No flowers on tomato vine.

As you may remember, I have some Cherokee Purple vines. There are no bees, here. I was pollinating the tomato flowers, using a tuning fork. At first, it worked. Later, it didn't. Instead of ejecting pollen, the flower yielded only a solitary, live insect. I didn't identify it, and have found nothing relevant on the internet. Now, however, the vines are not blooming. They are healthy looking and growing by leaps and bounds.

Have you had or heard of such problems with tomatoes?

Thank you.

I haven't heard of anything tangible which would explain that, but I have a couple of ideas... BUT I'd need to know what kind of insect. Do you suppose the bug ate the stamen?

I also really like the idea of pollenizing with a tuning fork, how innovative!

Luck, and I am very sorry about your lack of bees and lack of flowers

>^,,^<
kat

There are a few other factors with tomato flower pollination other than the lack of bees or an insect. Sometimes if tomatoes get too much water they will produce tons of leaves but the flowers drop off prematurely. The insect could be a factor, but if none of your flowers are producing, I doubt it is the culprit. Also the type of food can be a factor, the weather and soil.
There's so much more involved that needs a more in depth investigation.

I can't claim credit for the "tuning fork" method of pollinating. It worked great, but IS "labor intensive".

I should have tried to identify the insect. Now, there aren't any. I, too, wondered if it ate the stamens.

Yes, I, too, wonder if I am watering too much. Does fertilizer encourage flowering?

If the fertilizer is heavy on the phosphorus (the second number on the three numbered sequence) is SHOULD encourage blossoms. BUT if the fertilizer is heavy on the nitrogen, all it will do is encourage lush green growth, with few flowers.

Try a heavy dose of bone meal & kelp!

>^,,^<