Tag: Tomato

It is heartbreaking for any gardener to see their tomato plants unable to produce fruits. 

If your tomato plant is not setting fruit, try to identify the root cause behind it. Sometimes the plant produces flowers, but unfortunately, they are not pollinated, resulting in dropping them. The reasons behind blossom drop are unfavorable climatic conditions, too much nitrogen, over or under water, less nutrient soil, diseases and pests, and insufficient light. 

In this article, I have discussed seven reasons why tomato don’t set fruit and how to fix this.

Why Tomatoes Won’t Set Fruit?

Unfavorable weather conditions and lack of pollination are the main reasons for not setting tomato fruits on the plants. 

High temperatures and drought make tomato plants struggle to set fruits. 

As per the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, “Tomato plants have complete flowers, meaning they contain both male and female parts within the same flower. The tomato flowers hang down in a cluster and are pollinated when shaken by movement such as wind.” 

When the flowers cannot pollinate properly, they fall from the plant and die. Pollination is mainly affected due to high temperatures and drought. 

The ideal temperature for a tomato plant’s growth is 70-85F. Temperature beyond or below leads to blossom fall. The best you can do during higher temperatures is properly irrigate your plant. 

The tomato plant starts pollinating only when the temperature becomes moderate.

7 Reasons Your Tomatoes Aren’t Setting Fruit and How To Fix Them

Like any other plants, tomato plants require certain conditions to produce juicy and plumpy fruits. But if the plant won’t get a favorable environment, neither flower nor fruit is produced.

Below are the briefly listed problems with their solutions.

Lack of Pollination

Bees, butterflies, and insects play an important role in the pollination of flowers. If you can see flies and insects in your garden, it signifies a healthy garden. Like other plants, tomato plants also require these flies and insects to complete the pollination process.

If you notice that tomato flowers are still yellow and are not transformed into fruits, it needs more food to attract pollinators; hence, the pollination process still needs to be completed. 

Also, excessively hot (above 90 degrees F) or cold ( below 40 degrees F) climates can also negatively impact pollinators’ ability to complete the pollination process. 

Sheltered or greenhouse tomato plants struggle for good airflow, which is needed for pollination. Keep your indoor tomato plants in such an area where there is good airflow, 

You can watch the below video of hand pollination for better clarification.

https://youtu.be/Y4_Mi-EwFqw

Importing pollinators:

If you lack pollinators in your garden, you can easily import pollinators such as bumble or mason bees from garden stores and release them in your garden. 

But you need to plant flowers in the garden to stick the insects and bees in your garden.

I prefer planting Bee Balm, Goldenrod, Basil, and marigold to attract pollinating insects in my garden. In this way, you can maintain the food sources for pollinators, and raising native honey bees is also the best option. 

Lack of Fertility

Nutrition is the main food of tomato plants. Thus lack of fertile soil affects the tomato fruit production of the plants. Potassium and phosphorus are mainly responsible for tomato production. 

Potassium helps form flowers, and phosphorus is needed for tomatoes’ high yield and ripening. Using fertilizers rich in potassium and phosphorus can increase the production of fruits in plants. 

You can complete the potassium deficiency using quality compost, rotten manure, hardwood rock powder, etc., and you can fulfill phosphorus deficiency with manure-based compost—fish bone meal, rock dust, etc.

Too Much Nitrogen

If you identify your tomato plants as healthy and lush but struggle to produce fruit on them, there might be some fertility issues. If large leaves are there on the plant, but fruiting is not taking place, then it has too much nitrogen. 

Though nitrogen is very important for tomato plants, too much nitrogen can create fruiting issues. 

Excessive leaves are developed due to high nitrogen content in the soil, and the maximum energy of the plant is wasted in producing leaves only, and the plant ignores the setting of the fruit or leads to poor fruit development.

Drought or Overwatering

Tomatoes’ main ingredient is water, as they contain almost 90 percent of water. 

They need plenty of water to complete the process of fruiting from flowering. 

However, drought can create water stress in the plant, resulting in blossom dropping, and the plants affected by drought may look wilt or yellow. 

On the other hand, overwatering also creates some serious issues like root decomposition, attracting various diseases and pests, which is enough to damage your precious tomato plants. 

Due to overwatering, the roots are soaked into water and incapable of delivering the required nutrients and water to the plant, impacting fruit production. 

The leaves of the plant would look yellow or brown.

Tomato Diseases

Plants impacted by diseases and pests would obviously be unable to produce fruits. The plant become too stressed to produce fruit on it. 

The fungus and bacterial disease worsen the situation and even become the vital reason for even death of plants. 

The common and dangerous tomato plant diseases are late blight, powdery mildew, and white mold. These diseases result in tomato plants’ death if action is not taken at the early stage.

Insufficient Light

The tomato plants love to get direct exposure to sunlight for 8-10 hours daily, sufficient to produce fruits and flowers. Their fruit production capacity might be affected if they won’t get enough exposure to sunlight. 

Due to insufficient sunlight, plants are not able to photosynthesize properly. 

Less exposure to sunlight can cause leggy tomato plant growth. As the plant cannot complete the photosynthesis process, its leaves become pale yellow, and the stem becomes long, which might produce some flowers, but the chances of their transformation into fruit are very rare. 

Extreme Weather

Tomatoes love warm climates, but extreme temperatures can make the plants stressed, and they cannot set fruits on it. 

Tomatoes can easily set fruits in the temperature range of 60 degrees to 80 degrees F. They struggle to make fruits if the temperature ranges extremely high or low. 

Due to extreme heat, plants begin to shed the flowers, and sometimes it becomes inefficient to produce flowers. This mainly happens when the plant is going through the stress of drought. 

When the weather is extremely hot or cold, you should plant cherry tomatoes which provide an ideal solution for your vegetable garden. They are known to produce fruit over a broad range of temperature variations – something that other large-fruiting tomato varieties cannot boast!

Final Thoughts

Tomatoes are naturally very simple plants; sometimes, they cannot set fruits if their basic care is not ensured. 

If you manage to take care of the below points your tomato plant will never face problems producing fruits and encourage fruit set.

• Ensure direct exposure to sunlight for 8-10 hours daily.
• Use the right watering technique, and do not overwater your plant.
• Use organic fertilizers and compost while planting them to protect them from the problem of excess nitrogen.
• Maintain good airflow.
• Keep pruning your plant when needed.
• Always plant companion plants to attract pollinators and keep your plant disease free.
• Protect your tomato plant from scorching weather.

Tomatoes split due to a sudden change in the water supply to the plant. Unfortunately, there is no treatment to cure tomato splitting. But obviously, you can take preventive measures to avoid the situation and prevent tomatoes from splitting.

In short, Rapid fluctuations in soil moisture levels can cause fruits, such as tomatoes, to expand faster than the skin can grow, resulting in split tomato fruit. These cracks can take one of two forms: radial cracking, which appears as vertical splits along the sides of the fruit, and is the more severe of the two types of damage.

Water consistently, maintain adequate soil moisture by mulching around the plant area, and choose a variety of tomatoes resistant to split to avoid this.

I have seen the splitting of tomato fruits mainly after heavy rain. 

Why Do Tomato Split?

Inconsistent water supply to the tomato plant results in split or cracked tomatoes. Heavy rainfall followed by dry weather is the main reason behind the splitting and cracking in tomatoes. 

When tomatoes speed up their growth, the flesh inside them grows more rapidly than the skin, resulting in tomatoes cracking. The tomato pulp comes outside and sometimes may result in rotting also. 

We cannot ignore the uneven irrigation, high nitrogen content soil, and lack of calcium, as they are also the reasons for split tomatoes. But pests are certainly not the reason for splitting tomatoes. 

So there’s no danger of spreading the issue to other plants. Both red and green tomatoes can get affected, but ripened tomatoes are more prone to split.

Cracking happens in Radial Cracking and concentric cracking patterns. Radial Cracking, i.e., vertical Cracking, is more dangerous as it attracts many diseases. 

So the best option is to pluck and use them instantly and dispose of all the smelly and already rotten tomatoes. 

Concentric cracking looks like a spot or ring, and the flesh of the tomato is not exposed. So it is less contagious to diseases. You can let these tomatoes ripen on the vines until the flesh of the tomato is exposed.

Types of Cracking in Tomatoes

Tomatoes split into two patterns: vertical and concentric cracking patterns. 

Vertical Cracking

Vertical Cracking is visible from the top to the bottom of the fruit and is also called radial cracking. When tomatoes split in this pattern, the chances of rotting, getting infected, and attracting insects are more as the flesh of the fruit is more exposed.

Therefore, it is always best to harvest these types of tomatoes and utilize them as soon as possible. Inspect if any tomatoes smell sour or rotten; if so, discard them off.

Concentric Cracking

Concentric Cracking appears like a ring and forms a circle on the top stem of the tomatoes. Generally, they do not result in exposing the fruit’s flesh; hence, it is less prone to disease. So you can let them ripen on the vines. 

But always keep an eye on these types of tomatoes while they grow; if they attract insects or rot, harvest them instantly. 

But the harsh truth is that they last only a short time and start rotting very quickly, and the taste of these tomatoes is not as good as regular tomatoes. So inspect for any insects in the fruit before using them.

