Mid-summer can often bring problems for tomato plants, including Blossom End Rot, Leaf Curl and Blossom Drop. Some of these problems can be attributed to the weather. Tomato plants fruit best when the daytime temperatures are between 65-degrees and 85-degrees Fahrenheit. When the daytime temperatures are consistently above 90 degrees, growth slows down and fruit set stops.
Leaves will begin to curl in response to the stress of high temperatures. The plant does this to reduce the surface area and slow down loss of moisture. Your tomato plant can still be productive if you practice good watering habits and add mulch around the base of the plant. Best practices for watering tomatoes include regular deep, thorough soaking at the base of the plant. Avoid overhead watering as this can lead to disease problems. Adding two to three inches of Mountain Magic Soil Pep mulch around the base will stabilize the ground and reduce moisture loss. It’s also important to know that leaf curl can occur due to insect stress. Western flower thrips are common in this area and can cause leaf curl as well as fruit loss due to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. To know for certain, bring us a leaf sample. We’ll scope it and determine the cause of the leaf curl. If it’s thrips, we’ll recommend an application of Dusting Sulfur to bring them under control.
“My tomato flowers keep falling off. What can I do?” is a question we're often asked at the Diagnostic Center. A number of factors can cause your tomato plant to not set fruit, including inconsistent watering, temperature and lack of pollinators. You can help the pollination issues by gently shaking the plant to distribute the pollen. You can also plant herbs such as Comfrey nearby to encourage pollinators to visit your garden. Applying ferti-lome Tomato and Pepper set will also help.
Tomatoes need nutrients in order to produce the best fruit consistently through the rest of the season. Fertilize your tomato plants now with Happy Frog Fruit & Flower. This certified organic fertilizer is designed to supply phosphorus for flower and fruit production. Beneficial mycorrhizal fungi are included in Happy Frog Fruit & Flower fertilizer to enhance nutrient uptake.
Dark blotches on your tomatoes indicate a condition known as blossom end rot. This occurs because of a calcium imbalance in the plant. To treat Blossom End Rot, be consistent with deep watering and apply a liquid calcium directly on the leaves and fruit, using ferti-lome's Yield Booster. When it comes to growing tomatoes, many factors can influence fruit quality and production. A trip to The Flower Bin Diagnostic Center will ensure you know what to do to get the best from your tomato plants.
There are LOTS of plants to attract pollinators. Grow comfrey with caution - it becomes quite large and is hard to control. Very difficult to get rid of. It's great to use in tea and for composting and to attract pollinators...but be forwarned about the downside!
ReplyDeleteI will second the caution about comfrey. Once planted, it is there Forever! It is better to use a hybrid which cannot reseed but the huge and vigorous root is still impossible to eradicate, especially if you don’t want to use glyphosate near your vegetables. I made the mistake of planting it in two different raised beds. It takes over.
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