Smaller size later in season

[Old chef]

Hello all,
The question is that this year I have noticed smaller size tomatoes in the later part of the season. The plants appear to be healthy. No foliage disease. They are still loaded with developing tomatoes. The size is more noticeable this year for some reason. Any insight?

Cheers
Old Chef

[PaulF]

As one of those people who count and weigh every tomato from the 35 plants grown every year, and it has been fifteen years or so, I concur with what you notice. My feeling is that the plants are just running out of steam and since the daylight is getting shorter there is less energy available for larger sizes.

For me this year, the larger varieties have produced longer into the year with more and bigger fruits than ever before. Just now they are beginning to get smaller which for this area is about three weeks later than average.

Now we need someone to explain the science behind this.

[Ed of Somis]

I certainly can't explain the science behind it...but I sure notice the same thing. Most of my plants do show disease at the end of the season, however.

[slugworth]

I blame the heatwave we had this summer.
Plants that already had blossoms and set fruit had big tomatoes.
After the heatwave hit, the tomatoes were smaller.

[NarnianGarden]

I have some fruits still ripening. Big and small - I love them all

[Old chef]

Thanks for all the responses. It won't make too much of a difference soon. Getting cold and wet

Cheers
Old Chef

[bitterwort]

I always assume for my garden, raised beds, and pots that the effect is at least partially due to the fact that I'm better at keeping up with fertilizing the plants earlier in the year, especially in very rainy years like we've had here. Toward the end of the season I'm busy harvesting and canning and just can't get around to feeding the plants like I did before. Add that to the increase in foliar diseases and the waning sunlight and heat and it sounds like a recipe for smaller fruit or no fruit.

[JRinPA]

Two reasons for me. Less sun. Much less here because we have trees and buildings to the east and south. The sun is lower in the sky, so it is not just the shorter, weaker daylight, but a higher % of shade. Second reason, there are more suckers as the year goes on, so more to support. I generally get three waves of tomatoes, and they get smaller but more numerous with each wave.

[b54red]

The extremely dry weather that is associated with this time of the year is a factor. Another is the number of suckers. I can't get up the strength to take care of the pruning that is needed because by the time I do the watering, spraying and picking I just don't have the energy. Besides by this time of the year a fresh tomato isn't as exciting as back in June and even if they tend to run smaller they are still quite tasty so why bother.

Bill

[Fred Hempel]

Fruit size = productive leaf area /# fruits on plant

I think that an increase in # of fruits on a plant, as the year goes on, is the major factor in smaller fruit size. Even if the plants are bigger, a large increase can mean less sap (food) on average per fruit.

As mentioned, at the end of the season disease and/or shorter days (less productive leaves) can also act to decrease fruit size.

[Old chef]

Thanks for all the responses. I guess I should happy with any tomatoes. Plants still loaded.
Maybe a bit more dilligent with fertization could help the plants running out of steam

Cheers
Old Chef

[slugworth]

take a shovel and prune 1/2 the roots.
It puts the plants into overdrive to get ripe.

[Old chef]

Originally Posted by slugworth

take a shovel and prune 1/2 the roots.
It puts the plants into overdrive to get ripe.

Wow. Thanks. I'll be out there this afternoon
Old Chef

[JRinPA]

Mine were still going but I pulled most of them a couple weeks back. We've canned enough, don't feel like waiting for more to ripen, and I wanted to get cover crop in there. That was the 4th wave I aborted. It was an easy, long year here if you could water them some. I did leave up the cherries and the row of OR117 that is on their third wave with nice sized tomatoes yet.

[b54red]

Despite days still in the 90s the tomatoes can tell it is fall because they are very slow to ripen. Even when fully colored they tend to have a lot of green inside and they are starting to be a bit more tangy.

Bill