7 Reasons For Cracking and Splitting Of Tomatoes on the Vine and How To Prevent

Splitting and Cracking of tomatoes occur due to various reasons like improper moisture in the soil, inconsistent watering, less fertile soil, and many more. 

If you do not choose the split-resistant variety of tomatoes or harvest them too late, it might also be the reason for fruit cracking and splitting.

Water Fluctuations

Inconsistent watering is one of the main reasons for tomatoes splitting or cracking . Heavy rain is followed by dry weather resulting in a split or cracked tomatoes. 

Ninety-five percent of tomato fruit is water, and due to the sudden heavy supply of water, they crack. As a result, the flesh of the tomatoes grows more rapidly than its skin, and the skin bursts. 

To prevent this issue, I always do mulching to maintain the soil’s limited moisture and good soil drainage facilities. Sometimes I use an irrigation timer to keep consistent watering and maintain water fluctuation.

Overwatering Before Harvest

Overwatering before harvesting tomatoes also creates premature splitting issues in almost-ripe fruit. In addition, overwatering your tomato plants also invites various diseases and root rot. Therefore, it is very important to check the soil moisture before watering. 

Flooding your tomato plant with excess water results in swelling and cracking. Overwatered tomatoes produce fewer fruits. These tomatoes are generally flavorless and taste watery.

Deep your finger in the soil; if the soil is dry up to 1 inch, it is the right time to water your plant. Avoid watering your plant on the day of harvesting.

The best time to harvest is either in the morning or evening. The air during this time is humid and sugar concentrated.

Calcium Deficiency

Lack of calcium in tomato plants leads to Blossom End Rot, which causes black water and wounds in tomatoes. Calcium is the main reason behind ripening and uptaking water up taking. 

Calcium solution should be sprayed 2-3 times weekly on the foliage to reduce the splitting issues in the tomatoes.

To completely eliminate the problem, organic calcium fertilizers like eggshell or oyster shell should be used in the soil 4-6″ deep while planting tomatoes to make the soil calcium rich. 

Poorly Drained Soil

Waterlogging in the tomato plant’s soil can damage the plant and, in the future, split tomatoes. Tomatoes can be grown healthy only if the soil is well drained. In addition, tomatoes can breathe properly only in adequately drained soil.

When the roots are socked in poorly drained soil, they need to be more efficient in delivering proper water and nutrients to the plants, which attracts various diseases. 

You can use good quality compost to overcome the situation. Also, prepare rich soil mix with rotted manure, peat moss, or shaded leaf mulch and avoid overwatering your plant to prevent this issue in the future. 

Tillage can create more water logging issues, so you must avoid it as much as possible.

Over-Ripening

Vine Ripened Tomatoes are more tasty and delicious than green-picked and indoor-ripened tomatoes. However, if you won’t pluck your tomatoes on time, it is more likely to be split and cracked. 

Due to the concentrated sugar, the flesh of tomatoes is more swollen inside, and when there is heavy rain or prolonged irrigation, they split very fast if not picked up on time. 

It is an open invitation to pests, insects, and various diseases, which can even cause the rotting of the fruit.

So it is best to pluck the little under-ripe tomatoes to escape from cracked tomatoes. Using this process before rain can save your tomatoes from splitting. 

Ethylene is responsible for the ripening of tomatoes. So the best way to promote ethylene is to keep a bunch of bananas while ripening tomatoes indoors. 

Tomato Plant Variety Selection

If you face tomato splitting problems in every season, you must check the variety you have planted. Always choose split-resistant varieties of tomatoes. 

Avoid Beefsteak and Cherokee Purple tomatoes, as they are more prone to splitting and cracking. In addition, they split easily when they come in contact with hot weather with so much water in the soil.

Jetstar, Roma, and Prudence Purple are some examples of split-resistant medium-sized tomatoes. In addition, some small cherry tomatoes like Black Cherry, Gold Nugget, and Sun gold are also split-resistant.

Exposed Fruit

Tomatoes are designed in such a way that they would grow healthy only if they are shaded with the leaves of the plant. So over pruning of tomato leaves also causes significant issues like splitting and even sun scalding. 

When tomatoes are overly exposed to sunlight, spotting and uneven ripening occur, leading to the splitting of tomatoes. 

To overcome the situation, create artificial shade with clothes, avoid over-pruning leaves, and prevent tomatoes from overexposure to sunlight. In the worst scenario, you can also pluck the tomatoes early to save them. 

What to Do if Your Tomatoes Split?

Split tomatoes attract insects which in turn spread various diseases. As soon as you see the split or cracked tomatoes, pluck them at the earliest. 

You can trim the lousy part of split tomatoes and use them to make sauces and salsas and cook your favorite fresh recipe.

However, only store these tomatoes for a short time as they attract insects easily. Before using these tomatoes, please inspect if they are rotten or have pungent or sour smell.   

Final Thoughts

Always ensure the preventive measures discussed above, and you will never face this issue. Consistently Watering one inch in the base of the plant every week would give you the best result. It is best to create mulching with straw around the plant to maintain adequate moisture in the soil.

You can also arrange for good drainage soil and Cultivate split-tolerant varieties of tomatoes.

Even after putting in so much effort, if still, your tomatoes are splitting, harvest them before time and let them ripen indoors. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Eat Split Tomatoes?

Split or cracked tomatoes are not good to see, but freshly picked split tomatoes are safe to eat unless they have already attracted insects. However, check thoroughly before eating them, as the exposed flesh is prone to pests and insects and should also not smell sour.

Tomatoes with white, brown, or black spots are also safe to eat. You need to trim the affected part and finish the split tomatoes as soon as possible, as they begin to rot early. 

Does over-watering cause tomatoes to split?

There are better options than over-watering tomato plants, as this is one of the main reasons for splitting tomatoes.

Always check the moisture level of your soil before irrigation, or else you will end up flooding your tomato plants which they don’t even require.

This also results in the rotting of tomatoes, making them more prone to disease and premature splitting, even in ripe tomatoes. 

It is always a matter of contention whether pruning prompts healthy growth and maximizes fruit production of tomato plants or negatively impacts them. But the reality is that it won’t harm you if you don’t prune the plant. 

At the same time, if you prune it in the wrong way and at the wrong time, it is definitely going to impact your tomato plant. 

Pruning is not necessary for the survival of your tomato plants, but it helps to enhance the quality and quantity of the tomatoes. 

So the question is, when should pruning be done? When you notice the lower leaves of your tomato plant have turned yellow, you should pinch and prune those leaves to keep your plant healthy. 

You can locate and remove the sucker. This would help your plant to utilize its energy more on fruit production. At the same time, if any long branches are found touching the ground, either support them or remove them. 

Always avoid over-pruning your tomato plants, as it would damage the plant. 

Go through this article to understand why you should prune tomato plants and what are the best ways to do it without impacting your plant health.

Why Should You Prune Tomato Plants?

When tomato plants produce unwanted leaves and branches, the plant’s energy is wasted in the growth of those leaves and branches. 

We do pruning to utilize the tomato plant’s energy correctly. And after pruning excess leaves and branches, the plant focuses on using its energy to produce fruits. 

Pruning the suckers and yellow leaves of the tomato plants enhances the quality of tomatoes and keeps your plant away from many possible diseases. 

If the foliage remained unpruned, they would grow new branches and set new fruits on the plant. These fruits can attract many pests and diseases.

But, if you prune tomato plants, large tomatoes can be grown on the plants, and the risk of pests and diseases are also reduced.

Good Air circulation is much needed to prevent Fungal infection, and already if fungal issues exist in your garden, then pruning can enhance the air circulation in your garden. 

If air circulates around plants and fruits, it can reduce the spread of fungal infections. 

However, if you have never found white spots on leaves or fungal issues in your garden, your garden already has a good air circulation facility.

Have you noticed branches of your tomato plants touching the surface of the ground? If yes, it can be a matter of concern as direct contact with soil can develop fungal diseases. 

When bushy plants are grown on the ground, direct exposure of the tomato plants to sunlight is compromised, and hence plants become less efficient in producing sugar. Pruning helps to get rid of this problem. 

In case you have potted or containerized tomato plants, it is very important to control the size of the plants, and pruning helps to prevent the overgrowth of the tomato plants. 

Otherwise, the plants will grow outside of the pots. 

Planting determinate tomato plants in pots and containers is a good idea. 

Due to pruning, plants can perform the photosynthesis process correctly, as each plant part gets direct sunlight exposure, preventing the plants from various diseases and increasing quality fruit production. 

When pruning Indeterminate tomato plants, it is best to prune them once they reach a height of four feet. To begin with, locate the main stems, remove all side shoots growing from them, and then remove any suckers growing from leaf axils along the stem.

Be sure only to remove one sucker per stem so as not to weaken the plant. Finally, remove any branches that are not growing in a productive manner. This includes stems that are spindly, weak, or crossing over each other.

Doing this will allow air and light to reach the plant’s fruit better, improving its overall health and productivity.

If any of the branches get too long, it is also possible to pinch them back with your fingers to keep them from getting too wild.

With proper tomato pruning and care, your Indeterminate tomatoes will produce an abundant harvest of delicious fruits!

When To Prune The Top of the Plant?

Tomatoes have limited time to ripen on the vines at the season’s end. Nothing can be better if plants utilize their most energy in fruit ripening. 

To maximize the ripening period, gardeners apply the “topping the plant” technique and prune the top of the plant’s terminal shoot one month before the beginning of the frost. (Always use high-quality gardening clippers.)

With the application of this technique, the fruits absorb a good amount of nutrients, enhancing the quality of the fruits. 

Even at the end of the season, with the help of pruning, you can harvest the best qualities of red, juicy and fleshy tomatoes.

Reasons To Prune Tomatoes

Pruning the tomato plants is not necessary for their survival, but it can promote the plant’s long and healthy life. It can also promote the quality production of fruits. 

We, the gardeners, prune the tomato plants because of the below-mentioned reasons:

Improved airflow and less disease

Pruning the leaves of tomato plants improves the air circulation in the plants, reducing the risk of fungal infection. 

It makes the plant less dense, and it becomes easier for us to spot the pests and insects in the plants quickly. 

The leaves dry rapidly after rain, which invites various pests and diseases, and clipping leaves reduces disease susceptibility. 

Bigger fruit

Pruning of leaves in tomato plants results in fewer fruits. But if leaves are pruned at the right time, the plant utilizes its energy to produce bigger fruits. 

The fruits would be able to absorb more nutrients, and hence the quality of tomatoes is also enhanced. 

The pruned plants have limited growth so more plants can be grown on the ground and easily make up the tomato harvest. 

You can grow bigger and quality fruits just by pruning the leaves of tomato plants. 

Earlier ripening

Due to pruning, the tomato plants could set very few tomatoes. Thus it becomes easier for the plant to complete the ripening process rapidly. 

Due to frost, it is always challenging to ripen the tomatoes at the end of the season. Thus pruning helps the tomato plants in the early ripening of the tomatoes. 

How To Prune Tomato Plants?

Pruning tomato plants has various advantages, but if not pruned correctly, it can destroy your tomato plant. 

To avoid excessive pruning and know the correct technique for clipping your tomato plants, follow the below-discussed techniques. 

Simple Pruning

When new “V” shaped branches, also known as suckers, grow between the main stem and the branches, you should prune them along with the fruits grown on them to save the plant’s energy. 

It also prevents the plant from various possible diseases and the crowding of plants. 

You should pinch the suckers as and when you spot them (up to 2 inches), and if they become bigger, pruning becomes necessary. 

Missouri Pruning

Suckers grow very fast, and if they have grown bigger, pruning them can result in shock to your tomato plants. 

To avoid this shock, the tip of the suckers are pinched and some of the leaves are left which protects the developing tomatoes from sunburn. This process is called Missouri Pruning, and this method is useful when things are out of control, i.e., the suckers are overgrown, especially in hot climates. 

But the main disadvantage of this pruning is the remaining part of the suckers will grow new suckers, which requires regular pruning.

What is “root pruning” and when should you do it?

Some gardeners believe that “Pruning the roots” strengthens their tomato plants. Root cutting results in a decline in the plant’s growth, and plants mature more than they would have been before.

You can prune the roots of your tomato plants when the few batches of tomatoes start to ripen. 

You can use a kitchen knife, hoe or pitchfork to prune the roots. Insert any equipment inside the soil and penetrate up to 8-10 inches from the plant base. Make your cut just half away around the plant.

Pruning Cautions

Pruning tomatoes is a very risky process and therefore you need to be extra cautious while performing this process for your plants. 

I have listed a few points below, which I keep in mind while pruning my tomato plants.

Don’t over-prune in hot climates.

Pruning the tomato plants in hot climates can damage them. If you grow your tomato plants in hot regions, pruning won’t be healthy for your plant. Excessive sunlight can develop sunscald due to the pruning process. 

Go easy on pruning determinate varieties

If you have determinate varieties of tomatoes, please remember that they can grow tomatoes in bulk at once. Very few tomatoes are produced at the end of the season. 

It is better not to prune determinate varieties, or else you need to compromise your yield. 

Instead, you can pinch the suckers from determinate tomatoes to get quality and tasty tomatoes as they continuously grow and produce fruit till the beginning of the frost. 

Is pruning absolutely necessary?

Pruning is not at all necessary for the survival of tomato plants. You can choose not to prune your tomato plants and still get quality and large numbers of tomatoes. 

Your tomato plants need good sunlight exposure, proper watering, and nutrient-rich soil to survive and set fruits. Proper Pruning can enhance the quality, size and number of fruits on your tomato plants. 

Why Do Tomato Plants Grow Side Stems and Suckers?

When tomatoes get enough sunlight, they are totally filled with energy. They use their energy in the beginning week to produce maximum leaves before blooming. They also develop new branches, and new leaves emerge on those branches. 

New branches are developed between the main stem and branches in a V shape called suckers, whereas side stems can be seen growing directly from the main stem. 

With the growth of tomato plants, more energy is produced by tomato leaves, which is the main reason for the growth of suckers and side stems. 

If the plant is developing suckers between the middle to end of the season, they are damn weak and produce bad quality fruits. 

Bottom suckers are comparatively stronger than the top ones as the sugar concentration is decreased at the top part of the plant.

What Parts of Tomato Plants Should be Pruned?

You should prune tomato plants to encourage healthier plants growth and improve yields. Generally, you should prune the terminal ends or tops of the plant away. This will promote lateral branch development, which produces more fruit-bearing branches and a bushier shape for the tomato plant. 

If you find any dead or diseased branches, you must prune them, so the disease does not spread to the rest of the plant. 

Pruning off leaves and stems in the center of the plant can help prevent fungal diseases, such as blight and powdery mildew, by allowing for better air circulation. 

Also, the suckers (the shoots that grow in between two leaf nodes) should be pruned away to focus the plant’s energy on producing fruit. 

As tomatoes grow, you should remove new suckers regularly. Pruned tomato plant ensure a healthy and productive harvest season.

Which leaves to remove from tomato plants?

When pruning tomato plants, it is important to remove the sucker growth. The suckers take away essential nutrients and water from the main plant.

You should also remove any dead or diseased leaves, as they can spread infection and reduce the plant’s overall health. 

Finally, if you see any yellow or wilted leaves, you should remove them to prevent the spreading of disease and pests that can feed on them.

https://youtu.be/Bgmmz2hCNlY

Summary

Though pruning is not necessary for your tomato plants, it can reward you with high-yield and quality tomatoes. It can also reduce the risk of diseases and result in stronger plants. But it is important to be cautious while pruning your plant as it is a very delicate process, and over-pruning can even destroy your tomato plants. 

Also, figure out the weather condition and variety of the planted tomatoes before pruning your tomato plants. 

Avoid pruning in hot climates; only suckers should be pinched if planted with determinate varieties of tomato. Thus if pruning is done diligently, it will definitely reward you with better yield. 

If you plan to plant two tomato plants together, it can create a spacing issue, which can invite various diseases. Both plants would struggle for the nutrients available in the soil as their roots would tangle with each other due to less space. There would be a high risk of an outbreak of diseases like blight fungus.

I will recommended to plant only one tomato in each container, and if grown in the ground, you must ensure proper space between the two plants.

Do You Have to Plant Two Tomato Plants Together?

Generally, two plants are necessarily planted together because of pollination. But tomato plants have both female and male parts in one plant. So they can self-pollinate. Thus you can easily grow a single plant and can produce fresh tomatoes. 

The plant’s fruit production gets hampered if two tomato plants are planted close to each other as they compete for nutrients from the neighbor planted closely.

In this way, some plants grow stronger, and others are forced to compromise for their growth and strength.

It causes a high risk of growing fungus and white spots on leaves, attracting hazardous insects, and your plants may remain underdeveloped also. 

Spacing is one of the major constraints while planting tomatoes. As roots need proper nutrients and moisture to grow, also roots can be entangled while planting two tomato plants.

Tomato plants need a lot of water but having more plants in a place can lead to watering issues.

Underwatering can increase problems such as limp steam, discoloration, and more. Due to multiple problems, planting one tomato plant in a pot or keeping a distance of 12-15 diameter is advisable.

How Far Apart Should Tomatoes Be Planted?

Spacing while growing tomato plants depends on the plant type and place of cultivation. One pot or container is enough to grow one tomato plant.

But when it comes to growing in raised beds, it needs a proper distance of 12 -24 inches, depending on the plant type.

Not maintaining an ideal distance between the plants can invite numerous diseases and lead to your plant’s underdevelopment. 

Tomato Spacing by Plant Type

Ideally, you should plant each tomato plant at a distance of 18-24 inches. But it totally depends on the type of tomato plant you are growing.

You can identify the tomato plant type on the label of the seed packet also. Tomatoes have two varieties, Determinant and Indeterminate tomatoes. 

Determinate Tomatoes: The ideal distance for this tomato variety is 18-24 inches as they are bush plants. They can grow up to a height of 3-4 feet and stop growing beyond this. The compact or dwarf tomatoes can be grown at a distance of 12 inches without risk of underdevelopment. 

Indeterminate Tomatoes: These are vining tomatoes and continue to grow or are either pruned or killed by the frost.

It grows taller than determinate tomato plants and grows more upward than outward. Ideally, you should maintain a minimum 18 inches distance between the two plants to maintain their healthy growth.

How Far Apart Should Tomato Plants Be in Your Garden?

If you are planting your tomato plants in a garden, there won’t be any shortage of space. So maintain proper spacing between the plants depending on their types. 

As discussed above, there are Determinate plants and indeterminate plants. 

• Determinate tomato plants are bush plants that need more spacing and should be planted at a distance of 18-24 inches (45-60 CM). They grow both outward and upward. They might compete for sunlight and moisture if the proper spacing is not maintained.
• Indeterminate plants are vine plants, grow vertically, hence need less spacing and should be planted minimum at 18 inches (45 CM) distance. 

Always maintain some extra distance for safety between the plants for their healthy development. 

How Far Apart Should Tomato Plants Be in a Container?

If you are planting your tomatoes in a container, they need the same spacing of 18-24 inches, but it is always a safe and better option to grow one tomato plant in one container at a time.

But if you own a very big container, you can plant more than one, maintaining an ideal distance between the plants.

But never make the mistake of sharing the same hole for more than one tomato plant. This would reduce the risk of root tangles and competition between neighboring plants for nutrition, moisture, and sunlight.

How Many Tomato Plants Can You Plant in a 5-Gallon Bucket?

5 Gallon Bucket is really a large container. But planting more than one tomato plant in such a container is not a good idea. 5 Gallons of soil is still best for one tomato plant.

Almost 2 Dwarf or compact varieties of tomato plants can be planted in a 5-gallon Bucket, as one dwarf variety of tomato plants needs only 2.5 Gallons of potting soil for its ideal growth. But again, there is a risk of cramps. 

To get a good harvest and healthy plant, keep the 1st container away from the 2nd tomato plant as they would compete for their necessary food with each other. 

Can You Plant More than One Tomato Plant in a Container?

Only plant the two tomato plants in a single container once, and if you really have a very big container.

Tomatoes are heavy feeder plants competing for nutrients and water during cramps attracting fungal infection. 

For heavy and quality harvest: 

• Maintain 24 inches distance for determinate tomatoes and 18 inches for indeterminate tomatoes.
• Dwarf or compact varieties of tomatoes can be planted at a distance of 12 inches also and need 2.5 gallons of soil.
• Maintaining as much possible distance between the plants rewards with a good harvest.
• Never plant tomatoes too close to each other.
• Five gallons of soil can make one healthy tomato plant. 

Is It Possible To Grow Multiple Tomato Plants In One Pot?

Planting several tomato plants in the same pot is never a good idea. The plants would struggle for nutrients with their neighboring plants and starve each other. It would also hamper the airflow facility for the plants.

The roots of multiple plants would tangle with each other, becoming more prone to catching fungal infections and attracting pests. 

While competing for nutrients, some plants become stronger while some remain weak. Planting one tomato plant in one pot can give you a quality harvest.

Tomatoes thrive well if planted together, but you need an exceptionally big container. 

Summary

Spacing is a factor that can never be ignored while planting tomatoes. Good spacing between the plants can prevent them from suffocating, reduce the risk of underdevelopment, and be less prone to attracting fungal diseases. 

If you follow the above tips and tricks, you will definitely be rewarded with healthy, disease-free plants and juicy and tasty tomatoes.

Most gardeners plant tomato plants easily, but sometimes they need help to grow many quality tomatoes and maintain the healthy life of the plant. Using bone meals in the right way helps to enhance the growth and fruit production of your tomato plants. It also improves the quality of fruit and the health of the plant.

In short, Yes, you can use bone meal for your tomatoes. Bone meal is an organic fertilizer that supplies phosphorus, calcium, and other trace minerals to the soil. It can be used as a top dressing for established tomato plants or worked into the soil at planting time. When using bone meal for tomatoes, remember that too much phosphorus can inhibit flowering and fruiting.

Bone meal promotes phosphorus content in tomato plants which keeps your beautiful tomato plant strong and healthy.

But using it in the right quantity and correctly only can benefit the plant. You can use one teaspoon of bone meal for a single plant. Splash the bone meal fertilizer around each plant and mix it in the soil with the help of a rake.

Guide To Using Bone Meal With Tomato Plants

Before knowing how to use bone meal, it is interesting to know what it is. Well, it is a meal of animal bones transformed into fertilizer for plants. 

It is brought from the slaughterhouses, then cooked, sterilized, and later ground and made in a powdered form to use as an organic fertilizer for the plants. 

You can enhance phosphorus and calcium in the plants with bone meal use. Nitrogen is also increased in the soil, which is an added advantage for the leaves of the plants. The plants are boosted to grow fast, healthy, and bloom more quickly in large quantities. And the farmers are rewarded with a high number of quality tomato fruits. 

The nutrients are slowly released with bone meal which requires acidic soil to get activated. It is an added advantage for tomato plants as they can flourish well in such conditions. 

Nutrient Content in Bone Meal

The main nutrient content of the bone meal is calcium, carbon, and phosphorus. They also contain a small amount of nitrogen. 

However, it also depends on your bone meal supplier and how you use it. 

The ratio of nitrogen-phosphorus and potassium is 3-15-0.

Yes, it does not contain potassium and has a very low amount of nitrogen. Its main components, calcium, carbon, and phosphorus, enhance the growth, health, strength, quality, and quantity of fruits on tomato plants. 

Is Bone Meal Good for Tomatoes?

The main nutrient components of bone meal, calcium, and phosphorus enhance the tomato plants’ overall growth and strength. 

You can enhance the fruit production of tomato plants with phosphorus. The fruits are set to grow bigger and juicier. Phosphorus is only responsible for supplying water from the soil to the fruit. As a result, they grow juicy and beautiful.

When harvesting, using Bone Meal can result in a large number of big, juicy, and beautiful tomatoes.

The calcium content in Bone Meal makes the roots and stem extra strong since they grow heavy at the top. It also helps to prevent the Blossom End Rot in the plants.

How Can You Use Bone Meal for Your Tomato Plants?

Adding Bone Meal to the soil for your tomato plants is very easy. I prefer adding it to the soil before planting the tomatoes as it maximizes the nutrients exactly where the roots are grown. As a result, the plant’s health, growth, strength, and fruit production are maximized. 

Following the steps below, you can easily add Bone Meal in the soil.

• Test the soil quality and its pH level. The pH value of soil ranges between 6.00 to 7.00 as this is only the ideal pH soil level for tomato plants. This soil is best for extracting nutrients from the Bone Meal powder. 
• The already present nutrients can be traced while testing soil. This prevents you from putting extra nutrients in the soil by putting Bone Meal.
• After testing the soil, now it’s your turn to plant your sprouted tomatoes. Put the Bone Meal in the dug hole, then transplant the tomatoes. 
• You can also sprinkle it around the areas of developed plants to boost tomato production. The use of one large teaspoon of Bone Meal is enough for each plant.
• If you plan to plant the seeds into the soil directly, sprinkle the bone meal and cover it with some extra soil. 

In this way, you can use Bone Meal for tomato plants for their enhanced growth and fruit production. You can also mix some Epsom salt with ground eggshell for better results. It increases the magnesium and calcium content in the soil, which prompts tomato plants’ health, strength, and quality fruit production. 

Unfortunately, if you have not used Bone Meal while plantation, you can use it even for your developed tomato plants like any other fertilizer, sprinkle the bone meal at the top of the soil, and then water it. It will simply penetrate the roots.

You can also use this liquid Organic Bone Meal Fertilizer without watering to fulfill the requirements of nutrients.

Do You Mix Bone Meal with Soil When Planting Tomatoes?

It is always best to put Bone Meal in the holes dug at the time of plantation. It gives the best result. 

You can add Bone Meal in the garden soil in two ways. 

Mixing in compost blend and mixing high-quality tea compost. 

This helps to penetrate the bone meal directly into the roots, which makes the roots stronger. As a result, the roots become more efficient in delivering nutrients and water to the plant. And you would be rewarded with a high-quality harvest and large quantities of tomatoes. 

But it is not limited to Bone Meals only to get nutritional benefits. You can also choose fish heads, Fish emulsion, Fish Guts, Chicken Manure or Kelp Meal to enhance the soil nutrition.

Related Article – Are Coffee Grounds Good for Tomato Plants

Can You Use Too Much Bone Meal for Tomatoes?

It is hard to add too much Bone Meal for tomato plants as they release the nutrients slowly and steadily in the soil. The microbes and nutrients in the bone meal are released steadily in the soil. Thus, nutrients are not mixed faster in the soil mix. 

Bone Meal has a rare chance of having a negative impact on your plant. Due to Slow Release, chances of excess nutrition in the soil are reduced. Thus it is safer to use than chemical fertilizers as the risk of overnutrition is more in commercialized or chemical fertilizers.

High doses of nitrogen and potassium in the soil can destroy your tomato plant. So there is a very rare chance of overnutrition in the plant when Bone Meals are used.

Can You Use Too Little Bone Meal When Planting Tomatoes?

Bone Meal releases very slow nutrients to the soil. If too little Bone Meal is used, essential nutrients are not delivered to the plant. The right amount of Bone meal per developed plant is 5 ml, i.e., one teaspoon per plant.

Bone Meal also releases nitrogen which is very important to maintain good leaves in tomato plants. Being a slow-release fertilizer, a minimal amount of Bone Meal can result in too low nitrogen in the plant, harming your plant’s root. 

Pay attention to the instructions of use labeled on your Bone meal, as the ideal amount can vary from brand to brand. Sometimes, it can be more or less than one tablespoon or 5 ml per plant. 

Benefits of Using Bone Meal for Tomato Plants

Your plant is benefited abundantly from the application of Bone Meals. Some of the benefits are listed below:

• The plant can set a large number of fruits.
• It prompts the size of the grown tomatoes.
• Roots become stronger and more efficient in delivering the required nutrients and water to the plant.
• Blossom End Rot chances are reduced as Bone Meal enhances calcium, and Blossom End Rot happens because of calcium deficiency.
• It prevents root rot of the plants and promotes water drain from the soil. 

Disadvantages of Using Bone Meal

Though Bone Meal can boost the calcium and other nutrients for plants, it has certain disadvantages too, which are listed below:

• It is not activated for soil with more than a 7.00 pH balance, as you can only activate it in slightly acidic soil.
• While applying Bone Meal can damage your lungs and airway as you can easily inhale it.
• The nutrients seep into the soil very slowly. Hence the results must be obtained after a while. 
• A little mistake in the application can attract so many pests, which can harm your plant. 

Summary

Bone Meal is an excellent source of calcium and potassium with little nitrogen content for tomato plants. If used in the right way and the correct amount, it promotes a healthy, strong, and long life for your plant and also increases the yield of large size of tomatoes. Water your plant after applying Bone Meal as it helps seep the nutrients in the soil easily. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you fertilize tomatoes with bone meal?

Bone meal is an excellent fertilizer for tomatoes as it provides a slow release of phosphorus and nitrogen, both essential nutrients for healthy plant growth. 

1. Mix three tablespoons around each tomato plant into the soil to fertilize with the bone meal at planting time. 
2. Replace one tablespoon of this mixture every three months or when watering your tomato plants. 
3. For best results, it is recommended to mix the bone meal with existing soil or compost to ensure it gets mixed into the soil and isn’t left sitting on it. 
4. You can also use a liquid fertilizer containing bone meal after plants have begun growing.

When should you not use bone meal?

You should not use the bone meal on plants that prefer more acidic soil, such as blueberries, rhododendrons, and azaleas. 

Bone meal can also damage the root systems of more delicate plants such as annuals, perennials, and vegetables. 

Over-application of bone meal can cause an imbalance in the soil’s pH, so it’s important to use it sparingly and according to package instructions. 

In addition, you should not use the bone meal for starting tomato seeds or transplanting seedlings, as its high phosphorous content can damage tender roots. 

I personally do not recommend bone meal for container-grown plants because of the difficulty in controlling the spread of nutrients.

Can you sprinkle bone meal on top of the soil?

Yes, you can sprinkle bone meal on top of the soil. However, mixing it into the top 2-3 inches of your soil is best before planting or transplanting. This helps to ensure that your plants’ roots properly absorb the nutrients.

If applying after planting or transplanting, ensure that it doesn’t come into contact with the plant’s stems or leaves. 

For potted tomatoes, you can sprinkle a tablespoon of bone meal around the base of each tomato plant before adding soil. Once you’ve added your soil mix, water it well to help activate the nutrients and prevent burning.

How do you use bone meal in potted tomato plants?

To apply it, mix 1-2 tablespoons of bone meal into each pot’s top 2 inches of soil. Water thoroughly after application to ensure the nutrients are absorbed. 

The bone meal should be applied every four to six weeks during the growing season. It is o avoid over-fertilizing, as this can lead to nutrient imbalances and harm your tomato plants. 

Additionally, ensure that your tomato plants receive adequate sunlight and water for optimal growth.

Can you use bone meal on seedlings?

No, using bone meal on seedlings is not recommended because its high phosphorous content can be too strong for delicate young plants. 

Instead, opting for a more balanced fertilizer such as fish emulsion or compost tea is better. These will provide the necessary nutrients for your seedlings without overwhelming them with excessive phosphorous. 

Additionally, you should ensure that you use good-quality soil and provide adequate water and light for your seedlings. Proper care is essential for healthy and vigorous seedling growth.

How much bone meal to use per plant?

You should use 5 to 10 pounds of fertilizer over every 100 square feet, or sparingly top off each planting hole with 1 to 2 tablespoons.

You can also mix it into your potting soil at ½ cup for each cubic foot. When planting directly into the ground, scratch a teaspoon of bone meal into the soil at planting time.

When transplanting seedlings to the garden, mix 1 tablespoon with the soil in each hole and work it lightly into the root zone. Use caution not to over-fertilize your plants; too much fertilizer can burn or kill them.

No gardener loves to see their tomatoes rotting. It really demotivates them to cultivate tomatoes when they get rotten tomatoes after a lot of hard work. When your tomatoes turn brown and leathery, it has started rotting and needs much care and attention.

What causes bottom rot on tomatoes? Mainly Blossom End Rot occurs due to a lack of calcium. You can prevent it by giving sufficient calcium to plants. But at the same time, you must be extra cautious about other factors.

I have covered all these points broadly in this article.

What Is Blossom-End Rot?

Blossom End Rot is a situation when the plant gets calcium deficiency. This results in the breakage of the tomato’s cell walls, and rotten spots are identified in the bottom part of the fruits. The affected areas become dark brown or sometimes black. 

The blossom end rot occurs mainly at maturity or in the first tomato growing season.

Symptoms of Blossom End Rot

To avoid blossom end rot, you must identify the symptoms that leads to rotting. Here are some of the blossom end rot symptoms that you can easily identify: (1)

• Watersoaked spot at blossom end.
• The spot color changes from brown to black.
• Soft rotting of fruits doesn’t occur.
• Affected fruits ripen earlier than healthy fruits.

What Causes Tomato Blossom End Rot ?

Lack of calcium is the leading cause of Blossom End Rot. Mainly its effect is visible when tomato fruits reach maturity.

This type of rot does not happen because of any fungal infection or virus attack on the plant. So don’t even think of using pest controllers to cure this issue. 

Here are some of the reasons for Blossom End Rotting:

• Moisture – Too little or too much- Your soil might be too dry because of excessive heat or underwatering, or it may be too wet and becomes soggy because of overwatering. Ensure to maintain the correct moisture level in the soil.
• Too much Nitrogen- Calcium deficiency also arises with the overuse of nitrogen. Opting for fresh manure and compost is the best, and you can get a good amount of fresh and quality tomatoes.
• Soil is too cold- Tomato is a warm-loving plant. If the soil is too cold, the roots become inefficient in delivering proper nutrients to the plant. You can use heat maps to overcome the issue.
• Root damage due to cultivation- Avoid aggressive digging in nearby areas of tomato plants as it can cause damage to roots and adequate nutrients are not delivered to the plants. 
•  Too high or too low Soil pH– Soil pH level should be within limits, or it could be the reason for Blossom End Rot.

Are you tomatoes splitting? If yes, check our blog on “Why Do Tomatoes Split And How To Prevent This“?

How To Fix Blossom End Rot?

When you see black, spotty and brown tomatoes, you should understand that you can’t save those tomatoes. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for the affected fruit. 

But you can use my prevention and control strategy to save the rest of your tomatoes from getting affected with Blossom End Rot.

Maintain steady levels of moisture in your plants:

Maintaining a steady moisture level in the soil is very important. Using a straw helps suck the moisture from soil when it is too moist. 

You can use water cones or this Soaker Hose for steady supply of water to the plant.

Potted tomatoes mostly face lack of sufficient moistness and produce Blossom Rot. You can use REMIAWY Plant Watering Stakes for in containers tomato plants. Remiawy is a terracotta watering spikes that work through osmosis.

Use Organic Fertilizers: 

Using fresh manure and compost is always appreciated. The manure of rabbits and hamsters is rich for tomato plant growth.

I use Malibu Compost for my tomatoes, which increases my plant’s immune system and restores the soil nutrients.

Don’t Use Too much fertilizer

Too much and frequent use of fertilizers can damage your plant and reduce the garden soils nutrition. Its overutilization promotes the fast growth of the plant.

Much of the plant’s calcium is used during the growing stage, and plants go through calcium deficiency at the stage of producing fruits, ultimately Blossom End Rot appears.

Using a rich soil mix of fresh manure and compost is always best and promotes the healthy growth of your plant.

Always do a soil test before using fertilizers, and never forget to read the labeled instructions before use.

There are times when your tomato may not turn red or ripe, check our helpful gardners blog on Why do tomatoes not ripen or turn red?

Maintain soil Temperature:

Tomatoes can neither be grown in too hot nor in too cold soil. They grow healthy and fast in warm soil. The ideal soil temperature for tomatoes is 15-18 degree Celsius. You can use a soil thermometer to check soil temperature.

Heat mats are the best option to maintain warmth or increase the soil temperature. The use of red or black plastics also promotes soil heat. You can also use organic mulch in case of excessive soil temperature.

Don’t Work on Ground Close to the Plant:

Don’t dig or work around the area too close to your tomato plants. You can remove weeds gently when needed, but don’t harm your plants.

Mulching around your plant is the best way to protect them from blossom end rot.

Check Soil pH and Correct as Needed:

The ideal pH level of soil for tomato cultivation is 6.2 – 6.8. A spray of calcium helps to enhance the PH level of the soil. 

