Im growing some cherry toms in big pots and the biggest prob are leaf miners and fusarium,they had loads of flowers but they would not set.
Yeah, share your experiences, I'm interested too. It is better online, that way if we doze off you don't know it.
Whilst waiting for the more expert opinions, I am aware that heat is a big factor inhibiting pollination. Although I have never tried to grow tomatoes in the Philippines, it seems to me that creating shade with screening during pollination time could be helpful - and then removing it as soon as you see the tomatoes have set as they need direct sunlight. Tomatoes have both male and female reproductive parts within each flower and so gently tapping them might help (as will wind, as mentioned below). Living at higher elevations should be helpful (but perhaps not worth moving house just for that!) and I assume that is where most commercial tomatoes are grown. Also, considering the disease problems, wind could be helpful if available - but certainly AVOID crowding the plants. Remove any leaves if they seem to be diseased and whole plants if necessary. Do not put them onto your compost heap (or you will have the diseases forever) but burn them. Sometimes growing different plants together can help - I am not sure which 'partner plants' may be useful with tomatoes in the Philippines but local growers might know. I am aware that marigolds have proven useful grown with some other species.
Thanks NMRN. I was aware that Phil temperature is a problem which is why I searched for these specific seeds which claim to be a strain evolved specifically to thrive in high temperatures. I also saw a video that claimed creating a mixture of one-part vinegar to 4-parts water and spraying the whole plant once a week helps to keep diseases and parasites away and makes the fruit actually taste sweeter.
