Struggling with dwarf tomatoes

[Fritz77]

This is my first attempt to grow dwarf tomatoes. My seeds germinated easily and most of the plants look healthy and vigorous. Now, the problem is that my plants have been transplanted 3 weeks ago and don’t have any blossom yet. The 3 varieties I grow are: Uluru Ochre, Wherokowai (see pictures) and Wild Fred.
I’ve fed them and all my other plants with aged sheep manure and only once with Compo Fertilizer (9-5-13) which is a little high in Nitrogen but I guess not so high right?
So what's wrong with them? To be honest it looks like all my plants don’t have too many blossoms this season.
Are dwarf tomatoes late bloomers or is it me failing miserably?

[PhilaGardener]

Don't know what your weather has been like, but we have had a cool spring in the Eastern US. They look good - maybe a bit heavily fertilized - I think they just need some summer warmth to take off and get blooming. I haven't found the dwarfs to be heavy fruit setters so don't expect huge trusses like some heirlooms. On the other hand, they grow up, not out, and never turn into monster plants so are easy to keep under control. Good luck!

[Worth1]

Not even close to being ready to bloom and what ever you do dont pinch suckers.
The fertilizer is right on target from what I can see.
Just dont use any more for awhile.
Worth

[Merediana]

I tried a bunch of dwarfs for the first time this season (including Uluru Ochre and Wherokowhai) and ALL dwarfs did get their first blossoms quite a bit later than ALL the other varieties I'm growing. I've fruit set on most of my other varieties now (plant out date was about 3 weeks ago) but on none of the dwarfs.

I'd say take it easy with the fertilizer and wait...

[zipcode]

You can count real leaves to first flower truss.
Usually if it's more than 10, I would say it's late. looking at them they seem to be at least 10. That is just a rough estimate, some ultra earlies like Stupice can flower after only 5 leaves.
Now, what caused them to be late is another story. It is decided at the seedling stage in any case, not now. Not big enough difference between night and day temperature (usual problem, since most people grow them indoors), too much fertilizer, not enough light.

[ginger2778]

Dwarfs are almost always slower than regular tomato plants. I routinely start them 2 weeks earlier than the others.

[Labradors2]

I noticed last year that my row of dwarfs was a lot later to bear fruit than my two rows of indeterminates. We had a glorious hot summer which was very dry. I put it down to the mulch! Although I mulched the dwarfs with a thick layer of pond weed, the indy's were covered in black plastic which probably retained water better!

And then there is Marsha's explanation (above). Funny that I never noticed that my dwarfs were later the previous year that I grew them.....

Linda

[Fritz77]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Not even close to being ready to bloom and what ever you do dont pinch suckers.

Great. I just did it yesterday

If I may ask, what's wrong with pinching suckers at this stage?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Fritz77

Great. I just did it yesterday

If I may ask, what's wrong with pinching suckers at this stage?

Nothing!

[Fritz77]

Originally Posted by zipcode

You can count real leaves to first flower truss.
Usually if it's more than 10, I would say it's late. looking at them they seem to be at least 10. That is just a rough estimate, some ultra earlies like Stupice can flower after only 5 leaves.
Now, what caused them to be late is another story. It is decided at the seedling stage in any case, not now. Not big enough difference between night and day temperature (usual problem, since most people grow them indoors), too much fertilizer, not enough light.

Interesting. I guess I will be counting leaves tonight, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow...

[Fritz77]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Nothing!

[Fritz77]

By the way, we've had hot weather in the last 4 weeks. Sunny and dry, maybe too dry. Thank God I have our own well

[Labradors2]

It would help to water them thoroughly and then mulch

Linda

[zipcode]

Originally Posted by Fritz77

Pinching suckers will speed up a bit the appearance of the first flowers, so yeah, nothing wrong with it.

I haven't really noticed dwarfs to be late for me. New Big Dwarf was one of the first bigger tomatoes a few years ago. I haven't tried any of the new dwarves though, it's possible that they are mostly late.

[oakley]

They look great. Nice and healthy. Mine appear to be a week or so ahead of yours, a bit taller, and just
putting out blossoms the past couple days....