The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: northfifeduckling on July 06, 2016, 02:25:53 pm
-
I have 2 bush tomatoes, one is a Tumbling tom. It has been flowering brilliantly from the day I got it but not a single one has set. It is in the polytunnel but I do shake it occasionally which does the trick for most cordon plants I had. The other one in the tunnel is a dwarf (different variety) which has only had about 10 flowers so far and 5 have set, one is already red. Does anyone else have issues with the ever so popular variety Tumbling Tom?
-
I have 2 bush tomatoes, one is a Tumbling tom. It has been flowering brilliantly from the day I got it but not a single one has set. It is in the polytunnel but I do shake it occasionally which does the trick for most cordon plants I had. The other one in the tunnel is a dwarf (different variety) which has only had about 10 flowers so far and 5 have set, one is already red. Does anyone else have issues with the ever so popular variety Tumbling Tom?
Mine is the same, Kersten - loads of flowers but no sign of setting
-
A vibrator or electric toothbrush on the flower stalks.. you need to mimic bumble bees.
-
plenty of bumbles in the tunnel!
-
Yes, I've had bumble bees, and ordinary ones, as well as flies in my greenhouse
-
I grow them every year in my conservatory and only had trouble once or twice It really depends on weather and loads of other things too. Have you been growing this variety long and have you changed the soil at all for a different brand? How are you growing them? Bob flowerdew talks quite a bit about growbags having not enough space for tomatoes. I grow mine in large pots and they usually work out well. How much fertiliser are they getting?
-
I spray all tom, chillie, pepper and runner bean flowers as they open, with a fine water spray, once a day. This helps them to set and to stay on the plant when they have set. Any which are facing away from the spray, turn gently with your hand so it's the flower face which gets the light damping.
I don't like Tumbling Tom though because the fruit are a bit insipid and squash when you pick them. I have grown them in large hanging baskets but they soon run out of nutrients and can be difficult to get the watering just right. I grow Sakura, which is an indeterminate cherry, with a bit of blight tolerance, in the soil of my polytunnel
-
I've never had tumbling toms before and the first time for years I had to buy plants so I bought different varieties to see what does well here. It's in a large pot on the table where it could tumble off from :innocent: