Is your tomato plant making many flowers but no fruit? There are several factors behind this problem, such as temperature, irregular irrigation practices and bad growth conditions. Let’s see together what the reason could be.
Cultivating tomatoes is not very simple and can intimidate especially the less experienced on the vegetable garden.
Following these simple 4 tips, your tomato plant will grow strong and healthy in order to be able to produce the fruits.
Insufficient light
One of the main reasons for the lack of fruits is the lack of adequate light, this is because plants require from 6 at 8 hours of sunlight To produce first flowers and then fruits.
The reason why light for a tomato plant is essential is that plants convert sunlight into energy. This energy is then the one necessary to produce fruits.
For this reason, insufficient light, it will produce a lot of foliage, some flowers but no tomatoes.
Another factor often ignored is the pruning of the axillary sprouts, also called “juice”. These grow between the main stem and the branches and, if not removed, steal precious energies from the plant, reducing the production of fruits. They must be eliminated regularly to concentrate growth towards tomatoes.
Too little water
The tomato plant need a lot of water, otherwise it will be able to produce only a few flowers and no fruit.
The fundamental rule for watering the tomatoes is to make sure to go slowly and without haste. You could use, for example, a drop tube to supply water to your tomato plants slowly.
On the frequency of the harness there is a rigid rule, but it will depend on the temperature and growth of the plant. As a rule, just water the seedlings twice a week in the height of summermoistening the ground very well, both in pots and in the garden, throughout the period in which the fruits will not yet have sprung up.
Once the weather has cooled and the fruit has sprung up, reduce irrigation to once a week.
Temperature
Tomato plants require hot temperatures to bear fruit, therefore approximately 18-21 ° during the day and at least 13th at night.
However, if the temperature increases too much (above 29 °) they will not be able to flourish, therefore they will not be able to produce fruits.
Therefore, to encourage the growth of fruits, it tries to avoid both too cold and humid temperatures, and too hot and dry temperatures.
Stagnant air and diseases
The lack of air circulation can also be a problem. Too dense plants or wetlands favor fungal diseases such as peronospor. Keep an adequate distance between the plants and, if grown in the greenhouse or pot, be sure to guarantee good ventilation.
Poor pollination
The temperature is also connected to pollination. In fact, a cold, windy or humid temperature will limit the quantity of bees activity, which is useful for pollination and settlement of the fruits.
In these situations, it may be necessary polish by hand Tomatoes to ensure that pollination takes place so that the fruits develop. This happens, pouring the pollen from morning to afternoon.
Manual pollination is usually practiced every two or three days. After a successful polish, the flowers will dry and start making fruit.
Damage and harmful insects and insects
Aphids, mites and tripides can attack flowers and prevent the formation of fruits. It often controls the leaves (especially the younger ones) and use natural treatments such as soft soap or nettle macerated to protect the plant without aggressive chemicals.
Check the pH of the ground
The ideal soil for tomatoes has a pH between 6.0 and 6.8. An unbalanced pH can block the absorption of nutrients and compromise fruiting. If grown in pots, use a specific soil for vegetables or measures the pH with an economic garden test.
We have seen how to follow these 4 simple indications, they will suffice to grow the fruits on your tomato seedling.
It therefore recalls to pay attention to the sources of light, to the water, the temperature (and therefore also to the transplantation times) and, finally, to the pollination.
Another little advice is to apply a organic fertilizer At the plants while growing, this will be put on the soil and watered for a couple of months. This is because tomato plants require a large contribution of nutrients to feed their growth and production of fruit.
A common mistake is to use too much -rich fertilizers: this grows a lot of foliage but few fruits. To stimulate flowering and fruiting it is better to choose balanced or specific fertilizers for tomatoes, with more phosphorus and potassium.
