My son received a small tomato plant on a field trip. We don't know anything at all about gardening, but we planted it in full sun and now it is enormous. It has little yellow flowers, but no tomatoes. What did we do wrong? Is it too late in the season to fix it? We are in the Midatlantic area of the US.
2006-08-27 10:21:12 · 13 answers · asked by Faun 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
I agree with it is a bit late in the season, here is what you can do to extend the season a bit, build a tripod out of 2"x2" lumber large enough to cover tomato plant, watch the weather if the outdoor temperature is going to drop below 50 degrees over night cover it with a white sheet (king or queen top sheet) clear plastic will work but does not breath and if the temp. is not up before the sun (burns off the frost) it will burn the plant, don't forget to uncover it after the sun comes up and burns off the frost.
I have done this every year in zone 5 on my fathers garden and we were able to extend the season sometimes by 6 weeks.
tomatoes are annual plants, it will not come back next year.
2006-08-30 23:45:02 · answer #1 · answered by scaper 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep, I'm guessing the plant was small and went in late in the season. It may take a month or more to set fruit of any size. However, all is not lost. When the first frost is predicted, cover the plant in early evening with a blanket or quilt (not plastic - where it touches the foliage, the cold will come through). If you have several frosty nights in a row, cover it each evening and uncover in the morning. Typically, after the first frost you may have another month or more of frost-free growing. You may yet get tomatoes...Hope so!
2006-08-27 17:53:41 · answer #2 · answered by keepsondancing 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like it got started a bit late. The yellow flowers will turn into tomatoes, but you need to hurry the process along now or it will be too late. Create extra heat around the plant by created a frame that you cover with clear plastic (like a tent). You can also create a reflector with a sheet of metal that will bounce more heat towards the plant. The added heat will speed up the ripening process. Good luck!
2006-08-27 17:27:02 · answer #3 · answered by wynterwood 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Here's what I think happened; you planted it to late, you fertilize it to much and at the wrong time with the wrong fertilizer, all of that will make it grow big with no tomatoes. now what you have to do is stop fertilizing for the rest of the year. You will get tomatoes, but they will late and small. If after the first frost you don't have any then you are done, and will have to do it next year.
2006-08-27 17:35:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, the plant sounds good according to the size and flowers but it may be too late in the season. I wouldn't pull it out of the ground until the first frost just to be sure, especially if you live in a warm area.
2006-08-27 17:29:44 · answer #5 · answered by Bozie Bear 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well your flowers should have set by now into small green tomatoes. The seeds weren't planted early enough, try growing them under glass, if possible, in a sunny window to try and bring them on.
2006-08-27 17:29:05 · answer #6 · answered by dot&carryone. 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The flowers will turn into tomatos, but it is a little late in the season.
2006-08-27 17:25:55 · answer #7 · answered by blandnamenotworthremembering 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some times you need more than one plant around so cross pollination can exist. Normally, bees and other insects will carry pollen from one plant to the other. It's possible that your plan is not receiving the opposite gender's pollen to help it grow fruit. Once the frost comes back, it's too late.
2006-08-27 17:29:20 · answer #8 · answered by Shiara 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it sounds like you planted it a little late as we have had some tomatoes and we planted ours late but i think in time you will still get a few
2006-08-27 17:28:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
try giving it some fertilizer like miracle grow, you may yet get some small tomatoes from those flowers.
2006-08-27 17:27:17 · answer #10 · answered by rcsanandreas 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