Garden Problems

[signseeker]

So my tomatoes all have flowers and all are getting little green tomatoes except for the Brandywines. The Brandywines had flowers just like all the others, but the flowers just ran their course and then fell off - no fruit. Anybody know what could cause that?

I water them all the same. The Brandywine section didn't have as much fertilizer as the "main" garden section, but the Borgo Cellanos are right next to them and they all have fruit. The Cherokee Purples, Eva's Purple Ball, Rutgers Select and Homestead all have little tomatoes coming. Only the Brandywines are a no-show so far.

[Julie]

Answer - Mittleider weekly feed

[cHeroKee]

You have what is called blossom drop or what is called dry set. This is where pollination has not taken place, and the cause is usually dryness at the roots and in the air. There is no treatment but you can prevent by watering regularly and spray the plant/flowers in the morning or evening with water. Also tap the flowers to aid in pollination.
Hope this helps.

[signseeker]

Okay, see this is the deal. I'm not "babying" any tomato varieties when the other FIVE varieties are doing fine. This year is sort of my experiment anyway and I'm going to save seed from the ones who produce the best, in my backyard, with my soil and my watering. If someone needs special food or more water than everyone else, they're simply out of the running. Harsh, I know. But I think after a few years of this, I'll have some pretty dang good tomato seed for my own area and that should do well for my neighbors, too.

I'm afraid Brandywine is out, unless it decides to set fruit later in the summer and does exceedingly well. I will add a couple new varieties to the mix to try next year.

Thanks, guys! That's what I needed to know.

[Highlandsunrise]

I was so excited when weather was cool and wet how many snails and slugs I caught in the cans full of water, yeast and sugar. I have intended to empty them but have been distracted by all the other work in the yard. I have been wondering if something died across the fence. It smelled dead and rotting. Imagine my barfness when I realized it was the snails and slugs in my cans!!! Just leaving wasn't going to fix it so I dug a hole and dumped them in and covered it up. My garden grazing tranquility was totally disrupted.

[arbilad]

I've also heard that beer kills snails really well. Just leave a pan of beer sitting out in your garden and it will kill them dead.
Try explaining that to your bishop when seen buying beer in the grocery store. "Honest, it was for the snails."

[Highlandsunrise]

My dear brother, who occasionally repairs the hydralics for the brewery in Moab, said when I told him what I was doing, that my water, sugar and yeast mixture is what beer is made out of without the brewing. The snails don't care so I will dispense with embarassing myself in the grocery store.

[signseeker]

Sprinkling salt on them is funner to watch, though.

[signseeker]

I saw a couple Brandywine tomatoes setting now. I did "help" the flowers by squeezing them. I saw a bee literally pass by all the Brandywine plants and then land on something else. I wonder if the flowers have some structural problem? Anyway, won't be saving their seeds this summer.

[prairiemom]

Yeah, I had a lower yield from my Brandywine last year, so I didn't plant any this year. Purple Prudens has always been a great steady variety for us. Big, beefsteak-type tomatoes, good yields.

I'm trying three new heirlooms this year: German Pink, Purple Russian and Wapsipinicon. (I got the last one just because of the name. ) So far none of them have been outstanding, but this has been a terrible year for tomatoes and peppers--TOO COLD! We haven't had even a wk in the 80's, nothing over 86?, mostly 60's and 70's.

My favorite, never-go-without-it tomato is Amish Paste (because most of my tomatoes go into sauce and salsa). It's a heavy producer, BIG paste tomatoes with lots of flesh and a bright tomato flavor.

[signseeker]

So... will you have ~20 seeds you can spare of the Amish Paste this fall? That sounds great, even though I just can all the tomatoes whole... well, I might just venture out into some sauces this year. I like to make salsa "on the spot."

I can trade for Rutgers Select, Homestead, Eva's Purple Ball, Cherokee Purple or Borgo Cellano (sort of an oval cherry).

[signseeker]

When I first saw "Garden Problems" as an active thread I thought, Who's the loser that started that thread?

[Highlandsunrise]

My brandywine tomatoes were disapointing last year too. This year we planted big beef. The plants are huge. Picked the first five yesterday. They are wonderful tasting, no blossom end rot. I will be planting them again.

[signseeker]

Okay, so my first ripe big tomato of the year? BRANDYWINE! Can you believe it? (If you don't recall, I've been ragging on the Brandywines through this whole thread.) It was amazing! I could tell the flavor difference from our friends who bought hybrid plants at Wal-Mart, and I'm not that picky. But wow! Did that sucker taste good! I'm re-thinking my harshness toward Brandywines... If they continue to do well all summer/fall, I'm going to keep their seeds, too.

My Borgo Cellano's (oval cherry) is ripening... when they are red I've learned they could still use several days on the vine. Everything else is green or starting to change... WHEEEEEEE!!