Why won't my tomato plants produce fruit?

Question

I have a tomato plant that is about 5 feet tall and has only produced 3 fruits. I have many yellow flowers but nothing is happing with them. Please help.

Answer 1

Several conditions can cause tomatoes to not set fruit including the heat, too much nitrogen & several other factors like not enough sunlight.

Too much nitrogen fertilizer will make the plant grow huge at the expense of the fruit production. Growth is being directed toward vegetation & away from the flowers so they can't produce.

Extreme temperatures or not the right temperature will deter fruit set:"Optimum fruit set occurs within a very narrow night temperature range of between 60° F and 70° F. When tomato plants experience night temperatures lower than 55° F or above 75° F, interference with the growth of pollen tubes prevents normal fertilization. The pollen may even become sterile, thus causing the blossoms to drop. High daytime temperatures, rain, or prolonged humid conditions also hamper good fruit set. If the humidity is too low, the pollen will be too dry and will not adhere to the stigma.
If the humidity is too high, the pollen will not shed readily. Pollen grains may then stick together, resulting in poor or nonexistent pollination."
http://home.att.net/~renton/tomato.htm#ripening

Other reasons why the plant isn't producing fruit is poor pollination because the bees won't do their job in the heat. Some other things interfering with fruit set are: irregular watering & insects such as thrips.

The most common reason tomato plants do not set fruit is because they are not planted where they can receive 8-10 hours of direct sunlight daily. Any less direct sunlight will result in a nonproductive plant with healthy foliage.
http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/vegetables/tomato.html
Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 2

They require at least 4 hrs of sun a day to set fruit. If they have this, then it's just too hot. Most won't set fruit below 55F or above 90F. Beefsteak types won't set above 85F--and it's a rare summer day anywhere this year that we don't exceed 85F! Just keep nurturing the plants. When the weather cools a bit, you may get a few before the first freeze.

Answer 3

Have you seen many bees about? The flowers need to be pollinated. You could try brushing them in turn with a paintbrush, to transfer the pollen. You also need to feed with tomato fertiliser or preferably comfrey liquid every week or so depending on whether they are in containers or in the ground.

More details on tomato cultivation at: http://www.gardenzone.info/crops/index.php?crop=tomato



Good luck.

Answer 4

Theres a possibility its not getting enough sun. When a plant doesn't get enough sun, its natural reaction is to produce more foliage to try and get more or it will die.

Also, try pruning it back so more hormones are directed to making more flowers, which will make more fruit. Just don't over do it.

Answer 5

If the temperatures are over 90 degrees where you live, your tomatoes won't set fruit. Keep them alive & when things cool down you should get tomatoes.

Answer 6

Perhaps your soil is not fertile enough, try spreading some sort of mulch or fetilizer to provide the plant with more nutrients, make sure it is in direct sunlight and water the hell out of it, when there are dry spells in the weather occuring.

Answer 7

If you have the yellow flowers, the tomatoes will follow! Just takes time. KEEP WATERING.

Answer 8

If you water too often they will not bear. Water deep but not daily. You can get a blosom set to spray on blossoms that will cause fruit to set. You can mix your own with a epsom salt water mixture. Spray the blossoms to help them set.

Answer 9

you must learn how to water correctly, not like my wife....she will run water for a minute and we down top soil good....i keep telling her to run the water slowly until water just starts seep out at bottom of her containers....then check down deep with a water meter before she waters again...may be two or three days or more....esp peppers and tomatoes

Answer 10

tom plants need tons of water , in the evening ,
and plant food,