliage.

The growing solution said start them off at 25ml.in 15ltrs. of water, then when they are growing STRONGLY, increase the dose to 40ml. in 15ltrs.

Well, they were growing strongly at 4 weeks, so on the first change, I put them on 40ml. Am I trying too hard?! :rolleyes:

lindseykim13

i have a feeling the temp maybe too high, i had my toms growing outside last year and they were fine, i have them in the greenhouse this year and doing the same as yours completly snapping off at the nuckle part, i have lost a good few toms. I was comparing growing outside to in and seing which i prefer i will be sticking to outside for next years lot.