Tumbling toms

[Demeter]

I'm p***d off with my Tumbling Tom now - one has set loads of fruit and we ate the first one today - the others are doing practically nothing
Oh well. Patience, that's the thing...

[JennieAtkinson]

Last year I got loads of flowers but no toms. Got alot of flowers this year and just desperately hoping that they fruit. Read somewhere (probably here on the Vine) that you should mist them lightly with water - the flowers that is.

Any advice on that one?

[rayj]

Must be the Gloucestershire air, Demeter - returned from a weekend away to pick the first two fruit on my Tumbling Tom yesterday- mind you one of the pots of 3 Tumblers had "frizzled" up in the sun. After a bit of wet TLC they revived!!

[Demeter]

Last year I got loads of flowers but no toms. Got alot of flowers this year and just desperately hoping that they fruit. Read somewhere (probably here on the Vine) that you should mist them lightly with water - the flowers that is.

Any advice on that one?

I have read that here as well. Apparently if the pollen is moist it helps it to stick or something - somebody did helpfully explain the reason the other day, I just can't remember what it was!

Rayj - could be Gloucestershire air lol - I just can't understand why one plant is doing so well (although not ripening yet) while the others are just rubbish. I suppose they'll probably come good in the end... fingers crossed. My sunbabies are all doing lovely though so I don't think I'll be short of toms!

[SMS6]

I've got tumbling tom yellow in three hanging baskets down here in the South and we've been eating them now for about 10 days. One of them doesn't particularly look well but the fruits are still ripening okay.

Several varieties are ripening in the greenhouse now too. I picked a couple of garden pearl, a sub arctic plenty, and few Shirley discovery today.

[Kristen]

"Read somewhere (probably here on the Vine) that you should mist them lightly with water - the flowers that is."

It helps if the air is moist, but for me dislodging the pollen is enough.
I drum my fingers (like you do on a table) but vertically on the cane supporting the plant. You can see the pollen falling, and smell it immediately.

[TrulyGreen]

Interested to read this thread as I've been worried about my bush toms.....garten perle. Also lots of flowers and only one small green tom on one plant. Like others some leaves are yellow. Can anyone tell me why the leaves might be yellow. I've tried to make sure I keep the compost moist....not too much water or too little. Didn't know about misting the plants will give that a go to set the fruit.

[Complete novice at this!]

hundreds and thousands

the flowers are turning to fruit now so maybe as thay are so amall i will get a harvets. courgettes are doing well, as are peas and carots, although next year i will try the shorter ones. anyone who is thinking about veg in pots................ do it, it's well worth it.

[Winged one]

I am starting to see green fruits, but it will be a number of weeks yet before I am eating any I think.