So, you have a nice looking, healthy tomato plant. There are lots of leaves but just no fruit. You ask yourself, why aren’t my tomatoes fruiting? Wondering how to get more Fruit on your Tomato Plants?
All of a sudden, you realize it is July and still nothing! Do not despair, this is actually a pretty common problem.
This feels very unfair – you know how to garden, and you have lavished such special attention on your tomato plants to get them this far. Read on- the reasons are fairly consistent and predictable, and there may be ways to persuade your plant to start producing yet.
Low pollination rate
The first thing to consider would be the pollination. Yes, tomatoes are self fertile. That means that each tomato flower has both the male and female part. A perfect flower, they technically do not need a pollinator like a bee to fertilize it. The pollen just falls within the flower and pollination happens like magic.
However, that does not mean that this is a perfect system. Other factors could affect pollination, like humidity or heat. The first thing you can try to get those little flowers to generate baby tomatoes is to gently shake your plants. This will encourage the pollen to fall and begin the fertilization process.
I encourage every tomato grower to shake their plants once the flowers start appearing to get more Fruit on their Tomato Plants. Even if you do have fruit, and pollination is happening, a gentle shake each morning will double your yield. You will be astounded at how many more tomatoes per plant you will get.
your fertilization rate
Also, encourage bees in your garden. They do amazing work. Just by being near your tomatoes, they will generate the ‘buzz’ needed to shake the flowers and drop the pollen. Seriously – the vibrations from the bees will shake your clogged pollen free. Check out this article from the bumblebee conservation trust explaining how buzz pollination works. Also check out this video of buzz pollination of a tomato plant at the research gardens at Cambridge University.
Not enough Phosphorus (AKA too much nitrogen)
The second thing to try would be to change your fertilizer. Tomatoes are very heavy feeders. Many fertilizers are formulated for growing big lush plants. However that is not actually healthy for your tomatoes. If all the energy is going into the leaves, there will not be as much available for the fruiting.
First, know your fertilizers. Check out my post on understanding fertilizer and what is right for each plant. Tomatoes actually need a fertilizer which promotes blooms, just like your flower garden, not one which promotes leafy greens. Many vegetable fertilizers are formulated to leafy growth – which is great for salads and leafy greens. Not so great for tomatoes. Check out my post on the nutritional requirements for tomatoes.
For tomatoes you’ll want a fertilizer which has a high P number – phosphorus to get more Fruit on your Tomato Plants. You should look for a high middle number on commercial fertilizer packages. At the garden center look for “super bloom” or “super-phosphate” formula.
You can also side dress with fish meal, banana skins, or dried cucumber peels for an organic solution. Ideally these should be at the bottom of the hole when planting, but will also be effective if you work them into the soil right next to your tomato plants.
Many gardeners use magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) for flower gardens to promote blooms, but I do not recommend this on tomatoes without a soil test first. Magnesium in the soil can promote blossom end rot by competing with your plant’s calcium intake. Better to use non-salt based phosphorus to prevent disease and also maintain a healthy soil.
Temperature
Another common reason for poor fruiting on tomatoes is the temperature. Tomatoes love the heat. However, not too much heat. Tomatoes have a difficult time setting fruit in extra high heat. If you live in southern Florida or Las Vegas, where the temps are consistently over 90, you will face this issue. Or if your area is having an extended heat wave during fruit set, that could be the reason.
fall off prior to pollination
To exacerbate issues, nighttime temps which do not relieve the heat make it even less likely your plants will bear fruit. Tomatoes like evening temperatures to be between 60-75 degrees. Anything above that will stop tomato production altogether.
If you are living through a heat wave, your best bet is to stick it out. With some luck, the temps will drop and fruiting will resume. Remember to shake your plants each morning!
How to get more Fruit on your Tomato Plants in extreme heat
If you live in a hot part of the world, there are a couple of recommendations I can give. If you have no winter frost in your area, like in southern Florida, you could actually plant your tomatoes in the winter for harvesting throughout the spring. This will allow you to continue to grow each year, just slightly earlier than the rest of us. Your plants will be finished by the intense heat of the summer.
If you live in high desert areas, or are planning to grow tomatoes through multiple seasons, you’ll want to try heat tolerant hybrids for those hot summer months. Sorry, no heirlooms. Heirlooms do not seem to handle heat well.
Try instead some of these varieties:
- Heatmaster
- Solar Flare
- Heatwave II
- Spitfire
- Florida 91
- Sunbeam
- Sunmaster
- Chocolate Sprinkles (cherry)
When all else fails and you find yourself in August with fruitless plants, try a fall harvest. This is the last ditch way you might be able to get more Fruit on your Tomato Plants. Here is the methodology.
You will need to lop off all of that gorgeous greenery. Cut the plant back by about half. By cutting the plant back, you are alerting the plant not to try to produce more leaves, but rather to save its energy. Cover the plant under shade and keep it well watered and healthy. Then, in late September, or when the temps consistently fall below about 87, bring it back out into the sun. At that point the plant should start flowering again in the more moderate temperatures. You should be able to have tomatoes through your first frost.
Good luck & let me know how your tomatoes are doing!
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