hoop house tomatoes set blooms but no fruit yet

[sfulwood]

i started Rutgers and Brandywine from seeds indoors, the planted into my nominally heated hoop house in feb. i transplanted half into my garden in mid march ( i live in south west tenn.) the tomatoes in the hoop house are 2 or 3 times bigger than the ones i transplanted out into the garden; and absolutely loaded with blooms. Yet my first green tomato showed today 4/18/12 on one of the much smaller plants in the garden.

any ideas on what gives?

thanks for any input.

i'm new to the forum and love all the experience and insight!

[janezee]

Were you shaking the tomatoes in the hoophouse, either manually or with a fan?

[sfulwood]

Janezee...great question, get's to pollination. I have not shaken (or stirred) either the hoop house siblings or those in the field. I have had a fan running in the hoop house 24/7.

[Keiththibodeaux]

Either generate some breeze or input some bees. Hey, that rhymed, lol.

[janezee]

Sounds like you need pollination. You could use an electric toothbrush, or just shake each bush every day. Those guys need some action!!!!!

[sfulwood]

i agree it sounds like a pollination issue....one more "yeah but" and i'll go shake the suckers; it has been such an early spring and so warm that i have had the sides rolled up on the hoop house and the plants have been cosseted by the wind just like those in the field.

[kath]

I only have 7 plants in the greenhouse but I give all the open blossoms the Sonicare treatment at least once a day and have had every blossom set a fruit so far.

[sfulwood]

what exactly do you do with the electric toothbrush?

[kath]

Originally Posted by sfulwood

what exactly do you do with the electric toothbrush?

If you google "brush pollination with electric toothbrush" you'll see various methods used. The Sonicare that I have is used without the brush. I just touch the metal piece that vibrates to the flower stem when it's opened enough and look for the pollen to come out in a stream.

[Heritage]

sfulwood,

Also, however you choose to vibrate the trusses I would do it around noon, when the humidity is the lowest.

Steve