Growing indoors

[paco@missall.net]

I'm, growing one tomato plant as an experiment with seedless varieties. I've recently developed dysphasia (swallowing Disorder) and can no longer eat seeded tomatoes.

Attached is a photo of the plant. Lights run 12 on 12 off. A fan is in place to help with pollination. Garage temperature runs 45 to 65F.

#1- There are 5 tomatoes varying from 1 to 2 inches but all new blossoms will not set.

#2 Leaves are turning very dark with yellow spots (See attached).

#3 I water the plant daily with a dilute solution of Miracle Tomato food and keep moist not whet.

Thanks in advance

Paul

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[bower]

Hi Paco,
Indoor setups can be difficult for tomato plants. The environment closest to the lights is most challenging being hot and dry.
What variety are you growing?
I assume if they're to be seedless, there is no pollination happening but fruit set anyway.
The female parts of the flower are less sensitive than the pollen, which is the usual cause of failure due to heat, cold, humidity (clumping) and so on. So IDK if the close lights or dry environment would cause them to drop. Sometimes the lights environment attracts pests too, like mites for example love the indoor environment, and they could be eating out the blossoms.

It is also true that tomatoes can drop their flowers for any reason at all, if they don't feel conducive to grow up more fruit. Small pots, resource scarcity, as well as temperatures, humidity and so on; the size and maturity of the plant; number of fruit already loaded, and so on. Maybe the light itself is not enough.

[Labradors]

I think the 45F low temp is not conducive to setting fruit .

[AKgardener]

I can say its not easy growing indoors I have 2 vents in my rooms and it keeps things wonky. I keep my room at 70 and a fan moving around and make sure I try and pollinate them myself. lights and indoor conditions can be tricky you just need to adjust and you go a find whats works best for your space.

[Cole_Robbie]

What type of lights are those?

[paco@missall.net]

Thank you all for the info. The lights are GE LED grow lights which generate very little heat. They seem to be adequate to allow plant growth as the plant is now over 5' tall. I seem to have noticed, over the years, that the first tomato takes all the energy and after it's picked the rest of the fruit begins to mature. Any validity to that observation?

[bower]

I would say it depends on the environmental conditions. If the plant is stressed, it will often put everything into maturing that first fruit, just in case that's all it gets. Very typical of cold spring greenhouse situation. Not every plant will do it, but IDK how much is genetic difference and how much is just the individual plant, deciding how to respond.
Bearing in mind that the plant can't get the usual nutrients when soil is too cold, that might be the limiting factor for the early fruit response in my spring greenhouse. Your setup might also be a little too cold at night. 50F is usually fine for fairly cold tolerant types, but some heirlooms won't grow any fruit until nights are closer to 60F. So, the cold temperature might limit access to nutrients, even though they are regularly fed.
Secondly, light limitation does also cause reduced set. Once your plants are the size as shown, they are seriously competing for the bit of light, and they may feel that the resources are not enough to set more fruit before the first ones have been ripened.
A third possibility is root space. Although people do get away with smaller pots if regularly feeding with liquid ferts, I'm not sure if you still get the kind of yield that is normal. I've mostly heard of that for folks wanting to try 'a fruit' from many kinds in less space, or just to get a fruit or two for seeds. I wouldn't really expect a normal yield in a small pot, or where light is limited.

[paco@missall.net]

thanks for the info. The first fruit is beginning to ripen so we'll see if that's the problem. Also, I think low temp may be part of the problem. I'll let you know.

[Frosti]

I believe a 12/12 lighting schedule is leaving too much potential untapped. I'd go up to at least 16/8. What variety are you growing?