Healthy Tomato - No Blooms

[Shortstack]

Hi everyone,
I'm really new to growing anything (and I'm not great at it) so would love your thoughts.

I have what looks like a healthy solanato tomato plant in my small soil garden.
Seeds were planted mid March. About 6-8 weeks ago, there were 5 beautiful tomatoes that came from the plant. Since then, there have been no flowers.
I put down phosphorous about 2-3 weeks ago. Have fertilised also. Nothing special or organic - just stuff from bunnings. Soil acidity around 8-8.5.
Could a recent "cold" spell in Townsville (nothing lower than say 8 degrees at night) be a cause?
Help please.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Mine have been the same way since we had the cold days of late; what tomatoes I had fell off of the plant and those that did flower/fruit through the cold are struggling.
If your plant looks healthy it'd likely get back into flowering in a little bit when temperatures rise a little again. Tomatoes thrive during summer and do a bit less during winter, so don't be surprised if they aren't too productive right now! In my case, tomato plants can last quite a while as I have a cherry tomato that has been there for a year already and it'll probably last quite a bit longer as it's still having new growths.

With a little googling around, I believe tomatoes prefer a slightly acidic soil between 5 and 6,5. Though sources do differ a little bit it's recommended as far as I can find to keep acidity below 8 or even 7,5.
In saying this, I wouldn't know wether my soil is acidic or alcaline... it's making me curious, haha.

But yes, it might simply be the the fluctuations in temperatures that has stopped our plants from flowering, and they should get right back into it once it calms down a bit.

 

[Shortstack]

Mine have been the same way since we had the cold days of late; what tomatoes I had fell off of the plant and those that did flower/fruit through the cold are struggling.
If your plant looks healthy it'd likely get back into flowering in a little bit when temperatures rise a little again. Tomatoes thrive during summer and do a bit less during winter, so don't be surprised if they aren't too productive right now! In my case, tomato plants can last quite a while as I have a cherry tomato that has been there for a year already and it'll probably last quite a bit longer as it's still having new growths.

With a little googling around, I believe tomatoes prefer a slightly acidic soil between 5 and 6,5. Though sources do differ a little bit it's recommended as far as I can find to keep acidity below 8 or even 7,5.
In saying this, I wouldn't know wether my soil is acidic or alcaline... it's making me curious, haha.

But yes, it might simply be the the fluctuations in temperatures that has stopped our plants from flowering, and they should get right back into it once it calms down a bit.

 

[Shortstack]

Thanks for your response - I'm hoping that weather is the reason why!

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Your plants seem fine to me!
It's a little stalky but nothing bad - and that could also simply be because of what specie it is. Doesn't look like there's anything to worry about

Is your plant in a pot or in the ground? Tomatoes require quite a bit of space for their roots.

 

[AndrewB]

It's still a baby! Do you know what the variety is? determinate(grows to a certain size) or indeterminate(does what it wants & will take over your house)?
Looks like a cherry, which survive better in colder weather & can fruit, but don't really do much. If you can move it to a sunnier & warmer part of the garden, it may do better.

 

[Shortstack]

Your plants seem fine to me!
It's a little stalky but nothing bad - and that could also simply be because of what specie it is. Doesn't look like there's anything to worry about

Is your plant in a pot or in the ground? Tomatoes require quite a bit of space for their roots.

It's a specie probably not supposed to be planted (solanato from the supermarket).
It's also in a slightly raised garden bed - really small space and I've only just figured out now that there's a bit of shade in that corner.

Really appreciate your insight and comments, Mandy! Thank you!

 

[AndrewB]

Ahh, you grew it from an actual tomato?

Most of the tomatoes you buy at the supermarket will be have grown hydroponically in giant greenhouses, so the species is designed for growing in a climate controlled environment with regular feeding.

So they will be a bit lost in soil. You can pull out those little ones at the base & put into a hydroponic system no problem.

 

[Shortstack]

Ahh makes a lot of sense! Thanks Andrew.
We have two small plants in our hydroponic tower at the moment which is newly built (however not in a greenhouse).
Will see how it goes!

I dumped some old cherry tomatoes into a small pot almost two weeks ago (thinking they wouldn't germinate)... they've just gone stupid.. and now I'm thinking where to put the buggers. Haha

 

[Clara]

U

Hi everyone,
I'm really new to growing anything (and I'm not great at it) so would love your thoughts.

