A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum The Tomato Forum Heat Problem Or Something Else?

It's been super hot here in the Florida Panhandle lately and I'm hoping that's the only thing that's keeping my otherwise seemingly healthy tomato plants from producing.

Take a look:
New Unopened Buds
This is a small cluster of buds at the very top of my 4 foot tomato plant. There is plenty of new growth you can see too. It's bright green and seems perfectly normal to me.
Bud That Has Wilted
And this is what it looks like several days after blooming. The yellow petals fell off of this one already and the inside is just dry and brown like it's wilted.

The plant is green and healthy, I haven't seen any signs of bugs (I keep checking), but still no tomatos.


So do you think this is JUST a heat issue or does it look like there is something else going on here? I'm hoping someone with some tomato experience will have some insight or see something I haven't been able to.

I am going to say something that you might not like hearing, and that could be bad advise. But here goes. It's Wednesday night. Get up tomorrow and water the heck out of those guys. So much water that you are starting to worry about your water bill. So much water that when you stick you finger into the dirt it's like mud 3 or 4 " down. (You've mulched them, right?) Then go away. Don't come back until Sunday evening or Monday morning or even next weekend.



I have some serious philosophical issues with attributing intentionality to plants, but my experience is that plants know what they're doing, and they'll deliver when they're good and ready.

It has been hot. In other years, it has been cold. If you have a green healthy plant-- rejoice! Tomatoes will come.

Do you have children? If so, remember how you fretted about the first, but by the time the 3rd came around diaper rash wasn't that big a deal anymore? Same thing. Relax.

Here's a promise. If you don't harvest at least 10 pounds of tomatoes this year, I will meet you 1/2 way with 20. Recall that I got mine in really late, have yet to stake them, ... and am fretting about them. ;-)

Sure bet on my part.

Thanks! I would do it, but it's been raining very heavily here for the past three days so I'll just pretend I did the watering like you said, and now I'll leave them alone.

And by the way I'm still on child # One! :ding: AND she was super premature, AND for six month of her pregnancy i had to give myself 5 shots a day. . .Oh the memories uhg! Maybe that's my issue. I haven't gotten over the stressing and into the laid back stage yet! Still stressing over baby # one HAHA!

But it's good know that one day diaper rash wont be a big deal and I wont be stressing every little thing (about my plants or about my baby).

Ur Awesome Marcia! Thanks for the post!

Thanks! Hoped you wouldn't take it the wrong way.

Did you see Papito's reply to another post about the same issue? He's an expert.

You will be surprised to discover just how similar children and gardens are!! So much so that when mine were little, they said, "You love your garden more than me." Not hardly! But still... .

Good luck!