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Post by cf on Jan 24, 2021 10:51:17 GMT -5
{{{jumping up and down waving arms}}}
Saw these the day before yesterday looking suspiciously flowerbud-like. Clusters of little trumpets! I'm going to have some questions and we'll post a photo from computer but in the meantime, I remember to shake the stem. Does that mean just the main stem of the plant itself? Or the individual branches where these clusters are appearing? How often do I do that?
And another question. One or two clusters forming on a branch that has decided to grow sideways so I wonder if it would support tomatoes. It's growing sideways out of the light. Should I turn the pod basket? I experimented with that yesterday late afternoon and there's an awful lot of root structure that makes turning a bit cumbersome. I'm a little afraid of twisting that huge amount of white thread roots without asking.
And is there anything else I should do to hold their little hands figuratively?
Lastly, a few days ago I noticed some yellow spots on the bigger leaves. Only a couple of them but they had quite a few. I cut those leaves off. Any problem there?
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Jan 24, 2021 11:47:21 GMT -5
Can't wait to see pictures! WooHoo!
You only shake the plant after the flowers open. And I do it once a day.
I shake the main stem so all the flowers get jostled. But if you are afraid of shaking too hard and possibly breaking a stem, you can flick the individual fruit bearing stems with a fingernail to shake the little branches.
Or you can use the back of an electric toothbrush to vibrate the pollen loose.
If you have not been turning the pods perioducally to form a soft root ball, I would hesitate to force it.
The branches will usually grow strong enough to support the clusters. I would wait and see if they need it later.
Yellowing old leaves are normal. Just pinch them off.
I can't advise you about the branch growing out of the light without seeing a picture. 
Sounds like you are on your way to harvesting your own home-grown tomatoes!
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Post by cf on Feb 1, 2021 10:38:06 GMT -5
Can't wait to see pictures! WooHoo! You only shake the plant after the flowers open. And I do it once a day. I shake the main stem so all the flowers get jostled. But if you are afraid of shaking too hard and possibly breaking a stem, you can flick the individual fruit bearing stems with a fingernail to shake the little branches. Or you can use the back of an electric toothbrush to vibrate the pollen loose. If you have not been turning the pods perioducally to form a soft root ball, I would hesitate to force it. The branches will usually grow strong enough to support the clusters. I would wait and see if they need it later. Yellowing old leaves are normal. Just pinch them off. I can't advise you about the branch growing out of the light without seeing a picture.  Sounds like you are on your way to harvesting your own home-grown tomatoes!
{{Moony Music}} "What a difference a week makes... 192 little hours"
Looka-dem flowers. Bunches o'clusters.
Ta-Daaaaa! |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Feb 1, 2021 12:49:05 GMT -5
The most gorgeous 'mater flowers I ever saw!   |
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,267 
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Post by Shawn on Feb 1, 2021 13:41:53 GMT -5
YAY
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Post by cf on Feb 2, 2021 20:59:09 GMT -5
The most gorgeous 'mater flowers I ever saw! Well something tells me you are being very kind. But they are the most gorgeous ones I've ever seen, lol. But I do have a question. I have a weird vibrating cleaning tool for crevices, looks very much like an electric toothbrush but bigger and definitely more pronounced vibration. I've put batteries in it and have been using that on my flowering tomato plant. What I don't know is for how long do you hold it on either the main stem or the branches that have flowers on them? And which is better? And then also, it would seem to me that all that does is shake out whatever pollen is in the flower. Is that the point? Or is that pollen supposed to go somewhere? And then it now also occurs to me to ask whether a stronger vibration effect than a toothbrush is overkill? |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Feb 2, 2021 21:12:30 GMT -5
Yes, the point is to shake the pollen. Both male and female parts are in the same flower, so it just takes a little jostle to achieve pollination.
I think your vibrating crevice tool is definitely overkill! You can just flick the flower stem with a fingernail a couple of times. Or use the back of an electric toothbrush for a couple of seconds on the back of the stem that holds the flowers.
Gentle breezes outdoors pollinate tomatoes, peppers and beans if there are no insects to do the job.
And yes, I was describing how I feel when I see my first tomato flowers. They are the most gorgeous babies ever! 
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Post by cf on Feb 3, 2021 4:30:36 GMT -5
Yes, the point is to shake the pollen. Both male and female parts are in the same flower, so it just takes a little jostle to achieve pollination.
I think your vibrating crevice tool is definitely overkill! You can just flick the flower stem with a fingernail a couple of times. Or use the back of an electric toothbrush for a couple of seconds on the back of the stem that holds the flowers.
Gentle breezes outdoors pollinate tomatoes, peppers and beans if there are no insects to do the job.
And yes, I was describing how I feel when I see my first tomato flowers. They are the most gorgeous babies ever!
O-oh. Yikes. That then makes me wonder if maybe I have shaken all the pollen out! I did see one little yellow tube on the deck that struck me as maybe a bit suspicious, as though the very inside of a flower and when I saw it I looked at others and there seemed to be a little yellow tube at the very centers. If that's an enclosed thing that holds all the pollen then if I've only lost one or so, it may be okay. Do you happen to know if that's how they're built? I will immediately stop using that tool and flick instead. |
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airscapes
AGA Bounty
Lettuce eat Cake!