I have what looks like a healthy solanato tomato plant in my small soil garden.
Seeds were planted mid March. About 6-8 weeks ago, there were 5 beautiful tomatoes that came from the plant. Since then, there have been no flowers.
I put down phosphorous about 2-3 weeks ago. Have fertilised also. Nothing special or organic - just stuff from bunnings. Soil acidity around 8-8.5.
Could a recent "cold" spell in Townsville (nothing lower than say 8 degrees at night) be a cause?
Help please.

Use heritage variety tomatoe seeds. DT Brown is a very good and very cheap brand you can get at the Reject shop. I've had fabulous success with those seeds and they stock many useful varieties. I can recommend their oxheart and rouge be marmande tomatoe seeds, both have done well for me in winter in NSW, true to type and self seed true to type. I've had more germination rate success with that brand than even the more expensive flashy seed brands including specialist organic growers. $1.95 a packet.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

How are they doing now @Shortstack ?

 

[JP 1983]

Ive got one cherry tomato in a pot, puttering along since it came up mid-winter. I noticed in previous attempts that tomato has a shallow root system so I'm growing it in a shallow long pot this time rather than the deep round pot it wasn't doing well in before.

Seems to be going alright. Still too cold for flowers; hoping for an early spring but that is unlikely with all this cold Antarctic air continually pushing up into southern Oz from the Tasman Sea and the Southern Bight.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

@JP 1983 I like growing my tomatoes in a smaller pot for quite a while, and then dig them in rather deepy (or even partually sideways) in a new pot/bed so they develop a better rootsystem.

 

[nayday]

Hi everyone,
I'm really new to growing anything (and I'm not great at it) so would love your thoughts.

I have what looks like a healthy solanato tomato plant in my small soil garden.
Seeds were planted mid March. About 6-8 weeks ago, there were 5 beautiful tomatoes that came from the plant. Since then, there have been no flowers.
I put down phosphorous about 2-3 weeks ago. Have fertilised also. Nothing special or organic - just stuff from bunnings. Soil acidity around 8-8.5.
Could a recent "cold" spell in Townsville (nothing lower than say 8 degrees at night) be a cause?
Help please.

Hopefully you are pinching off the suckers... the suckers are the little sprouts that grow in between the main stock and Main leaves in that little v a little Sprout will start to grow pinch that off there's also a great video on YouTube called 'grow tomatoes not leaves'
I have been pinching off sucker Sprouts All Season got lots of tomatoes this year

 

[JP 1983]

Hopefully you are pinching off the suckers... the suckers are the little sprouts that grow in between the main stock and Main leaves in that little v a little Sprout will start to grow pinch that off there's also a great video on YouTube called 'grow tomatoes not leaves'
I have been pinching off sucker Sprouts All Season got lots of tomatoes this year

Good advice for indeterminates, but for determinates you need the suckers for more flower production. A determinate will put out all its suckers at roughly the same time so you get a single crop ripening rather than months long harvest as with the indeterminates.

You can also plant suckers as per many of Mark's vids. They'll grow new roots from the stem straight away. This is a good way of propagating both derterminate and indeterminates.

 

[nayday]

Suckers can be planted...or any branch touching ground will root then u have tomato jungle!
I am still pinching suckers and still getting 'maters
🍅🍅🍅🍅

 

[Shortstack]

Good advice for indeterminates, but for determinates you need the suckers for more flower production. A determinate will put out all its suckers at roughly the same time so you get a single crop ripening rather than months long harvest as with the indeterminates.

You can also plant suckers as per many of Mark's vids. They'll grow new roots from the stem straight away. This is a good way of propagating both derterminate and indeterminates.

Sorry I'm so late in seeing this! I had no idea that suckers can be planted! I've watched so many videos on growing veges it's all jumbled! Thanks!

 

[nayday]

Sorry I'm so late in seeing this! I had no idea that suckers can be planted! I've watched so many videos on growing veges it's all jumbled! Thanks!

Yes suckers can be planted and will turn into new plants also if the tomato plant is touching the ground in any other area it will send out roots and start growing.... right now my tomato plants are producing bumper crop of Roma tomatoes I am still pinching off suckers
🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅👍😁

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Tomatoes are surprisingly strong-willed to live and even if the plant snaps, just stick it back into the soil and there's a fair chance it'll grow new roots!

 

[nayday]

I just picked a shirt full of tomatoes I say shirt full because I always forget to take my basket with me!!!
🍅😆🍅😆