Have my plants "set fruit"?

[onefivenine]

Hi all

My Tumbling Toms and 100s & 1000s have developed some groups of small 'buds' in the last few days.

Also, my Sutton Broad Beans have developed what looks like little furry bunches of buds.

Is this what's meant by "setting fruit", and now would be the time to start feeding them regularly? Or do you wait until after you get flowers?

I'm confused about what to do again!

Cheers!

[Iamhanuman]

they are probably small clusters of new leaves
you should get flowers first then fruit then feed

[Gwyndy]

You don't start feeding tomatoes until the first truss has set - i.e. you see tiny pea sized tomatoes starting to form behind the flowers.

[onefivenine]

they are probably small clusters of new leaves
you should get flowers first then fruit then feed

Thanks!
I wondered if they were just more shoots, but the ones on the toms are bell-shaped an not like anything I've seen before. I actually felt excited by it! LOL
The ones on the beans are not like the other leaves either... sort of like feathery-topped little 'pods' almost.

[onefivenine]

You don't start feeding tomatoes until the first truss has set - i.e. you see tiny pea sized tomatoes starting to form behind the flowers.

Thanks again!
So the "setting" is when the fruit forms up after the flowers.

Hmm I've probably been a bit bad then as I have given them a little bit of Tomorite. Will it do them any harm?

[Gwyndy]

Thanks again!
So the "setting" is when the fruit forms up after the flowers.

Hmm I've probably been a bit bad then as I have given them a little bit of Tomorite. Will it do them any harm?

Correct - fruit forms after flowers. Don't feed any more until you see the fruit setting on the first truss. Should be OK. (Feeding too early just produces loads of growth and delays the flowering.)

[FionaH]

they are probably small clusters of new leaves
you should get flowers first then fruit then feed

Hey you are getting good at this

[onefivenine]

Correct - fruit forms after flowers. Don't feed any more until you see the fruit setting on the first truss. Should be OK. (Feeding too early just produces loads of growth and delays the flowering.)

Thanks Gwyndy, invaluable help as ever on here!

I better put the Tomorite out of temptation's way. I'd be gutted if my enthusiasm ended up ruining the plants!

Cheers

[Iamhanuman]

Hey you are getting good at this

hey you! thanks!!!

(smile of self-congratulatoryness)

[onefivenine]

Got another question folks...

I'm planning to plant out my toms in a wall planter/trough - a 100s and 1000s plant alongside a Tumbling Tom.

I know toms are self fertile... but it is OK to plant different varieties together? Or will they cross-pollinate and not produce proper fruits?

[Flummery]

Most of them won't cross pollinate. Even if they do it won't affect the eating qualities of the tomato you harvest this year. Some of the heritage beefsteak types can be cross pollinated but again, it only matters if you are saving the seed, not eating them.

[onefivenine]

Most of them won't cross pollinate. Even if they do it won't affect the eating qualities of the tomato you harvest this year. Some of the heritage beefsteak types can be cross pollinated but again, it only matters if you are saving the seed, not eating them.

Thank you very much Flummery that's good to know.

I have two of each sitting outside in the sun - their 3rd day out. It is a bit windy here but the garden is sheltered and thermometer reading 15 in the shade. (Current forecast says 11 deg and 42 kmph ENE wind).

I'm hoping to plant them out on Sunday. Not had a frost since late Feb/early March.

[Iamhanuman]

there's a big section on breeding/cross-pollination/etc in the May issue of GYO
well worth a look for a bit of blagging-your-way-in-genetics knowledge

[onefivenine]

Well fingers crossed...

This morning I planted out my '100s & 1000s' and 'Tumbling Toms' in pairs into 18" wall baskets. They have been outside hardening off during the day for 6 days in a row, so have had plenty of sun, wind, and rain, and were even out until 1am the other night. Hopefully that's enough hardening off for them.

100s & 1000s waiting in their 5" pots to be potted up
Cat looking to the sky and rolling his eyes at me for being obsessed. LOL.


One basket planted up. Tumbling Toms on left, 100s & 1000s on right.



So are bell-shaped things (in the pictures below) the flowers? and the shoots they are on are the trusses? if so there are loads already!

100s and 1000s


Tumbling Toms

[tamsin]

Yes, those bell shaped things are the flower buds. They'll soon split open into bright yellow flowers. Then the flower petals will shrivel up and drop of and left behind in the centre will be a tiny green green tomato