Organic mulches and compost help reduce soil’s pH level when it reaches the maximum. You can use Soil pH meters to check the pH level.

Use a Tomato Fertilizer with Calcium:

Calcium spray and antacid tablets helps enhance the soil quality, which is vital in growing good-quality tomatoes.

You can also Espoma GL6 Garden Lime Soil Amendment to meet the calcium deficiency for your plant. Always read labeled instructions before using. 

Plant Tomato Varieties That Are less Susceptible To Blossom End Rot

While growing tomatoes, it has been noticed that some varieties are more prone to Blossom End Rot, whereas others face less Blossom End Rot.

Let us look at the table for more information. 

Varieties of tomatoes with less than 10 percent Blossom End Rot	Varieties of tomatoes with almost 15 to 30 percent Blossom End Rot
Celebrity	Big Boy
Fresh Pack	Castle King
Jet Star	Fantastic
Manapal	Independence
Mountain Pride	Supersonic
Pik Red	Surprise
Sunny	Whopper
Winter	Wonder Boy

Can overwatering cause blossom end rot?

Overwatering and underwatering both cause danger for the plants and result in Blossom End Rotting. Limited watering helps to maintain consistent soil moisture.

Follow the above discussed tips to keep your soil sufficiently moist.

Why are my tomatoes rotting on the bottom?

Tomato plants necessitate calcium in every growing part, from the roots to their fruits. Unfortunately, a lack of calcium and water may lead to a deficiency and cause this tomato rot – also known as bottom rot.

Inadequate hydration impedes the plant’s capacity to transport its required calcium levels throughout itself.(2)

Summary

We all know that prevention is better than cure. So be careful and follow the tips discussed above when planting your tomatoes, and you will never face Blossom End Rotting. Instead, you would be rewarded with fresh, quality tomatoes.

Many gardeners struggle to turn green tomatoes red. They feel worried about seeing their tomatoes hard and green, especially when the fatal frost starts. There may be plenty of reasons behind this problem. 

Most gardeners are not left with options other than plucking green tomatoes and bringing them indoors to let them ripen due to fear of frost. But most tomatoes rot, and if you do tomato harvest, your hard work is washed away. 

So, why won’t my tomatoes turn red? Your tomatoes may not be turning red or ripen when the temperature goes beyond 85 to 90 F. At this temperature, the ripening process slows or even stops, the pigments responsible for turning tomatoes red or pink ,lycopene and carotene, cannot be produced. Therefore, your tomatoes will remain in mature green phase.

Ideally, tomatoes should ripen within six to eight weeks of flower pollination, depending on the variety of your tomatoes. 

It may not be ripe because of unfavorable temperatures, i.e., too low or too high temperature, not choosing the right variety of your tomatoes, overgrown and stressed vines, etc. 

This article is all about what to do if your tomatoes are not ripening and how to fix this.

Why Do Tomatoes Turn Red?

Tomatoes are high in chlorophyll content, which is why they initially come out with green fruits. However, after their full maturity, they produce ethylene gas which helps in the ripening of tomatoes, turning them red. 

Lycopene and carotene are the pigments responsible in tomato plant for turning existing green fruit to red or pink color.

Later the chlorophyll starts dissolving and is replaced by an organic compound called lycopene which is responsible for the red or sometimes even pink color of tomatoes. 

The color of tomatoes may be orange, purple, or pink, depending on their varieties. 

Carotenoids play the main role in changing the color of tomatoes. For example, the Carotenoid for red tomatoes is lycopene, whereas, for yellow tomatoes, it is Lutein.

So, you might be thinking about why aren’y my tomatoes turning red? Here’s your answer!

4 Reasons Why Your Tomatoes Aren’t Ripening

When the tomatoes don’t get an ideal environment, rarely are there chances of their ripening. When the weather’s too hot or cold, the tomato season is ending, or it may be due to the variety of tomatoes grown. 

Hot Weather: 

Though tomatoes grow in warm conditions, they can’t cope with a too much heat. So, unfortunately, they struggle to survive if they fall into a hot environment. 

Tomato plant produce Lycopene, which is the natural chemical responsible for ripening on the vine. Unfortunately, the plant becomes inefficient in producing such chemicals in extremely hot weather, and the ripening process slows significantly, and even the tomatoes won’t ripen at all. 

In this situation, either wait for the temperature to become normal or opt for preventive measures to protect the plant from the hot climate. Once the heat comes to a normal state, the tomatoes will continue to ripen again. 

Cold Weather: 

Tomatoes also do not like extremely cold temperatures, and the ripening and growing processes are impacted. The drop in temperature is the end of tomato season. 

But if the temperature is cold for just a few days, it won’t impact, and the ripening process becomes normal when the temperature comes to normal. 

A temperature up to 60 F is favorable for ripening and growing tomatoes, but the tomatoes ripening and the growing process stops together below this temperature. 

If the temperature won’t reach at least the minimum for more than two weeks, then it is time to pluck all the mature green tomatoes and let them ripen indoors. 

I use my own method to encourage tomatoes ripening process by wrapping the fruits into a newspaper or a paper bag.

End of Season: 

A fall in temperature comes with the end of the tomato season. With the falling temperatures, tomatoes stop growing and producing other fruit. Despite their maturity, the already-grown tomatoes stop growing and ripening. 

In this mature green stage, I pluck all the grown tomatoes inside and let them ripen on their own. I also prefer making pickles of unripened tomatoes as they are very delicious. 

Variety: 

Nature has given us varieties of tomatoes with different colors and tastes. Different varieties have different ripening processes too. 

Among all varieties, cherry tomatoes ripen faster than larger tomatoes variety. 

I have listed a few popular tomato varieties with the ripening time they take.

Tomato Variety	Number of Days Take Tomatoes to Ripen
Early Girl	50
Bush Early Girl	54
Juliet	60
Celebrity	65
Husky Cherry Red	65
Super sweet	100

So identify the variety of tomatoes you have planted and wait for the right time to ripe them up. 

Similarly, there are varieties of green tomatoes, too, which never turn red and ripen. So never wait for those varieties to turn red, or they will be over-ripened. On the other hand, they taste great when eaten green.

Related Article – Treatment for Powdery Mildew on Plants: Identification, Causes, and Prevention

Why Won’t My Tomatoes Ripen On The Vine?

Temperature is the main factor for ripening tomatoes, and it also depends on the variety of tomatoes chosen for cultivation. 

The ideal temperature for tomatoes ripening is 85 degrees Fahrenheit – 50 Degrees Fahrenheit. However, tomatoes struggle to ripen up if the temperature exceeds the maximum and falls below the minimum. 

When the tomatoes are overgrown, especially during summer, they develop more leaves and flowers. So entire plant energy is wasted in producing leaves and flowers, and the tomato fruit ripening process is compromised. 

At this stage, proper and limited pruning of tomato plant is the best way to eliminate the issue. 

5 Tricks For Ripening Tomatoes On The Vine Faster

Is the fall about to start, and still, your tomatoes are struggling to ripen? Don’t worry; I have certain tricks to speed up your tomato ripening process. 

Cut Off The New Growth

In the season of ripening fruits, if your plant is doing new growth, go ahead and cut off the new growth to utilize your plant’s energy in ripening the tomatoes.

The plant needs the energy to develop new leaves. Instead of utilizing the plant’s energy in the further growth of leaves and stems, you can direct your plant to use the energy in the ripening of the fruit.

Trim The Flowers

Plants need at least 45-60 days to ripe tomatoes from the day of flower pollination. If the plant starts to flower at the end of the season, I opt to pluck the flowers to save energy. This process indicates the plant utilizes its power in ripening up the tomatoes. 

Pinch The Suckers

Tomato suckers are the side shoots that grow from the branch and main stream. They are known as Axil and are mostly left unattended. 

Due to this, the tomato plants turn into bushy tomato plants, sucking the plant’s energy. Therefore, pinching all the suckers from the tomato plants would be best.

Pluck Off Tiny Tomatoes

It is mesmerizing to see baby tomatoes, and it is heartbreaking to remove them before their maturity. 

But if they are grown just a few days before the beginning of frost, pluck them off. They do not have enough time to mature. Instead, the plants would use that energy to ripen the already-matured green tomatoes.

Prune Some Of The Leaves

Pruning of leaves should only be done when the plant is very healthy and has plenty of leaves on it. 

You can prune some of the leaves to help the plant focus more on fruit ripening. 

You can also find the video helpful to speed up your tomato ripening process.

https://youtu.be/Ag0FExnXp18

What Should You Do With Green Tomatoes?

If you are fed up with trying all tips and ideas to turn your hard green tomatoes into red, don’t panic; still, there is a way. 

Just before a few days of frost, bring all your tomatoes inside. You will notice some of the tomatoes are turning red on their own.

Even ripen green tomatoes are also good to eat; I usually prefer making pickles of mature green tomatoes. They are damn delicious and very simple to prepare. 

How to Tell When Green Varieties of Tomatoes are Ripe?

We already know that raw tomatoes are green and later turn Red or pink when ripened. But there are varieties of tomatoes that are still green even after ripening, like green doctors, Cherokee Green, Green Zebra tomatoes, etc. 

