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Old August 22, 2018   #1
TexasTomat0
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Default Strange flower clusters and growth

I found this tomato volunteer in a corner of my yard and figured that if the plant could survive this blazing heat, I should let it grow. So I moved it into one of my raised beds and began taking better care of it. Once it flowered I noted the shape of the flowers was way off. It's almost like small balls of pollen and a lack of actual flowers. I've never seen anything like it. I'm posting to see if anyone can identify what is going on and if I should pull the plant.

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Old August 23, 2018   #2
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Old August 24, 2018   #3
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Bumping to see if anyone knows what is happening with this plant.


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Old August 24, 2018   #4
Salsacharley
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Flowers look like herbicide drift victims, but the leaves don't look affected. I don't see why you would have to pull it unless you need the space. It would be interesting to see what happens.
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Old August 25, 2018   #5
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I vote herbicide drift.

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Old August 26, 2018   #6
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Leave it go a while to see if it grows out of it. My experience with herbicide drift from the cornfield across the road was the plants grew normally afterward. They got misted. I cut off the damaged parts, eventually. New growth was normal. Extreme heat or cold can damage the blossoms, and again, my plants with that problem went on to grow normally. I wonder if yours is related to root system disturbed by transplanting. My container plants never seem to blossom until they get roots grown first. Could yours have been trying to repair roots and form blossoms at the same time, in extreme heat, and those blossoms just got short shrift? I'm no pro at growing things yet, though. Haha.

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Old August 26, 2018   #7
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MadCow - that is possible but unlikely. It has been over a month since transplant and these blossoms are just now forming. I'm wondering if it is a multi flora because I did have some Rebel Alliance growing in that part of the yard last year.

I'll leave it a while longer and if nothing pans out I will have to pull because I'm limited on space. Just curious looking.


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Old September 4, 2018   #8
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Sometimes spidermite damage can be nearly undetectable on the leaves, and make the blossoms look like this. Either by damaging the blossoms directly, or the shock to the plant from the leaf damage at the time it is trying to form the blossoms, not sure which. I have a lime green salad plant that's blossoms look like this. I finally realized that its problem is spider mites. Maybe that's what this plants problem is, too?
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Old September 12, 2018   #9
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Are the leaves sort of small also? It sort of looks what happened to my 2 Momotaros at the end of the season, after very hot weather. All the growth on the top only became small, very weird looking. Never happened before.
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Old September 13, 2018   #10
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The foliage looks healthy. It could be a multiflora cross. I could be a "mule". I would let it grow a little longer and see if any of those blossoms are able to set fruit. They are abnormal flowers.
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Old September 13, 2018   #11
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I've left the plant in the ground. It definitely looks like a multiflora and has produced huge flower spikes. Still no fruit set through, it has these weird oval clusters mixed among the flowers.

I ended up having space so I'm going to leave it, but if there isn't any fruit set in the next couple weeks, it will get the ax.
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Old September 16, 2018   #12
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Update on mutant tomato



Dwarf I'm growing

it's less than 12 inches tall.


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Old September 16, 2018   #13
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Well now that looks like one very, happy and healthy multi-flora. Please keep us updated about it's fruit type and flavor. I'm really interested in this one.
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Old September 16, 2018   #14
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Those flower clusters certainly look like it has something to do with last years Rebel Alliance! If you end up with the brownish pointy little hearts, you'll know for sure.
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