Flower thumping issues ... - Page 2

Warren · June 9, 2007

I shake my stakes. the way I have my bamboo setup I can shake one and they all move. Or they used to but since the bamboo has dried up they have been breaking

sic transit gloria · June 9, 2007

It seems to me these things would be accomplished by the wind much more efficiently than these manual means. I suppose if your area isn't windy, then these measures would be helpful. It's hard to argue with results, though.

squibT · June 9, 2007

So I went out into the back yard with a big stick and whacked one plant to see what would happen. It smashed to pieces....I figured I didn't do it right so I wound up and whacked the next one...hmmmm....bits and pieces again. Tried a few more, all with different angles and approaches and now I don't have any plants left. What am I doing wrong?

<sigh>

squibT

cozy · June 9, 2007

squibT, your stick is too small ... needs to be big enough to prevent lacerations! A 10 ft long 2x12 ( for my frame) has just enough wind drag to work properly.
Trial and error Mate

Better luck with the next batch!

michael johnson · June 10, 2007

You are supposed to hit the wooden stake or cane/or cage wire, not the plant,

, the crack from the stick jerks the flowers enough to shake the pollen loose and you can sometimes see a shower of pollen dropping down-on a good cool morning when there is plenty of pollen around. the sharp rap from the stick shakes the whole plant from top to bottom in one go and therefore gives every truss of flowers a workout.

I personally use a fairly thick garden cane, cut to about three foot long with a bit of string bound round the base for a handle grip, and when I am doing my morning rounds with it- it sounds like a machine gun going along the rows-with a rat- a- tat- tat noise, I can get through about 150 tomatoes in less than 20 minutes- a sort of developed technique- and usually strike the stake about 3 to 4 foot above the ground near the top of the stake for best effect to shake the whole plant in one go.

The electic toothbrush method is also very good but too labour intensive and time consuming as you have to go to every truss and do it.

June 9, 2007	#16
Warren Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kilgore Texas Posts: 102	I shake my stakes. the way I have my bamboo setup I can shake one and they all move. Or they used to but since the bamboo has dried up they have been breaking

June 9, 2007	#17
sic transit gloria Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: KS 5b/6a Posts: 249	It seems to me these things would be accomplished by the wind much more efficiently than these manual means. I suppose if your area isn't windy, then these measures would be helpful. It's hard to argue with results, though.

June 9, 2007	#18
squibT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Nanaimo, BC (7b) Posts: 89	So I went out into the back yard with a big stick and whacked one plant to see what would happen. It smashed to pieces....I figured I didn't do it right so I wound up and whacked the next one...hmmmm....bits and pieces again. Tried a few more, all with different angles and approaches and now I don't have any plants left. What am I doing wrong? <sigh> squibT

June 9, 2007	#19
cozy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: GA Posts: 46	squibT, your stick is too small ... needs to be big enough to prevent lacerations! A 10 ft long 2x12 ( for my frame) has just enough wind drag to work properly. Trial and error Mate Better luck with the next batch!

June 10, 2007	#20
michael johnson Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK. Posts: 960	You are supposed to hit the wooden stake or cane/or cage wire, not the plant, , the crack from the stick jerks the flowers enough to shake the pollen loose and you can sometimes see a shower of pollen dropping down-on a good cool morning when there is plenty of pollen around. the sharp rap from the stick shakes the whole plant from top to bottom in one go and therefore gives every truss of flowers a workout. I personally use a fairly thick garden cane, cut to about three foot long with a bit of string bound round the base for a handle grip, and when I am doing my morning rounds with it- it sounds like a machine gun going along the rows-with a rat- a- tat- tat noise, I can get through about 150 tomatoes in less than 20 minutes- a sort of developed technique- and usually strike the stake about 3 to 4 foot above the ground near the top of the stake for best effect to shake the whole plant in one go. The electic toothbrush method is also very good but too labour intensive and time consuming as you have to go to every truss and do it.