Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonHeat
Bill
Have you seen any issues with bleach spray preventing bloom set?
I am asking because I have a few fall plants that are covered in blooms (TTF helped).
It's now time to bleach spray but I am worried the bleach will have a negative effect on the pollin?
Any advice?
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As long as the spraying is done late in the evening or very early in the morning I have seen no harm to blooms setting fruit from the bleach spray. Heat and too little water seem to be the biggest culprits in poor fruit set as far as I can determine from watching my own plants over the years. Another thing that can affect fruit set is having too many blooms and growth tips at the same time, which I think may result in not enough plant energy being used for fruit set.
I am still getting some fair tomatoes but with all the damage from whiteflies my fall tomatoes this year are performing poorly along with my fall cucumbers. I am starting to remove a lot of tomato plants that appear unhealthy and are not looking like they will result in much fruit if any. I need to clear a couple of beds for broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, onions and spinach. I just planted a bed of mustard greens and turnips yesterday. I am hoping the whiteflies are thinning out enough to let them survive when they sprout.
Bill