# What increases blooming on tomato plants?



## Horse Fork Farm (Jan 3, 2006)

I've got about 60 tomato plants of various kinds. All of them are producing but it seems like they have slacked off on flowering. I am wanting to can everything possible this year to get through the winter a little easier. At this rate I'll have to buy about 2/3's of what I need. Can I fertilize with something specifically to set blooms? Any ideas more than welcome!


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## snoozy (May 10, 2002)

I've read that Epsoms Salts will increase flower setting -- the magnesium, I think.


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## Horse Fork Farm (Jan 3, 2006)

Thanks snoozy, I didn't think anybody was going to answer. I'll read up on the epsoms salts. We've had a lot of odd weather here so it might be that also. 
It just keeps raining here. I keep looking for the blight but don't have it yet, thank goodness. 
I bought 3 bushels of canning tomatoes today just to make sure I have enough to do us this yr. I also found my first ripe tomato today too! YAY!!


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

1 T of Epsom Salts to 5 gallons of water. Use Kelp Emulsion. Got that info from a very successful gardener  Mine are blooming profusely and also have plenty of tomatoes on them. What I found out is that tomatoes like Kelp better than fish emulsion (better mix of levels), and yes, the Potassium in the salts invokes fruiting and not as much energy into growth.


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

Sorry for the little thread drift but a friend asked me yesterday why her tomatoes were about 5' tall but NO fruit!? Would the epsom salts help set fruit, ya think?

Patty


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2009)

High nitrogen fertilizer will make beautiful lush plants but no fruit.

High temperatures will cause most varieties to set little or no fruit.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

The Epsom salts provide Potassium, necessary for fruiting. Rightly said, Ladycat! Use Kelp Emulsion and Epsom Salts to feed tomatoes. Your temperatures make a difference, also! If it is too cold, tomatoes won't flower, too hot and they won't set fruit. What are your night-time and daytime average temperatures?


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i think people just get a bit impatient with tomatoes. no matter when i plant them here in zone 6, i can't expect to see any ripe fruit before the second week of august give or take about a week.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

I thought they don't set fruit (or flower) when it goes below 60' at night? My problem has always been too cool weather, but this summer is much warmer, tons of fruit!


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

Most tomatoes won't flower below 60, and won't fruit over 85. Those night-time temperature count regarding the temperature range. I am in Zone8b, PNW, so similar to yours, Wyld Thang. I have (30) tomato plants, and all have sets tomatoes. If just those ripen and I don't get any more? I'll have a bunch to put up! Mine were started indoors, late, due to our late Spring... Otherwise, had I gone with store bought ones, I would be in ripe tomatoes right now!


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

Heartstrings said:


> I've got about 60 tomato plants of various kinds.


When you say various kinds, of what are you speaking of? Determinate, indeterminate? Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, full sized tomatoes? Red, orange, pink, black? Paste, slicers, juicers?

If you are referring to determinate and indeterminate then it is quite possible the determinate varieties are simply reaching the end of their production. I like to pick up until frost or even after if I can protect the plants so always make it a point to plant only indeterminate. Guess I shouldn't be so set in my ways and try some determinates for different taste.

N-P-K. I always like a good strong P formulation to aide in flowering and production/yield. Just as important for wheat or other crops as it is for garden sass.


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

Windy in Kansas said:


> try some determinates for different taste.


I do some of each. 

I also like P.

Nothing is really lighting my fire this year, but I do like trying new stuff. 

Early Girl always works for my climate. Bush Early Girl has a nice growth habit. Can't vouch for it yet.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

I too would wonder about the "various kinds". I've got some that I am already wondering what I am going to do with 15-20 pounds per plant while hoping to get more than the present 5 or 6 fruit off others. In many instances, they are just loading up on foliage to support the later fruit. That's especially true this year with even the potted cherry tomatoes being at least 2 weeks later than normal.

Martin


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## kbshorts (Dec 6, 2005)

A foliar feeding of fish/seaweed emulsion seems to give mine a nice boost. It could be my imagination but it seems to stimulate bloming. I use it after the plants have reached full size and have good foliage. Strange year here too, we are at least two weeks behind.

