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tomato experiment
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dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 22 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

re pollination

there are insects, i suspect moths are as important as hoverflies and bees

i do the "fluffing" thing of touching as many flowers as are open with a finger tip to transfer pollen

the latter is time-consuming, so insects are your chums if you have more than a few plants

 
Nicky cigreen



Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk
PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 22 10:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I don't do anything to aid pollination, it just seems to work out.

 
dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 22 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

we just ate the first two small type toms, very nice

 
Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 22 2:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Tomatoes shouldn't need flower to flower transfer unless you're breeding, but they do need a good shake from insect or wind to assist in pollen dropping from the anther cone on to the stigma

 
Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15985

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 22 6:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have heard that too Slim. In fact it was the way the old gardeners used to get their people to do it. I daren't do it with mine though as they have already fallen over once and are not only held up by the canes.

I have had two semi ripe tomatoes off ours; the first ripened in the larder and was really nice, the other is sitting there ripening.

 
Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 22 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Only the flowers need a shake, not the whole plant! It's a good job for an old electric toothbrush, but that shouldn't be needed for most outdoor plants. If outdoor plants aren't setting fruit well, something else may be wrong (not enough light, water, etc)

 
NorthernMonkeyGirl



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder
PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 22 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Mine are blocking the path now, so get a shake whenever I trundle the bins past! I have a few small trusses developing now.

 
dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes
PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 22 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i see new red from here
many are starting to change colour
many are in waiting

 
dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 22 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

the last kilo or so came in today

it went very well, the extra light from the shiny stuff was good for vegetative growth, flowering, and ripening the fruit

shade leaf pruning seems to work to open the lower structure and reduce any diseases
shoot pruning gave extra branching and directed towards fruit development rather than going full triffid
i topped out when they reached shed roof ht

planting through the styrofoam lid is good for avoiding soil contact and reducing water loss and having no weeds

from the middle of august until now(and another couple of weeks) we have had plenty for two folk off two plants in one fish box ie very efficient use of space

both types have done a spread of ripening rather than "the crop is ready" which is ideal for kitchen toms for day to day use

overall it was a good experiment to try, the results have been better than i expected

next year i will do it better using what this has shown

 
Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15985

PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 22 7:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That sounds good. I am picking green tomatoes at the moment and trying to ripen them.

 
sgt.colon



Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 22 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'm glad the experiment went better that you have expected and I guess you can ask no more from it, if the plants have supposed two people.

 
dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 22 12:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

without a control it is impossible to tell if it made a difference, the result was good

i think i forgot to mention the feed regime changed according to development stage, ending with no food once the ripening started

Transferable skills are fun

 
Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 22 12:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've only ever been able to ripen tomatoes on the windowsill that have already begun to blush a bit. When picked truly green I've only had success after exposing them to some ethylene from apples or bananas

 
Nicky cigreen



Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 22 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

well done on experiment.

I still have tomatoes ripening in the greenhouse - door and window open all the time. I stop watering them at the beginning of September, and this seems to slow down blight problems and the plants put all their effort into ripening the fruit already set.

At some point I will strip the remaining plants and mean to make green tomato chutney and the tomatoes turn red whilst I am not getting around to it

 
gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8938
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 22 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The ripening has really slowed down with Roma...but the cherry tomato, probably Gardeners Delight is still going strong.
Bred for different climates?

 
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