Tomatoes grow in 90 degree weather?

[linzelu100]

It's been in the 90's for a week and a half in my muggy little corner of virginia- per my temperature gauge. HOT HOT HOT and very sunny. I read somewhere that tomatoes "shutdown" above 90 degrees. Is there truth to this? My plants are healthy looking and I have been watering if they look wilty, but its so hot. Will I not get any tomatoes because of this extreme heat? Its been 99, 98, 97, 95...94 today. Usually around this time its rainy and cool.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by linzelu100

It's been in the 90's for a week and a half in my muggy little corner of virginia- per my temperature gauge. HOT HOT HOT and very sunny. I read somewhere that tomatoes "shutdown" above 90 degrees. Is there truth to this? My plants are healthy looking and I have been watering if they look wilty, but its so hot. Will I not get any tomatoes because of this extreme heat? Its been 99, 98, 97, 95...94 today. Usually around this time its rainy and cool.

Tomatoes grow quite well above 90 but the chances of blossoms setting fruit is low to nothing. And that's b'c sustained temps over about 85 or so denatures the pollen making it not effective. It gets even worse when there;s high humidtiy b'c that causes clumping of pollen making it not effective.

So those who live where there are usually high sustained temps, PLUS high humidity get a double whammy, as it were.

Which is why most folks who live in those areas start their plants early to put out so they can set fruit before those conditions set in/

One wouldn't expect such high temps n VA in the middle of May, but it has happened before and will happen again. No different really, in my area of finding snowstorms in late MAy, which has happend before and will happen again.

The weather, she changes.

Carolyn

[b54red]

Sounds like you are having the same trouble as most in the south this year. Had to wait later than normal to set them out then it went from almost too cold to hot overnight. I was 5 weeks behind my average starting date and still risked frost yet it turned really hot before the plants ever started to bloom. Don't let your plants wilt if they are blooming or you will have very little fruit set. Over the years I noticed that when tomatoes wilted or the soil got too dry during the heavy blooming stage that the stress would cause blooms to drop off shortly afterwards without setting fruit. If a good soil moisture level is maintained then the plants have a much better chance to set in the heat. It also helps if that soil is heavily mulched to keep it cooler as well as keep soil moisture more even. Fruit set is rarely normal in very hot weather so keep them watered and keep your fingers crossed. Once you get a good fruit set you can return to normal watering.

Bill

[feldon30]

Temperatures have been about 15 degrees above normal around here. We just need a few days to dip into the 70's with overnights in the high 50's to low 60's and then you'll see some fruit setting.

[Stvrob]

Here in NE Florida, last year I had tons of fruit set before it got hot, but I'm thinking I'm about 3 weeks later than last year because of the cold spring. The past 2 weeks has been quite warm, about 90, but not the high humidity summer-like weather, rather a dryer, breezy hot. The plants are using tons of water, and I'm worried Im not getting much fruit set.

[Redbaron]

Tomatoes can set fruit in hot weather, but you'll need all the help you can get from beneficial insects to do it. That's why I plant lots of companion plants around my tomatoes like marigolds basil and even a few huge sunflowers scattered here and there. I plant my rows north to south and so it the hottest part of the day around noon, the sunflowers provide some shade. But early in the day and late evening the sun strikes the plants well enough for full sun. Swarms of wild sweat bees by the thousands can be found around the plants especially in the early AM. Later on other insects can be found buzzing around the basil and marigolds.

I guess you could call this anecdotal evidence, but I get fruit set when all my neighbors have shut down due to temps.

[Stvrob]

I have an "electric bumblebee" (My daughters electric toothbush), which I'll use every other day or so.

[travis]

Some varieties have the ability to set fruit at temperatures above 92*F, and some do not. Humidity also is a variable factor depending on the variety.

Have faith, cooler weather is headed your way tomorrow. It's dropped 20 degrees out here in the Ohio River Valley from the weekend until today.

[linzelu100]

Thanks all. I haven't gotten any blossoms yet. Which surprised me. What B54red stated is very true here...it was too cold, so I waited to plant out and then BOOM Hot Hot. I usually have some flowers by now. I was thinking maybe it was the heat.

Geeze...if its this hot now, what is the summer going to be like?!

[parah]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

I have an "electric bumblebee" (My daughters electric toothbush), which I'll use every other day or so.

The "electric bumblebee" definitely helps in my garden and it gives me another reason to get out there and inspect the plants up close on a regular basis.

Bonus: wandering around with an electric toothbrush gives the neighbors something to gossip about!

[creister]

I don't have your humidity, but I have noticed that if we get night temps in the 60's, then fruit set seems to do ok even with high daytime temps. I know livestock fair much better with nighttime cooling, a seasonal factor used to determine nutrition requirements for livestock. I believe that to be true for tomato. Just an observation, no formal science involved.

[carolyn137]

Electric toothbrushes can only help if the pollen is still viable, as in not being denatured by heat, and is not clumped, as determined by humidity levels.

Well I remember a person who posted and said she took a broom to her plants twice a day and she thought it helped. My only hope was that she was not in an aggressive mood when she had the broom in her hand,

Carolyn

[Worth1]

It takes oil to make the plastic to make the toothbrush.
It takes a strip mine and chemical plant to mine the minerals and make the batteries for the toothbrush.
It takes more oil to ship the toothbrush over from Asia.
But yet many claim they are organic and helping the earth.

What they are doing is exporting their pollution to some place elses back yard.

To truly be organic one must first learn to make a flint knife and then cut a vine and some really big leaves.
Then go to the garden wearing these big leaves to cover up their nakedness and with a stick vibrate the blooms.

As their clothes would be made from something that hurt the environment too.

This is a joke by the way.

Worth

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Worth1

It takes oil to make the plastic to make the toothbrush.
It takes a strip mine and chemical plant to mine the minerals and make the batteries for the toothbrush.
It takes more oil to ship the toothbrush over from Asia.
But yet many claim they are organic and helping the earth.

What they are doing is exporting their pollution to some place elses back yard.

To truly be organic one must first learn to make a flint knife and then cut a vine and some really big leaves.
Then go to the garden wearing these big leaves to cover up their nakedness and with a stick vibrate the blooms.

As their clothes would be made from something that hurt the environment too.

This is a joke by the way.

Worth

Good because there are no leaves big enough around here to cover my fat butt!

[Stvrob]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Well I remember a person who posted and said she took a broom to her plants twice a day and she thought it helped. My only hope was that she was not in an aggressive mood when she had the broom in her hand,

Carolyn

I have a neighbor woman who rides her broom around the garden too, usually at night though.