problems with tomato blossoms dropping off

Garden78 · July 28, 2014

Hi. I have a container garden and I am growing better boy tomatoes. I have been noticing that some of my blossoms have been drying up and dropping off before setting fruit. Also, I have been noticing that the blossoms have flowered and then dropped off. What is causing this? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Conor W.
fredericksburg, va

KarenO · July 28, 2014

hello,
temperature is a significant factor when tomato plants are blooming and setting fruit. High heat affects the pollen adversely and when temperatures are high, over 85-90 degrees, the blossoms can drop unpollinated. If some fruit are setting, you may just find that a tomato plant will often just drop some blossoms and that can be normal.
Once temperatures decrease indeterminate plants will continue to bloom and set fruit. If there are many blooms, sometimes a plant just aborts some fruit in a cluster and allows some to grow. sometimes a plant just can't support the growth of every single blossom that gets pollinated.
Karen

Lycopersica · July 28, 2014

Are you growing them indoors? If so, you have to hand pollinate your blossoms. Just give them a little tap on the nose (i.e. anther cone) when you water the plant. If there are too many blossoms or some that are hard to reach, giving the whole plant a gentle shake can help too. Even if you're growing them outdoors, you might want to try hand pollination in case you don't have a lot of wind or insects doing it for you.

AKmark · July 28, 2014

Some plants have hundreds of blossoms and never could support that many tomatoes at once, cherries can, but standard tomatoes cannot. Sometimes they just seem to set when the root can sustain the fruit set.

July 28, 2014	#1
Garden78 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia Posts: 7	problems with tomato blossoms dropping off Hi. I have a container garden and I am growing better boy tomatoes. I have been noticing that some of my blossoms have been drying up and dropping off before setting fruit. Also, I have been noticing that the blossoms have flowered and then dropped off. What is causing this? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Conor W. fredericksburg, va

July 28, 2014	#3
Lycopersica Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: New England Posts: 46	Are you growing them indoors? If so, you have to hand pollinate your blossoms. Just give them a little tap on the nose (i.e. anther cone) when you water the plant. If there are too many blossoms or some that are hard to reach, giving the whole plant a gentle shake can help too. Even if you're growing them outdoors, you might want to try hand pollination in case you don't have a lot of wind or insects doing it for you. __________________ Root for your cuttings and they'll do the same for you

July 28, 2014	#2
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,929	hello, temperature is a significant factor when tomato plants are blooming and setting fruit. High heat affects the pollen adversely and when temperatures are high, over 85-90 degrees, the blossoms can drop unpollinated. If some fruit are setting, you may just find that a tomato plant will often just drop some blossoms and that can be normal. Once temperatures decrease indeterminate plants will continue to bloom and set fruit. If there are many blooms, sometimes a plant just aborts some fruit in a cluster and allows some to grow. sometimes a plant just can't support the growth of every single blossom that gets pollinated. Karen

July 28, 2014	#4
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Some plants have hundreds of blossoms and never could support that many tomatoes at once, cherries can, but standard tomatoes cannot. Sometimes they just seem to set when the root can sustain the fruit set.