Plant guide:🍅 Tomato
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⚠ ModerateHealthy foliage but poor fruit set � a classic sign of temperature or pollination stress during flowering.
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Growth
Tomato Flowers Dropping Before Fruiting
Commonly affects: Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato)
Flowers form normally but wither and fall off within a few days without setting fruit. The plant continues producing new flowers, but very few actually develop into tomatoes.
Potential Causes
- 1Daytime temperatures above 32�C or nighttime temperatures below 10�C stressing pollen viability
- 2Low humidity causing pollen to dry out before pollination
- 3Poor pollination indoors or in enclosed greenhouses without wind or insect activity
- 4Excess nitrogen fertiliser encouraging leafy growth over fruit set
Solution Steps
- 1Gently shake flowering trusses by hand daily, or use a small electric toothbrush against the stem to aid pollination.
- 2Provide light afternoon shade during heatwaves above 32�C to protect flower viability.
- 3Reduce nitrogen-heavy feeding and switch to a bloom-boosting, phosphorus-rich fertiliser once flowering begins.
- 4Maintain even soil moisture, avoiding drought stress during the flowering period.
Prevention Tip
Keep daytime temperatures between 21�29�C where possible, and hand-pollinate indoor or greenhouse plants every few days by gently vibrating the flower trusses.