You can find out whether your green tomatoes are ripe or not by noticing the following points:

• The fruit turns soft and pulpy like red tomatoes only. Please do not wait for them to change their color; otherwise, they will get overripened. 
• The color of green tomato turns to light green, yellow, or sometimes pink. At this stage, we can decide that the tomatoes are ripened and enjoy the delicious taste of the fruit.

Reasons For Different Colored Tomatoes

The color of tomatoes varies on so many factors. The reasons are listed below:

Sunscald: 

Scalding happens because of extreme exposure to sunlight. This results in faded, lathery tomatoes. You can notice the effect on top of the sides of the fruit. Mostly, the fruits rot due to sunscald. 

Soil Fertility problem: 

Sometimes the tomatoes are planted in soil that does not have the nutrients needed for the plant and produce unevenly colored or yellow tomatoes.

According to Cornell Cooperative Extension, “high magnesium and low potassium levels can lead to conditions like blotchy or uneven ripening or yellow shoulder disorder.”

Blossom End Rot:

Deficiency of calcium leads to Blossom End Rot which in turn hampers the produced tomatoes. Providing your tomato plants with enough calcium helps to resolve the issue. (To avoid this, check our post “8 Proven Ways To Fix Blossom End Rot“.)

Final Thoughts

Understand the variety of tomatoes you have planted, know their ripening time, and accordingly take action. If the tomatoes are not ripening within the ideal time, identify the reason for the same and patiently use the tricks discussed above. You won’t lose your matured tomatoes and can enjoy your hard-grown tomatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my tomatoes to turn red?

I personally bring the potted plant inside to a warmer location to turn the unripe fruit red. You can also try uprooting the vines with mature green fruit and hanging them upside down in a cool, dry place, such as a garage or basement, until the fruit ripens and turns red.

Why is it taking so long for my tomatoes to turn red?

Lycopene and carotene are the pigments responsible for ripe tomato color. But When temperatures reach over 85°F, the plant stops producing these pigments and therefore, the ripening process slows down or stops resulting in yellowish-green or orange tomato fruit.

Why did my tomatoes never ripen?

Temperature is one of the major reason what causes ripening in tomatoes. When it falls below 50 degrees F, the growth of tomato plant slows down, so as the fruits. This vegetable requires heat in order to grow, and it will not resume growth until the weather becomes warmer

Are you tomato growers and you are seeing white spots on the leaves? Healthy tomato leaves are Pale Green to Dark Green and look glossy. But what if your tomato leaves look yellow, brown or purple? I have often seen white spots on my tomato plant leaves. This is the symptom which alarms that tomato leaves are not healthy and they need immediate treatment. 

So, what causes white spots on tomato leaves? In short, the white spots on tomato leaves or stems are due to fungal diseases; if you don’t prevent this, your tomato leaves will turn yellow and then brown. Powdery mildew, Sun Scalding and Late Blight are the common causes of white spots in tomatoes.

Proper care and ideal growing conditions never let this situation arise. However, you already have infected plants, do not worry; I have explained certain ways to deal with it. 

Always choose a variety of tomatoes which are less prone to get infected, prune the infected leaves, maintain proper spacing while planting the tomatoes etc. 

In this article, I briefly discuss the causes and effects of white spots on tomato plants. If you want to prevent white spots on tomato plants, keep reading!

Why Do You See White Spots on Your Tomato Plants?

Mainly there are three main reasons for white spots on the tomato plants. You must know what causes these white spots to prevent this from happening again.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is an unavoidable tomato plant disease commonly seen in tomato plant leaves, and different fungi are responsible for the cause of the disease. 

Moist and dark places attract these fungi. When it is highly humid, with insufficient sunlight exposure and bad air flow facility, these fungi are attracted towards the tomato plants, resulting in Powdery Mildew fungal disease. 

It can be identified in powdery white color form and initially catches the underneath leaves of tomato plants which is very hard to trace initially. New leaves are the first to get affected by the disease, and it gradually spreads to buds and fruits. Newly fertilized plants are more prone to get infected due to the disease.

Though the fungus won’t destroy the plant, it harshly impacts fruit production, and the taste of tomato is also impacted because of insufficient photosynthesis. It also weakens the plants, and plants are more prone to other diseases. Gradually the leaves turn yellow as the plant starts losing its cells. 

It is important to keep an eye on the plant to track if you own tomato plants are going through any disease. Take immediate action if you discover the symptoms of Powdery Mildew, as early diagnosis can easily save your plant.  
You can also treat Powdery Mildew by using Neem oil, as it acts like an organic pesticide without any side effects. 

Commercial and Bio Fungicides can also be safely used to treat your plant. 

Pruning of affected leaves is also a good option. Repeat the process weekly until your plant is free from such disease. 

How To Prevent Powdery Mildew?

You can take various measures to prevent Powdery Mildew easily and rapidly. Please check out the points below.

1. Proper spacing: Powdery Mildew happens because of bad airflow facility. Try maintaining 18 – 24 inches spacing for adequate air circulation through the tomato plant leaves. Dense plantations of tomato plants encourage powdery mildew. (Check can you plant two tomato plants together)
2. Exposure to sunlight: Powdery Mildew happens when the plants do not get enough sunlight and face darkness most. Ensure your plants receive 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily to avoid the disease. 
3. Pruning: Pruning is one of the best options to decrease the risk of Powdery Mildew, as pruning helps to improve air circulation. But never forget that over-pruning can easily destroy the plant. Only when the leaves are overgrown pruning methods are applied. Always ensure to sanitize your pruning tool before and after use. 
4. Choosing the right species of tomatoes: Always opt for the varieties which are more resistant to Powdery Mildew. I prefer planting ‘Geronimo’, ‘Imperial 643’, ‘Massada’ and ‘Panzer’ as they are more resistant to powdery mildew disease and the right variety. 
5. Avoid using Powdery Mildew infected plant compost. It may leave a negative impact on the plants, dispose of them.
6. Use of fertilizer in the right amount: Keep the habit of using the fertilizer in the right amount, enhancing the health and growth of your tomato plant. Avoid over-fertilizing your plant, as it increases the number of new leaves, which are more prone to get infected due to the disease.
7. Prevention is better than cure. So keep a habit of using sulfur dust or bio fungicides every week.

Sun Scalding (Insufficient or Too Much Exposure To Sunlight)

Sunlight is important for food and the growth of plants, but anything more than a limit is a matter of concern. 

When tomato plants get more than the ideal amount of sunlight, they have to go through sun scald, which turns their leaf white spotted and damaged. This can happen when you expose them directly to the sun and the outside world when transplanting your greenhouse plant and indoor plants. So avoid rushing the hardening of your tomato plants too early. 

The affected tomato plants leaves turn yellow, dry out and again brown and shade from the plants, resulting in damaged and unhealthy tomato plants. 

How To Prevent Sun Scalding?

1. While hardening off your tomato plants, arrange a comfortable environment for them for at least 7-10 days.
   • Keep the plant outside in the shade for only a few hours on the first day. Then expose the plants to direct sunlight slowly and gradually.
   • On the 10th day, keep the plant outside at night when the temperature is more than about 50F.
   • If your plant can survive in such a situation, it is ready for an outside environment.
   • If the condition is not yet up to the mark, stretch the process for a few more days.  
2. If you have already exposed your plant to the sun, arrange for shade with the help of clothes to prevent them from sun scalding. Over time, you can increase their exposure to sunlight. 

Late Blight

Late Blight is a disease which may destroy your tomato plant’s leaf. White fungal spots are visible on the infected leaves. It also spreads to the branches of tomato plants, and plants produce very bad quality, brown spotted tomatoes. 

The disease is mainly spread by phytophthora infestans, which spreads all over the plant and is enough to kill the plants in 2-3 days. It is better not to use them in compost; rather, disposing off is the only best option as it can ruin your garden. 

You need to actively take care of your plant, especially in summer, autumn and wet weather, as Late Blight only spreads more during these times. 

Infected leaves will have pale green spots that become brown and sometimes black. Brown spots with white fungus develop in Green tomatoes too. 

How To Prevent Late Blight?

You can take care of late Blight in the following ways:

• Applying copper fungicide or bio fungicide every week helps reduce Late Blight, and your plant can eliminate the disease.
• Potato and tomato plants come from the same nightshade family. They require the same type of soil and nutrients to grow and are susceptible to the same kind of viruses and diseases. Planting them in the same place makes the plants compete for nutrients, leaving both plants unhealthy and getting Late Blight. So I never chose to grow both plants in the same place.
• As Late Blight is a very dangerous disease which destroys plants, always follow USA Blight to check the outbreak of the disease in the whole country. In this way, you would easily identify if the disease is spread in your area and take preventive measures to save the life of your tomato plants. 

Other Reasons For White Spots on Tomato Plants?

Apart from Powdery mildew, Sun Scalding and Late Blight, I have found some more reasons that can cause this problem.

Poor Air Circulation

Poor Air circulation is one of the reasons that can bring white spots or even powdery mildew to your tomato leaves. 

You can prevent this by pruning your tomato plant and encouraging growth. Pruning improves air circulation; therefore, you only need to remove the leaves with white specks. 

Tomato Psyllids

Tomato Psyllids are whitish or yellowish plant lice which are too small to be identified. They are just 0.12 inches or 3 MM.