Keith


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## Horse Fork Farm (Jan 3, 2006)

I'm having trouble getting my replies to post. I hit post and it just sits there trying but getting nowhere. SO I'm trying yet again. 

I have Better Boys, "Something" Girl (can't remember), Mr. Stripey, one I've never tried before- San Marzano, its doing well, Sweet Million Cherry, Rutgers, another cherry type which is naturalized and mixed with something on its own. Is the San Marzano a determinate variety??

I don't want it to sound like theres NO fruit, theres just very little new bloom since the first fruits have set. Our weather is not normal this yr at all. It already feels like an early Fall. The rain just keeps coming... and the temps are everywhere just every few days.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Your Mr. Stripey isn't a very prolific variety so don't expect that one to load up. Some of the San Marzano strains also aren't overly productive despite them being an indeterminate. The rest should be productive in a normal year but haven't heard of anyone anywhere having a normal tomato year. Tomatoes need warm nights and that's been missing through much of the central and eastern US. As long as the plants are healthy, I wouldn't worry about them. I'm growing about 70 varieties and the only thing harvested as of this date are some cherry tomatoes; 2+ weeks later than normal.

Martin


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

How are your Rutgers doing?


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Ebsom salts do not contain Potassium. It is magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). Magnesium is the central atom of the chlorophyll molecule. It will help give you a good green but does not help with flowering.


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## tammymesser143 (Aug 20, 2009)

My Tomatoe Plant is big and beautiful but it does not have any blooms or fruit. Any tips on what I can do or anything? Thanks!!!


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## Horse Fork Farm (Jan 3, 2006)

Hey Frank, I just now saw your question--sorry! My Rutgers are doing fine considering all the rain and weird weather. Are yours having problems?


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## dawnsherbs (Aug 21, 2009)

I use plain good ole horse manure, mixed in the soil then layer with grass clippings to choke out weeds. Mine seem to be very happy and give us a ton of fruit. These are grapes, cherry, roma and i think 100's. Companion planting too with Basil works good i have found.


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

I have not tried Rutgers, but have been thinking about it.

What might they compare to growth habit wise?


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

I've heard from many around here that excess Nitrogen increases the growth, but they got less blooms and tomatoes. I took the advice from a very successful gardener to just use the Epsom Salt (1 T to a 5 gallons of water), and feed with Kelp Emulsion. She told me that this caused her tomatoes to bloom/set more fruit, and seemed to produce less growth. I saw her tomato plants in person, and they were no more than 4 feet tall, loaded with blooms and fruit! Now, I took her advice and my tomatoes look the same as hers did. Temperatures affect blooming & fruit setting more than anything else it seems.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

I don't think that there was ever a time in my life when I thought that too much nitrogen meant less production. It was already in the 1960s when I leaned that volunteer tomato plants in a rich compost pile not only had more foliage but also eventually had more fruit. Never changed my ways of first promoting lots of foliage in order to support more fruit. Of late, my hole mix has been a third fresh horse manure, about a gallon per plant. Yes, I do get huge plants from it. And, yes, I do get bag after bag of fruit from certain varieties. No variety has ever went to too much foliage and failed to produce due to that. Thus you will never see me making a claim of too much nitrogen causing a lower than normal harvest.

Martin


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

My father in law put too much manure in his garden, got huge plants, and not nearly the production I did. We are in the same Zone 8b, growing the same veggies, and at the same time, so perfect comparisons (use the same watering systems, too). This happened to his tomatoes, to his beans, and to everything he over-fertilized with manure. I think you know your levels better than my FIL, Martin  I doubt you went over the top with manure like my FIL. My pole beans are over 12 feet tall and producing in great abundance. His are even bigger with hardly any beans on them with lots of foliage. My statement was "I've heard from many around here that excess Nitrogen increases the growth, but they got less blooms and tomatoes." That is true, not just my FIL claimed they had over-fed their tomatoes, but others did due to his bizarre weather and wanting to get them to produce. You are referring to preparing the soil, I am referring to overly-amending. I don't over-amend, so was not stating from my own experience, just friends and FIL. Another friend, incredible gardener, and I have seen it first-hand, and she is also on HT. This gal told me to watch the Nitrogen with tomatoes... I took her advice to the letter and am very happy with the results. That is about all I know


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Preparing soil and amending soil are the same thing. Both involve adding materials to alter the structure or fertility of the soil. Both can only be done prior to planting. How and when nutrients become available to the plants depends upon what it used and/or degree of decomposition. 

