# Seeds that doesn't work



## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

I talked a friend into buying and planting "Hertiage" seeds(I've bought Heirloom seeds),She had her soil tested(which was great for her needs) and got several nice tomato plants and shared with friends.Not one plant put out a tomato,nor did any of the friends.Now I've bought seeds and lots of books on the proper way to plant and preserve my seeds but am very concerned that she didn't get any yield at all,that I might not either.I hope to have a small garden to see if I can grow my seeds,before I invest in more and different variaties.....Any ideas what went wrong with her seeds?????And what to try/avoid.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Quite a few things can go wrong with tomatoes, without knowing more about circumstances.

IMO the most likely cause for tomatoes not fruiting are 

1. Lack(or too much) of calcium in the soil.

2. Not enough sun.

3. For whatever reasons, the blooms not getting pollinated.

Those are my "off the hand" possibilities.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

gabbyj310 said:


> I talked a friend into buying and planting "Hertiage" seeds(I've bought Heirloom seeds),She had her soil tested(which was great for her needs) and got several nice tomato plants and shared with friends.Not one plant put out a tomato,nor did any of the friends.Now I've bought seeds and lots of books on the proper way to plant and preserve my seeds but am very concerned that she didn't get any yield at all,that I might not either.I hope to have a small garden to see if I can grow my seeds,before I invest in more and different variaties.....Any ideas what went wrong with her seeds?????And what to try/avoid.


My local seed and feed store has heirlooms. Now the only way that you know what is heirloom is to ask and the manger walks through and tells you which is heirloom and which isn't. 

So I've bought some online as well.

No experience yet .... But I've read up on how to handle the seeds. Seems a little complicated and maybe someone else will chime in, but is it possible that the seeds weren't prepared properly? Or would they have not even sprouted if that was the case? (learning......)


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

I'm thinking they just didn't get pollinated,could be they were on her back screened porch and not enough sun too,but the plants grew real nice just didn't produce any tomatoes....I will now try my seeds in a small way to see what's up..That way I will know what compay to buy from.Usually online..


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

I was reading an article in Countryside magizine and was wondering about this as well. Can you get bees to pollinate without a hive? I would think not but am just asking.


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

gabbyj310 said:


> I'm thinking they just didn't get pollinated,could be they were on her back screened porch and not enough sun too,but the plants grew real nice just didn't produce any tomatoes....I will now try my seeds in a small way to see what's up..That way I will know what compay to buy from.Usually online..


When you say "screened porch" are you saying that the area was completely enclosed so no bees could get to the flowers...? I would think that would be a definite problems.

Biobacon - you don't need a hive of bees for pollination; bees travel for miles looking for nice juicy blossoms.


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

gabbyj310 said:


> I talked a friend into buying and planting "Hertiage" seeds(I've bought Heirloom seeds),She had her soil tested(which was great for her needs) and got several nice tomato plants and shared with friends.Not one plant put out a tomato,nor did any of the friends.Now I've bought seeds and lots of books on the proper way to plant and preserve my seeds but am very concerned that she didn't get any yield at all,that I might not either.I hope to have a small garden to see if I can grow my seeds,before I invest in more and different variaties.....Any ideas what went wrong with her seeds?????And what to try/avoid.


gabby, did they blossom? If you mater's feet are too or if the nights are too cool they can blossom and then drop off. If they blossomed but did not develope fruit, I'd agree with the others -- probably no polination. Yup. they can't be kept in a screened in porch. Unlike some plants, tomatoes are not self polinators.


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

PrepN4Good said:


> When you say "screened porch" are you saying that the area was completely enclosed so no bees could get to the flowers...? I would think that would be a definite problems.
> 
> Biobacon - you don't need a hive of bees for pollination; bees travel for miles looking for nice juicy blossoms.


I know that. I was thinking of a kind of sure thing way, like here bees do your thing lol


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## VUnder (Sep 1, 2011)

There must have been some kind of problem in the far distant past. I did some research and all the foods that people use as staples, do not require pollenation from bees. That list of plants contained all the vegetables I grew up eating. Somewhere in the past, humans must have had a hard scrape and learned this the hard way. I would also suggest stocking up on seeds that do not require this. The world is already having a problem with bees. If the bees go away, all the good seeds anybody has will be useless. Just make sure you have plenty of bee-less seeds along with your other seeds.


