Why are my tomato flowers falling off?
What Are the Causes? How to Prevent Tomato Blossom Drop
Tomato Blossom drop is a common tomato growing issue that can be extremely aggravating for home gardeners. Flower blossoms appear on healthy-looking tomato plants, but they dry up and fall off the plant before a fruit is formed. Blossom drop can be caused by a wide variety of factors, the most common of which are excessively high or low temperatures.
Tomato Blossom Drop: The Causes
Many of the causes of blossom drop are difficult to control because they are related to several factors , including temperature and overall plant stress:
- Extremely high or low temperatures (Top cause)
- Pollination failure
- Stress caused by insect damage or disease
- Fruit that is excessively heavy
- Nitrogen excess or deficiency
- Excessive or insufficient humidity
- Water scarcity
Temperature is the most common cause of tomato blossom drop.
Let’s face it: tomatoes are finicky plants. Tomato plants can become stressed if the high daytime temperature exceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the high nighttime temperature exceeds 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or the low nighttime temperature falls below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tomatoes absolutely thrive in temperatures ranging from 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. While plants can tolerate higher temperatures for short periods of time, several days or nights with temperatures outside the ideal range will cause the plant to stop producing fruit and focus on survival. Temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours can cause tomato flowers to wilt.
Tomato Blossom Drop Control
Nothing will ensure fruit set in your tomatoes. Because factors such as temperature and humidity are beyond the gardener’s control, you must sometimes be patient and wait for conditions to improve on their own, and deal with the dissappointing effect of tomato blossom drop. Consider the cultural causes of tomato blossom drop if the weather appears to be fine and other gardeners in your area are not experiencing fruit set issues. Choosing the right variety and caring for your plants will give you an advantage.
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