When you are first starting out as a gardener, the sight of your tomato plants producing flowers brings you a great deal of joy. However, this joy quickly fades when you notice that the plants are not producing any fruit.
After a long day of work, you come home feeling depressed because your plant does not produce fruit but instead only flowers.
So, I’m here to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about this problem, since I’ve dealt with it a lot in the past and know all the factors that contribute to it.
If you want to get rid of this issue and see your tomato plants produce fruit, then you must not ignore these most common causes and the solutions to these causes. If you do, then you won’t be able to get rid of this problem.
Why Are My Tomato Plants Flowering But Not Producing Tomatoes?
If a tomato plant does not produce fruit, there may be a number of factors at play. Some of these factors are not enough water, not enough sunlight, not enough pollination, an environment that is too hot, an environment that has high or low humidity, bad nutrition, or a combination of these things.
The following are the five reasons, and a more in-depth explanation for each of them can be found further down this page:
1. Not Enough Sunlight
Consider raising the light levels if your tomato plants have a lot of lush foliage but few flowers. Tomatoes require a lot of light and will only thrive if they get at least six hours of direct sunlight every day.
Dull weather is only a temporary problem, but if you planted them in a less-than-sunny position, you may want to relocate them to a more sunny location, because more sunshine equals more energy to produce those fruits.
Solution
If your tomato plants aren’t producing fruit, the first thing you should check is whether they’re getting enough sunlight. Tomatoes need at least six hours of direct sunlight a day.
If they’re not getting enough sun, you can try moving them to a sunnier spot or using a grow light. You can also buy a tomato plant stand to raise them up so they’re getting closer to the sun.
2. High or Low Humidity
As if getting the right temperature wasn’t difficult enough, our tomatoes may be too wet… or too dry! High humidity may cause pollen to cluster together and fail to settle on the female stigma due to the cramped, unpleasant conditions. Extreme dryness has the opposite effect: pollen just falls off the blooms because they are too dry for it to attach to.
There isn’t much you can do about excessive humidity levels other than provide appropriate ventilation and plenty of space between plants to aid airflow.
Pruning some of the lower leaves can also help to enhance air circulation.
If you have a problem with bone dry air, keep your plants watered, and the humidity surrounding your plants should remain more steady as excess moisture evaporates. Providing adequate water will also provide plants with the nutrients they need to completely swell their fruits, reducing the likelihood of them dropping off.
If you’re growing under cover, splattering water on the pavers will help promote humidity.
Solution
If the environment your tomato plant is in is either too high or low in humidity, this can prevent the flowers from turning into fruit. In high humidity, the flowers will stay wet for too long and the petals will start to rot. While in low humidity, the flowers will not get enough water to turn into fruit.
There are a few ways to combat this: you can increase or decrease the humidity in the environment, or you can help the plant by using a humidifier or dehumidifier.
3. Excess Heat
Our tomatoes, like those of many other producers, are suffering from extreme summer heat. As temperatures climb over 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius), pollen becomes sterile, especially if nocturnal temperatures do not fall below 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).
All you can do is wait for the temps to drop again. Keep your plants cool by leaving windows, doors, and vents open and maybe masking part of the sunlight with curtains, fabric, or greenhouse shade paint.
Grow climate-appropriate cultivars as well. Look for a warm-climate tomato variety that can withstand the heat if your garden becomes extremely hot.
Solution
When it comes to tomato plants not producing fruit, one of the possible causes is that the plant is getting too much heat. If this is the case, then you’ll need to take some measures to cool it down.
One thing you can do is move the plant to a cooler location. If that’s not possible, then you can try watering it more often so that it will cool down. And if all else fails, you can purchase a tomato plant shade cloth to protect it from the sun.
4. Lack of Pollination
Other fruiting vegetables, such as squash, have male and female flowers, whereas tomatoes have blossoms that contain both male and female components. This implies that they are self-pollinating and self-fertile.
While technically correct, pollinating insects, particularly bumblebees, will improve fruit set significantly.
Bumblebees “buzz pollinate” by flapping their wings up and down at a frequency that produces their distinctive low, audible buzz—and it is this buzz that causes a vibration, causing pollen to be shaken loose from the male portion and fall onto the waiting female stigma when they visit a flower. We want more bumblebees, so make it simple for them to get to the flowers!
*If growing under cover, open greenhouse or tunnel vents, windows, and doors. Also, plant nectar-rich flowers alongside your tomatoes to attract more pollinators!
