Tomato cultivation has become an integral part of hobby gardening. No wonder, as it is quite easy even for beginners and in most cases the harvest is really rich. Nevertheless, questions always arise when it comes to tomato plants and care. Sometimes problems arise during cultivation that we don't want to leave unresolved. With our help, growing tomatoes is guaranteed to be a complete success. Check out frequently asked questions belowProblems on the topic “Tomatoesgrow” and their answers.
Growing Tomatoes – Frequently Asked Questions About Flowering
Flowers usually form naturally, especially since the plant can pollinate itself, but sometimes something seems wrong. There are no tomato flowers or they don't seem to produce fruit. What could that be about?
Tomatoes don't bloom
There can be various reasons why tomato plants are not blooming. First of all, you should be sure that you are not simply impatient and expecting the first flowers to appear too early. In general, the first tomato flowers appear in May, in the leaf axils. Has the month of May already passed and the tomatoes still haven't bloomed? These could be the reasons:
- unfavorable location
- incorrect watering
- not fertilized properly
- Plants not properly cultivated
- diseases or pests
The chances that you can save the plants in time are quite high as they are quite flexible. So try to find the problem and change something. This will most likely delay the harvest a bit, but at least you will get fruit.
So what should you do depending on the cause?
- When it comes to location, you should consider the following:
Without enough light, the tomato plant cannot produce flowers (or only a few) or fruits. A lack of light can also occur if the location itself is correct, but the plant has grown too densely so that not enough light reaches all of the leaves. Thinning and regular thinning are therefore important care steps when growing tomatoes. You can learn how to properly prune tomatoesread here.
- What is important when watering is:
Tomatoes are very thirsty plants. Watering should therefore never be neglected. Nevertheless, there should be no waterlogging. But how much water do tomatoes need, especially in hot weather? Therefore, focus on the soil: keep the root area moist. However, puddles should not remain. Can tomatoes stand in the rain? Plants do not tolerate rain, i.e. water from above, particularly well. Roofs are therefore a good idea. If you water yourself, always do so from below without wetting the leaves.
- When fertilizing tomato plants:
Heavy soils that contain clay retain nutrients better because they are not washed away as quickly. Over-fertilization is likely here. So fertilize less. On the other hand, if the soil is permeable and sandy and therefore drier, the nutrients from fertilizer are lost more quickly, so you have to fertilize more often. Not only can you use the ever-popular nettle manure for this purpose, but alsoPrepare comfrey manure.
- In case of diseases or pests:
It is logical that you should fight these. You can quickly get rid of pests on tomatoes, such as lice or thrips, with the help of the nettle manure mentioned above. Diseases such as blossom end rot or brown rot occur frequently and should be treated. You can find out how to recognize them and other tomato diseasesin this article.
Tomatoes bloom but do not produce fruit
Since tomatoes are self-pollinating, it seems strange if there were flowers but no tomato fruits are now growing. What could be the causes for this?
- The plants were planted outdoors too early.
- The location is unfavorable.
- Too much nitrogen when fertilizing.
- The plants don't get enough water.
- Lack of pollination.
What can you do about it?
- Important at the time of planting:
If you want to grow tomatoes, the frost season should of course be over (i.e. after the Ice Saints) to avoid frostbite, which not only results in delayed flowering, but can also prevent the harvest completely. But that's not the only thing that's important. An acclimatization period should not be underestimated so that the plants do not suffer a shock. This not only delays the flowering phase. Afterwards, no fruits can develop. You can learn how to properly acclimate and harden the plants to their new environmentread here.
If you want to grow tomatoes by sowing them directly outdoors, a soil temperature of at least 10 degrees is required.
Also read:Harden off potted plants in just 3 weeks: This is how it works!
- The location for good fruiting:
Tomato plants need light, but not too sunny and hot. For this reason, gardeners prefer to provide a canopy or at least a net. If it is too hot, the flowers will dry out and tomatoes will not develop. The plants also don't tolerate rain and strong winds very well. Another point in favor of a roof.
