Way too Hot, flowers falling off
We have had over 90 degree weather for about 2 weeks now. I do have some tomatoes, however alot of the flowers are falling off. Will more flowers keep coming or do I need to plant new tom plants? thanks!
Very common, though some varieties do better than others in the hot weather. There is a sticky at the top of this page about the [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14764]Blossom Drop[/url]
Additionally, depending how well the plant is establish (soil quality and good, strong roots) can play an important part on how the plant would deal with various stress factors (including the heat).
Regards,
D
Additionally, depending how well the plant is establish (soil quality and good, strong roots) can play an important part on how the plant would deal with various stress factors (including the heat).
Regards,
D
- Gary350
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I'm not sure the heat has anything to do with it. More like soil is too dry so the plant know better than to try and make tomatoes so they dump the flowers.
It has been 95 degrees here every day but it rained every day too. My tomatoe plantss are 6 1/2 ft tall. Plants have lots of 4" diameter green tomatoes. I bet the garden has more than a bushel basket of green tomatoes. The plants are getting so heavy they are falling over. I have them staked but they are falling over anyway. I have some staked with 3/4" solid steel rods 8 ft long each hammered into the ground a foot deep they are the only plants that are not falling over.
It has been 95 degrees here every day but it rained every day too. My tomatoe plantss are 6 1/2 ft tall. Plants have lots of 4" diameter green tomatoes. I bet the garden has more than a bushel basket of green tomatoes. The plants are getting so heavy they are falling over. I have them staked but they are falling over anyway. I have some staked with 3/4" solid steel rods 8 ft long each hammered into the ground a foot deep they are the only plants that are not falling over.
- rainbowgardener
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Blossom drop is a stress reaction. When the plant is under stress, it sheds the blossoms to focus on survival. Heat over 90 degrees is definitely one form of stress (too much water and too little water are both other forms). If you are having weather like that it helps them get through it to keep them well watered. But summer before that we had fierce hot and dry. I watered and watered and watered my tomatoes. They survived, but were not very productive. Nothing I could do could make up for the temps...
And my question for Gary would not be about the 4" tomatoes which were started long before the weather got so hot, but whether your plants are still starting any new tomatoes now that it is.... Blossom drop is about not starting new tomatoes; the plant does not let go of the tomatoes that are already well started.
And my question for Gary would not be about the 4" tomatoes which were started long before the weather got so hot, but whether your plants are still starting any new tomatoes now that it is.... Blossom drop is about not starting new tomatoes; the plant does not let go of the tomatoes that are already well started.
- Gary350
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Rainbow that is a very good question. I went to my garden to check the blossoms. Every one of my 36 tomato plants has about 10 to 14 blossoms right up on the very top of each plant in full sun. Down below where there are already tomatoes growing there are no blossoms in the shady area. The plants all blossomed just before I left town on vacation that was about 3 weeks ago. Wife said it has been 95 degrees and rain every day since I have been gone. Weather man says it will be 98 degrees here today. I will keep an eye on this to see if any new blossoms fall off.