Tomato Flowers Keep Falling Off
I have a healthy-looking balcony tomato (a Polfast), which has produced at least 25 flowers so far. Two have gone on to become tomatoes - still green, but getting larger every day. The other flowers just shrivel and drop off. I googled around and learned that this is caused by wild temperature swings, which we've definitely had in Manhattan this summer - not much I can do about that. But is there anything I can do to help my tomato set fruit? It's very disheartening to see all those sad little stumps. I don't feed the plant anything but eggshells and water - maybe that's the problem.
By small h
on Aug 16, 2009 04:33 PM
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I had that problem, read that it could be that the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium balance in the soil was off, tried the Miracle-Gro TOMATO Food, and haven't had the problem again. I'm having other tomato problems now, of course, but not this one, even with the crazy weather we've had in Chicago this year. Good luck!
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Thanks! I was hoping to not have to buy anything, but I'll give the Miracle-Gro a shot.
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It could be blossom drop and which occurs because the temperatures are not quite right - too hot or too cold. What temps are you getting? Daytime and overnight? Be careful with the Miracle-Gro because excess nitrogen can also cause excess blossom drop.
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Yes, as I said in my original post, the temperatures are not quite right. This month, temperatures have ranged from 65 - 92, last month from 58 - 86 (that's day & night - I can't find a source that separates them).
I will be careful with regard to nitrogen, thanks for that advice.
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A follow-up: I fed the tomato - not with Miracle Grow but with some other stuff I bought a while back, multicolored time-released round pellets (I don't remember the brand). And the weather has improved. Anyway, I now have nine tomatoes in various stages of development, and many, many flowers. Yay!
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