- Avoid over-fertilization
Of course, the plant needs nutrients in order to be able to produce fruit; after all, this is a strenuous undertaking. However, it shouldn't be too much and you shouldn't overdo it with nitrogen, because it stimulates the growth of the leaves. So if you notice lots of new, bright and softer leaves instead of fruit, an excess is the cause. In this case, leave fertilizing for a while. Rain will help wash away the excess, but you can also help with straw mulch. Once the plants are back to normal, fertilizewith suitable fertilizerfurther.
- Avoid water shortages
First the leaves wilt, then the flowers and if you do nothing, the plant will die or at least there will be no chance of a harvest. So if you notice a lack of water in the hanging and curled leaves, act immediately because the tomato plant and its flowers can still be saved up to a certain point. If you had flowers but no fruit, you may well have missed this moment.
- Help with pollination
Yes, tomatoes can self-pollinate, but there's nothing wrong with giving them a little help, especially if they're growing in a greenhouse. To do this, you can simply shake the flowering plants a little in the morning so that the pollen can spread. You can also use a brush to paint over all the flowers and transfer the dust to other flowers. Do this over several days.Find out more here.
You can look forward to lots of green fruits and are now eagerly waiting for them to change color and be harvested so that you can finally try them. But it seems like it's taking up far too much time now. The red fruits are the highlight and the big reward when you painstakingly grow tomatoes, so of course this is annoying. What could it be?
Tomatoes don't turn red
When do tomatoes turn red? Tomatoes usually ripen after 55 to 90 days, depending on the variety. This depends on whether you planted early varieties or late ones. If nothing happens after this time, it may be that:
- It's too cold.
- Too many leaves growing on the plant.
- The plant is sick.
Depending on the cause, you should do this as quickly as possible or keep it in mind next time
- Don't plant them out too early
Young plants do not belong outside before the Ice Saints, because frost will cause them to die. It shouldn't be too early for seeds either. The soil should be at least 10 degrees if you want to grow tomatoes.
- Choose the right location
A wind-protected location is optimal for the heat-loving tomato plant, because cold causes it to grow more slowly. At the same time, you don't get too strong sun either. How much sun do tomatoes need to ripen? A temperature between 18 and 26 degrees with at least 6 hours of sunshine per day is considered optimal. In the greenhouse, heat is a major risk and should be avoided.
- Avoid excessive leaf growth
The more green plant parts the tomato produces, the more energy it invests in it instead of in ripening the fruit. Thinning and thinning are a good solution to this problem. Fertilizing with too much nitrogen should also be avoided. Always remove the lowest leaves of the plant.
Growing tomatoes – can the fruits still ripen?
Is the season over and there are still some green tomatoes left? Do tomatoes ripen or are they a hopeless case? Yes, they can still ripen on the plant if you support them. For this to happen, the fruits must have reached their full size and the plant's growth must be complete. This is what you can do:
- Reduce watering. Instead of watering every day as before, you now water every three days, which prepares the plant for the end of its life cycle so that it puts its last strength into producing fruit in order to be able to reproduce.
- Darken the location if possible. You can also use fleece and put it over the plants. This has the same effect as reducing the amount of water.
- In the greenhouse, other fruits can help them ripen. Distribute bananas and/or apples, which release ethylene. This is a gas that accelerates ripening. The fruit and the plant should be placed under a box, for example, so that the gases are not lost. The fruits should also not be in contact with the soil. You can put a board underneath for this.
- Indoors, harvested, unripe tomatoes can continue to ripen in a dark, damp place. It should be warm, with temperatures between 18 and 10 degrees. The basement, for example, is ideal. Make sure to remove any damaged fruit beforehand. It is best to harvest unripe tomatoes from part of the plant (do not pick them off completely, but cut off the plant).
Why do tomatoes burst?
The bursting of the fruits is the result of sudden changes. More specifically, this happens when:
- The plant has been too dry for a long time and is then suddenly watered heavily. Therefore pay attention to regular watering!
- If it has been hot for a long time and the weather suddenly becomes colder (e.g. large temperature differences between day and night).
