Growing tips

[dlbleak]

My tomato's went stupid last year. I donated bags of them to the senior citizens lunch program all summer.

This year, its not happening.

my tomato plants are big and strong, lots of flowers but not a single fruit. a buddy of mine said to put a little dish soap in a spray bottle with water. something about sealing them up slightly so they polenate themselves?? anyone know about this method?

 

[1krr]

Started out good but my wife turned off the tap on the automatic drip system two weeks ago and forgot to turn it back on. Noticed the tomatoes were looking like hell so I pulled back the mulch and bone dry. Then again, a pumpkin vine is growing out of my compost pile. Didn't know what the hell it was for a while but not it's got a pumpkin already a foot in diameter. And some tomatoes growing from around the bin were mice or something have apparently pulled tomatoes out of the compost. Amazing how well nature works!

 

[dennishoddy]

Started out good but my wife turned off the tap on the automatic drip system two weeks ago and forgot to turn it back on. Noticed the tomatoes were looking like hell so I pulled back the mulch and bone dry. Then again, a pumpkin vine is growing out of my compost pile. Didn't know what the hell it was for a while but not it's got a pumpkin already a foot in diameter. And some tomatoes growing from around the bin were mice or something have apparently pulled tomatoes out of the compost. Amazing how well nature works!

We had a compost pile when I was a kid. I've sure been looking at some of the units that sit on a stand and can be rotated. Ours was just a fenced in area that we put grass clippings and such into it. I don't bag now, so not sure what would be used other than old veggi's and newspapers?

 

[1krr]

my tomato plants are big and strong, lots of flowers but not a single fruit. a buddy of mine said to put a little dish soap in a spray bottle with water. something about sealing them up slightly so they polenate themselves?? anyone know about this method?

Tomatoes are self polinating. What might be hurting you this year is the humidity and the sudden ouset of heat (though I've been setting tomatoes). This might help:

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-blossoms-no-tomatoes.htm

 

[1krr]

We had a compost pile when I was a kid. I've sure been looking at some of the units that sit on a stand and can be rotated. Ours was just a fenced in area that we put grass clippings and such into it. I don't bag now, so not sure what would be used other than old veggi's and newspapers?

I'm lazy on compost so I made a bin with old pallets and just through stuff in there through out the year. I turn it when I get the motivation so I'm sure a few creatures get a snack from time to time. I've composted old mulch, bags of leaves and shredder material, egg shells and just about anything else that organic and isn't meat/dairy. It always amazes me that neighbors with families of our size will fill two trash bins every week while we might get our 1/2 full because everything that can be composted is. Don't do heavily inked paper or shiney cardboard though.

 

[swampratt]

when i get tomato plants with flowers and no fruit and some flowers fall off and still no fruit i beat them with a stick and start pulling off limbs.
They get the picture and start putting on fruit to survive.

 

[J.T.]

when i get tomato plants with flowers and no fruit and some flowers fall off and still no fruit i beat them with a stick and start pulling off limbs.
They get the picture and start putting on fruit to survive.

Now that's good funny. I'm going to try it. They say plants respond to human voice and music, maybe some deathmetal and violent cursing will inspire them.

 

[Eagle Eye]

Now that's good funny. I'm going to try it. They say plants respond to human voice and music, maybe some deathmetal and violent cursing will inspire them.

The music thing is a complete myth, zero scientific evidence. Talking to your plants could be beneficial since you exhale C02, which plants take up and convert into sugar.

Talk away my friend.
Better yet, you could yell at them while beating them with a stick !!???!!

 

[swampratt]

Here is a little good reading and the comments are insightful also.
http://blog.chron.com/lazygardener/2009/09/no-blooms-try-beating-your-plant/

 

[Botman]

Garden all grew well, but the bugs are insane this year. Deer aren't helping the okra any either.