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## EarlyPrepper (Aug 28, 2012)

VUnder said:


> There must have been some kind of problem in the far distant past. I did some research and all the foods that people use as staples, do not require pollenation from bees. That list of plants contained all the vegetables I grew up eating. Somewhere in the past, humans must have had a hard scrape and learned this the hard way. I would also suggest stocking up on seeds that do not require this. The world is already having a problem with bees. If the bees go away, all the good seeds anybody has will be useless. Just make sure you have plenty of bee-less seeds along with your other seeds.


What is that list of plants?


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

I also just planted several fruit trees on my property and was told several different type of flowers to plant to attract bees.Also was told to put a clay pot upside down near the trees and flowers,there would be a very good chance the bees would "love" the clay pot and make a home there.La-ta instant polinators.....
To horseman 09.....Yep they did flower(my understanding)But these other people's didn't produce either and they are suppose to be avid gardners, you would think that they would know what to do????


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

There may be a variety of self-pollinating maters, but I can't think of one.

'Course, my lawn is full of clover, so I gots lotsa bees!


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Gabby, I grow heirlooms every year and never have problems. You can't grow vegetables on a screened in porch. Hybrid seeds would not produce under that circumstance either. Another possibility is that they planted the tomatoes too late in the year. Tomatoes will not set fruit if the temperature is too high here in Texas. If she planted them too late in the summer, they won't set fruit either.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

VUnder said:


> There must have been some kind of problem in the far distant past. I did some research and all the foods that people use as staples, do not require pollenation from bees. That list of plants contained all the vegetables I grew up eating. Somewhere in the past, humans must have had a hard scrape and learned this the hard way. I would also suggest stocking up on seeds that do not require this. The world is already having a problem with bees. If the bees go away, all the good seeds anybody has will be useless. Just make sure you have plenty of bee-less seeds along with your other seeds.


 Good idea.:congrat:


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

biobacon said:


> Can you get bees to pollinate without a hive? I would think not but am just asking.


All bees require a hive. You don't have to have one in your yard, but the bees that pollinate your flowers are coming from a hive somewhere. Bees can not survive individually. They need a colony.


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

kejmack said:


> All bees require a hive. You don't have to have one in your yard, but the bees that pollinate your flowers are coming from a hive somewhere. Bees can not survive individually. They need a colony.


Well, if the question is, do YOU need a hive, the answer is no. The closest beekeeper to me is about a mile down the road. Also, there are "wild" bees who set up shop in old trees & even in the walls of houses & such. A domesticated colony can split, swarm, & take off & start a new colony somewhere where the beekeeper can't get at them.


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Glad I ran across this thread, I'm experimenting with some heritage tomato seeds in the greenhouse they are up about four inches and it's getting cool here in KY now, I knew I got them in late, looks like I set myself up tofail heredid every thing wrong oh well it's only four seeds as I'm on a steep learning curve here I can laugh at myself.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

You can use a small paint brush and pollinate the flowers yourself. Time consuming, but if you only have a few plants, it works.


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## siletz (Aug 23, 2011)

Tomatoes are actually pollinated by bumble bees instead of honey bees. They vibrate the flower to move the pollen down. If you shake your plants, or put a fan on them, or in the wind it will help pollination as well. If the flower wasn't pollinated, it won't become a fruit. Two other things that come to mind if you didn't get fruit is that they drop their flowers if it gets too hot. Also, tomatoes are very sensitive to too much fertilizer. They will put all their effort into growing big and lush leaves without thinking about setting fruit. Hope this helps! Growing tomatoes is one of my favorite parts of gardening. I hope you have better luck with them next year.


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

Hey everyone an update from my friend on her tomatoes that wouldn't produce..She was so angry she pitched them out the backdoor(in her flower bed) and guess what....The grew a TON of tomatoes,guess she was babying them to much..Haha She ended up with enough tomatoes for friends too!


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I dont know if that would encourage or discourage me but glad to hear the plants produced!


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