More foliage versus less production may present a false picture. One may have a plant of X amount of growth and Y amount of blossoms and fruit. Given a chance to produce more foliage, it may be Xx2 for foliage but still Y for fruit. It's the foliage which affects many of the qualities of the fruit such as taste and so on, especially sugars. I've found that although there may appear to be twice as much foliage as there should be, such plants have never disappointed me for production. 

By the way, I do not amend the soil under my main tomato plants. Instead, I replace it. A 5-gallon size hole is dug for each plant. That is replaced with a mix of equal parts horse manure, homemade compost, and compressed dried milfoil pondweed. There are varieties which have escaped their cages and sprawled 6' beyond. Most varieties are planted as pairs and many already have given 20# per plant and some even more. Bosu and Moya have probably turned out 25# each and just nicely started. Same for Pink Ruffled. And those are almost determinates! At same time, the Persimmon pair are such huge plants that I could probably set up a deer blind inside them and I've yet to see a ripe fruit. But when I move away some of the excess foliage, there has to be 50# of fruit waiting to ripen on those two plants combined. 

Martin


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## kjmatson (Jul 22, 2008)

Hi Martin. Where can I find the varieties that you are mentioning? I will look through seed savers exchange and see if they are in the catalog this morning. Thanks. Kevin

Edit. Martin, I was also curious as to what you use for cages?


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

kjmatson said:


> Hi Martin. Where can I find the varieties that you are mentioning? I will look through seed savers exchange and see if they are in the catalog this morning. Thanks. Kevin
> 
> Edit. Martin, I was also curious as to what you use for cages?


Bosu and Moya are not available commercially anywhere and not even listed in the 2009 SSE Yearbook. Not certain about the origin of Bosu but Moya is from Spain. Pink Ruffled also not commercial but was listed by another grower until this year. Persimmon was available from at least a dozen companies this year. Of course, all will be available from me later.

4' cages are maximum that I use. Any lateral which escapes is allowed to proceed as it wishes as long as it doesn't interfer with something else. 

Martin


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Paquebot said:


> I don't think that there was ever a time in my life when I thought that too much nitrogen meant less production. It was already in the 1960s when I leaned that volunteer tomato plants in a rich compost pile not only had more foliage but also eventually had more fruit. Never changed my ways of first promoting lots of foliage in order to support more fruit. Of late, my hole mix has been a third fresh horse manure, about a gallon per plant. Yes, I do get huge plants from it. And, yes, I do get bag after bag of fruit from certain varieties. No variety has ever went to too much foliage and failed to produce due to that. Thus you will never see me making a claim of too much nitrogen causing a lower than normal harvest.
> 
> Martin


Same here, I loaded up my raised beds with poop from the horse pasture, some tomato plants are in just about nothing but poop and the remnants of old hay round bales.

More fruit than ever! 

I just wish it was warm enough to ripen sometime soon


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## kjmatson (Jul 22, 2008)

Paquebot said:


> Bosu and Moya are not available commercially anywhere and not even listed in the 2009 SSE Yearbook. Not certain about the origin of Bosu but Moya is from Spain. Pink Ruffled also not commercial but was listed by another grower until this year. Persimmon was available from at least a dozen companies this year. Of course, all will be available from me later.
> 
> 4' cages are maximum that I use. Any lateral which escapes is allowed to proceed as it wishes as long as it doesn't interfer with something else.
> 
> Martin


:goodjob: Thanks Martin. I am new here so I do not know how to order those seeds from you. Do you have a website?


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

kjmatson said:


> :goodjob: Thanks Martin. I am new here so I do not know how to order those seeds from you. Do you have a website?


You ain't that new! If you missed my seed offer which began early last January, you weren't reading this forum. Now you'll have to wait until next January to find out what I'll have to offer.

Martin


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