Fruit set can also be promoted by hand pollination. You could stroll from bloom to bloom like this with a little artist’s paint brush, but twanging or tapping on plant supports is a far more practical approach to extract pollen to fertilize the female regions of the flower. By shaking the petals and replicating the motions of a bumblebee, you can greatly boost pollination success!
Solution
If your tomato plants are not producing fruit, it could be because of a lack of pollination. Pollination is when the pollen from the male flower (which looks like a little cluster of balls) combines with the female flower (which has a tiny fruit behind it).
If there are no bees or other insects around to do this, you can do it yourself with a paintbrush. Just make sure to do it in the morning when the flowers are open.
You can also try using a cotton swab, but I find that the paintbrush works better. And once you’ve pollinated the flowers, you should see little green tomatoes start to form within a few weeks.
5. Incorrect Nutrition
Finally, think about what you’re giving your tomatoes. Use an organic fertilizer high in potassium and trace elements like magnesium after the first flowers develop. This will assist us in achieving our goal of more blooms and improved fruit set.
Use something like liquid tomato feed or seaweed concentrate. This encourages stronger plants, reduces the incidence of blossom end rot, and boosts the nutritional content of the fruits itself. Most feeds are administered every two weeks by measuring and diluting the concentrate as directed on the box, then watering it in at the plant’s base.
Aim for optimal soil health by introducing at least once a year a suitable amount of well-rotted organic matter into your soil. This will aid in the development of a healthy soil life community, which will sustain all of your plants, including those delicious tomatoes!
Solution
The final solution to the problem of your tomato plants not producing fruit has to do with incorrect nutrition. Just like humans, tomato plants need a balanced diet in order to function properly. And if they’re not getting the right nutrients, they won’t be able to produce fruit.
There are three main nutrients that tomato plants need: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen is responsible for growth, phosphorus is responsible for flowering and fruit production, and potassium is responsible for overall plant health.
If your plants are not getting enough of any of these nutrients, it could explain why they’re not producing fruit.
The best way to solve this problem is to get a soil test done so you can see exactly what nutrients your plants are lacking. Then you can add the appropriate fertilizer to their diet and hopefully get them back on track.
How Do I Encourage My Tomato Plants To Produce Fruit?
Here are five ways you can encourage your tomato plants to produce fruit:
Keep an eye on the temperature:
Tomato plants need warm weather to produce fruit, so if the temperature drops, the flowers will fall off the plant without setting fruit.
Make sure the plants are getting enough sun:
Tomato plants need at least six hours of direct sunlight per day in order to produce fruit.
Water regularly:
Tomato plants need to be kept evenly moist, not too wet or too dry. Water stress can cause the flowers to fall off the plant.
Fertilize regularly:
Tomato plants need a steady supply of nutrients in order to produce fruit. Use a fertilizer made specifically for tomatoes, and follow the directions on the package.
Prune regularly:
Pruning tomato plants helps to increase air circulation and allows the sun to reach all parts of the plant. It also helps to prevent diseases and pests from taking hold.
What Fertilizer Is Best For Fruiting Tomatoes?
When it comes to tomato fertilizer, you want to make sure you’re using one that’s high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is key for encouraging blooming and fruit set, so if your plants are not flowering or setting fruit, a lack of phosphorus could be the issue.
There are plenty of commercial tomato fertilizers on the market, but if you’re looking for a more natural option, bone meal is a good choice. You can also add compost or manure to your tomato plants to give them a boost.
Whatever fertilizer you choose, make sure you’re applying it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Over-fertilizing can be just as detrimental as not fertilizing at all, so it’s important to find that sweet spot.
Do Tomatoes Need More Water When Fruiting?
You might be thinking that you need to water your tomatoes more when they start fruiting, but that’s actually not the case. If you water your plants too much, it can actually cause the fruit to split.
So how often should you water your tomato plants? It depends on the weather and the type of soil you have, but a good rule of thumb is to give them about an inch of water per week.
If it’s been particularly hot or dry, you might need to water them more frequently. And if it rains a lot, you might not need to water them as much. Just keep an eye on the soil and make sure it’s not too dry or too wet
Conclusion
It is possible for tomato plants to produce flowers but no fruit at all. This is a very stressful situation that any gardener who finds themselves in this situation will find themselves in. If you use this post as a guide, on the other hand, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a solution to this problem or figuring out what causes it most of the time.
If you put all of the suggested solutions into action, you won’t have any trouble resolving this problem, and you’ll even be able to increase the number of tomatoes you grow.
Sources
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-blossoms-no-tomatoes.htm
https://www.almanac.com/video/why-isnt-my-tomato-plant-producing-fruit