Posts: 642
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Post by airscapes on Feb 3, 2021 10:37:57 GMT -5
all you need to to do is tap the flower with your finger or a pencil. just once when the flower is open fully. More tapping won't hurt it the flower is build so the male and female parts are very close to each other and all it takes is one spec of male to hit the female and you are with child! The flower outside may drop off but you will see the tiny tomato in its place Here is a pic of a infant i.redd.it/o2cpdp6ucbz31.png |
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Post by cf on Feb 3, 2021 14:03:27 GMT -5
all you need to to do is tap the flower with your finger or a pencil. just once when the flower is open fully. More tapping won't hurt it the flower is build so the male and female parts are very close to each other and all it takes is one spec of male to hit the female and you are with child! The flower outside may drop off but you will see the tiny tomato in its place Here is a pic of a infant i.redd.it/o2cpdp6ucbz31.pngThank you! I can't say my flowers are open completely but as of when I first saw the flower buds appear, I begab by shaking the base of the plant, the main big stem that all comes from, at first. Then I started tapping. Then for about four days I was using that cleaning tool which vibrates a lot and have stopped using that. I've probably been overdoing it at each stage from what you are describing. Hopefully that hasn't hurt them but it sure sounds like they don't need anywhere near the "help" I was under the impression they did. Thank you for posting those pictures, that is big Time helpful. |
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airscapes
AGA Bounty
Lettuce eat Cake!
Posts: 642
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Post by airscapes on Feb 3, 2021 15:26:31 GMT -5
Can you post some photos of your plan and flower?
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Post by cf on Feb 3, 2021 19:17:59 GMT -5
Can you post some photos of your plan and flower? Well, if you are talking about the flower that I said I thought lost its center tube for lack of a better word... Thanks to your photos of infant tomatoes, when I looked at that flower trumpet head on, I am seeing what is unmistakably... A NEWBORN TOMATO! YAY!!! The teensiest cutest little round green perfectly shaped ball that I ever did see. It's flower is facing down and on a fairly rigid stem, so I would be afraid to bend it enough to photo it but it's the outside trumpet part of the yellow flower, the insides have fallen out, and this little ball sits right at the center. Recessed all the way to the base of the flower. That's got to be what it is. So exciting! I probably wouldn't have looked if you hadn't posted those photos and might have even picked off that flower since it looks empty from the side. Yay for having done so, thank you again. 😀 |
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airscapes
AGA Bounty
Lettuce eat Cake!
Posts: 642
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Post by airscapes on Feb 3, 2021 20:24:44 GMT -5
 Congratulations! Many more to come I am sure!
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Post by cf on Feb 3, 2021 22:11:16 GMT -5
Congratulations! Many more to come I am sure! Thankie-thankie! |
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Post by kcmsmith0405 on Feb 5, 2021 10:25:20 GMT -5
Hi CF! I am new here - but I have a farm XL and a bounty. (I just wanted some fresh lettuce in the winter LOL) and my tomatoes just start with buds too! Reading around there are a bunch of things I haven't done correctly (pruning, turning the pods, giving lots of extra room). But I am excited to finally see my tomatoes flower - I think I am going to go aggressively prune them today  Mine are not open flowers yet, so I am waiting to shake them. |
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Shawn
Administrator
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Post by Shawn on Feb 5, 2021 10:39:08 GMT -5
Hi CF! I am new here - but I have a farm XL and a bounty. (I just wanted some fresh lettuce in the winter LOL) and my tomatoes just start with buds too! Reading around there are a bunch of things I haven't done correctly (pruning, turning the pods, giving lots of extra room). But I am excited to finally see my tomatoes flower - I think I am going to go aggressively prune them today  Mine are not open flowers yet, so I am waiting to shake them.
Welcome to the forum kcmsmith0405! We are glad you are here with us. Please be sure to check out the different areas of the forum and if you have any questions, please post. I look forward to seeing your plants |
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Post by cf on Feb 7, 2021 17:20:58 GMT -5
Hi CF! I am new here - but I have a farm XL and a bounty. (I just wanted some fresh lettuce in the winter LOL) and my tomatoes just start with buds too! Reading around there are a bunch of things I haven't done correctly (pruning, turning the pods, giving lots of extra room). But I am excited to finally see my tomatoes flower - I think I am going to go aggressively prune them today Mine are not open flowers yet, so I am waiting to shake them. Hi KCMS! Newbie here also, at least relatively. Sounds like you are starting big! I don't know much about turning the pods or the reasoning since I've been pruning in favor of the lighting, but I can already see why the recommendation to just have 2 tomato plants in a Harvest size AG (6-pod unit). I think you have quite a bit more room to play with. Once your flowers start, they seem to grow and progress surprisingly quickly. Fun! A week ago I spotted my first teensy little infant green ball, today I looked at them with a ruler in my head and I think they are about a half an inch across. And I'm seeing three like that whereas before I thought only one had appeared, kind of like a scout. It might take us a full project worth to get the hang of it, but the perfect growing conditions seem to cover the novice. I look forward to hearing more about your experiences. |
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661 
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Post by mike on Feb 7, 2021 19:21:01 GMT -5
The toms will pop in there pretty quickly. I like making sure a fan keeps the air circulating in the room. Tomatoes self-pollinate pretty easily. Peppers take a little more effort. Congratulations.
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Post by cf on Feb 10, 2021 0:30:45 GMT -5
Oh, there are five or six of them now that I can see hanging, more on the way. But they are sure growing quickly, I'm seeing a difference every day. Fun!
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Congratulations! Many more to come I am sure!
Mine are not open flowers yet, so I am waiting to shake them. 
Mine are not open flowers yet, so I am waiting to shake them. 