They damage the plant by injecting a toxin while feeding on the leaves, which results in leaf curling and makes the plant inefficient in producing fruits and produces white spots on the plants.

Whiteflies

We are often tricked into recognizing the presence of whiteflies as they look like white spots when present in large numbers on the leaves.

They live underneath the leaves, which leads to the curling of leaves and later, the leaves are totally destroyed.

Spider Mites

According to Kansas State University Horticulturist, spider Mites create more problems for tomato plants. They create a white web which looks like white fungus.

“The tiny insects feed on the underside of the plant leaves and suck the juices out of the plant, causing the leaves to turn yellow and ultimately die,” said Rebecca McMahon, Kansas State University Research and Extension horticulture agent in Sedgwick County, Kan. 

How Do You Treat White Spots on Tomato Plants?

It is tough but not impossible to get rid of white spots on tomato plants. Be proactive in taking care of your tomato plants, so they never catch any disease. 

But if they are already infected, please follow the steps below, as they were helpful and successful for my infected tomato plants. I am sure it would also benefit you. 

Remove the damaged leaves:

It is very hard to get back the infected leaves of tomato plants. So the best option is to remove the damaged leaves by pruning.

I use this Pruning Garden Clipper, which gives the best result. Please keep the following points noted for removing the damaged leaves:

• Avoid clipping the less damaged leaves.
• Thoroughly clean your pruning clipper before using it.
• Don’t forget to disinfect your clipper with alcohol or bleach each time after completing the pruning process.
• Dispose of the plant’s waste and do not use it as compost as they are already infected and cause health issues and fungal spores in your new or existing tomato plants if used as compost.

Spritz your tomato plants with Neem Oil

You can treat white spots on tomato plants by spraying Neem Oil on the plant. Neem has antiseptic properties, which are enough to kill insects, germs and pests and hence used to treat white spots on tomato plants too. 

Certain points to be remembered before its spritz on your infected tomato plants:

• Strictly avoid using neem oil during day time and exposure to sunlight. There are high chances of getting other leaves damaged.
• You can only use it in the evening. Spread the oil all over the tomato plant and beneath the leaves to get rid of the white spots issue.
• In the absence of ready-to-use neem oil, you can mix neem leaf powder with water and apply it to the plant. This also helps recover the tomato plant spot issues and acts as an organic pest controller. 

Monitor Your Tomato Plant

After the treatment, monitoring your plant’s health is very important, as it helps us understand whether the treatment was effective or not.

Due to Neem’s antiseptic properties, it acts as an organic pesticide and fungicide. It helps the tomato plant to get rid of spots soon. Regularly monitor the plant to see any increase in white spots and insects.

If you notice any growth in fungus and insects, repeat the process after a week and continue this process until the issue gets resolved. You could get your precious tomato plants back in healthy and disease-free condition. 

Summary

Though white spot on tomato plants is a serious issue, if the proper measures are taken, you can get rid of the disease. Try to identify the problem at the initial stage, and it will be easy for you to save your plant from diseases.

If you always look closely and keep an eye on your tomato plants, you will never face the problem of disease, and at the same time, plants reward you with many quality fruits. 

Frequently Asked Questions about White spots on tomato leaves

How to treat light spots on tomato leaves?

You can follow the below steps to treat light spots on tomato leaves. (1)

1. Pluck the leaves that has spots and put them into compost pile.
2. Remove all the leaves that has catched disease.
3. It is recommended not to remove more than one third of the plant leaves.
4. Always try to keep the leaves dry to prevent spreading of the disease.

Do white spots on Tomato leaves mean the plant will die?

When you see white spots on your tomato plant leaves, it doesn’t mean that the plant will die. Mostly the spots apeear due to sun scalding, when they are exposed to intense sunlight, they begin to turn white.

Are white-spotted tomato safe to consume?

The white spot on your tomato fruit is caused due to stink bugs, the fruit remains safe to consume. But, when you pick these fruits, they spoil fasted as compared to fruits with no spots.

Can I eat cherry tomatoes with white spots?

When you remove the skin, you see a exposed a spongy fibrous tissue that is white (sometimes yellow). According to researchers at Auburn University, it is possible to cut out any affected areas and still use the rest of the fruit for fresh consumption or canning.”

If you plant tomatoes in bad quality with high nitrogen contained soil, it can lead to tomatoes rotting. As a result, roots become inefficient in supplying adequate nutrients and water to the plant. The most common reason for tomatoes rotting is overwatering, which worsens if its soil has a bad drainage system. 

Sometimes people use harsh techniques to increase the production of tomatoes, which deteriorates the soil quality, and loses soil nutrients faster.

4 Reasons Why Tomatoes Rot on the Vine

I have found 4 reasons for tomatoes to rot, and if you take proper measures, you can save tomatoes from rotting. 

Let’s discuss the common reasons for tomatoes rot. 

Too Much Moisture in the Soil

Moisture in the soil is needed only up to a certain extent for proper growth and the long life of tomato plants. 

But if the soil remains overly moist, it becomes one of the biggest reasons for tomatoes to rot. It happens when tomatoes are overwatered and have to face a rainy season. 

Soil is not able to absorb moisture due to a lack of sunlight, and a bad drainage system results in tomato root decomposition. 

You should take the following measures to prevent your tomatoes from rotting:

• Ensure a good drainage system of the soil.
• Check the level of moisture in the soil by sticking your finger. If the soil is dry up to 5 Cm, it is the right time to water your tomato plants. 
• Try to plant your tomatoes with good exposure to sunlight.
• Reduce the frequency of watering your tomato plants during rainy weather. 

Poor Soil Quality

We often plant our tomatoes without knowing the soil quality and cultivate them in poor-quality soil, making them rot. 

The soil, which does not have good nutritional value and lacks calcium, would destroy the life of your tomato plants, and rot happens. 

On the other hand, high doses of nitrogen fertilizers promote tomato rotting as the roots cannot deliver calcium to the plant and blossom end rot occurs. 

The following measures should be taken to prevent blossom end rot:

• Soil rich in phosphorus and low contained in nitrogen should have opted for tomato plant cultivation.
• Use the fertilizer with 2 parts of phosphorus and 1 part of nitrogen for healthy tomatoes.
• The right amount of nitrogen use helps the roots deliver adequate calcium for the plants, protecting them from rotting.

Aggressive Weeding

Aggressively weeding in your tomato plants can worsen the condition of your tomato plants, and rotting happens. In addition, due to this process, the roots of the plants are negatively impacted as they have a very critical root system. 

When roots weaken, they become inefficient enough to deliver nutrients and water to the plant, and the plant dies.

You should do 3 – 4 inches of mulching to overcome this issue, which also helps maintain the right amount of moisture in the soil.

Rapid Growth

Sometimes, in the greed of the rapid growth of tomatoes, harsh and too much fertilizer is used, which rapidly reduces the nutrients and calcium of soil and results in the rot of tomatoes in vines.

 Due to a lack of calcium in the soil, plants cannot produce fruits, and even bad-quality rotten tomatoes are formed in your plants. 

So you should always wait for your tomatoes to grow on their own. Keep good exposure to sunlight, water them properly, and your good tomatoes grow quickly. 

What is The Most Common Type of Tomato Rot?

The most common tomato rot noticed in tomato plants is blossom end rot. You can see some spots in the bottom of the tomato, and slowly the spots spread to the whole fruit and taste mushy, watering and rotten.

It is almost impossible to overcome tomato rot. So you should take proper measures to avoid such conditions.

If you are curious to find out and prevent tomato diseases, check our article on Treatment for Powdery Mildew on Plants.

How To Prevent Tomatoes From Rotting On The Vine?

You can use the techniques I use to prevent rotting and easily save your ripe tomatoes from rotting. 

• Using good quality soil with less nitrogen and phosphorus promotes a healthy life for tomatoes. 
• An accurate and consistent soil moisture level, a good drainage system, and proper watering promote the life of tomatoes. 
• Good exposure to sunlight is an important factor for your tomato plants. 
• Using Fertilizer with 2 parts of phosphorus and 1 part of nitrogen prevents the tomatoes from rotting. Less use of nitrogen fertilizer is healthy for the plant.
• The use of mulch prevents the weeding of tomato plants, and keeping the soil moist is an added advantage. 
• You should use fertilizers before the growth of green tomatoes.
• Ensure using fertilizers once in 2 weeks only. 

If you opt for the above measures, your tomato plants will grow rapidly and produce quality tomatoes.

Why Are My Tomatoes Rotting on The Vine?

If your tomatoes are not getting favourable conditions, it starts rotting on the VineVine. The reasons are listed below:

• Overwatering the tomatoes is a common factor in rotting and causes bottom-end rot.
• The use of excessive fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen rots the tomato plants. 
• Cultivated in bad quality soil lacking nutrients, plants cannot get sufficient calcium supply, and rotting happens.
• Aggressive weeding leads to rotting in tomato roots as they are delicate and harmed.
• Forcing rapid growth of tomatoes with excessive use of fertilizers. Due to this, soil loses its nutrients rapidly and results in rotten tomatoes.

Why are my tomatoes mushy on the vine?

It is probably caused by nitrogen being overly high and potassium a bit below zero. Nitrogen must have an average concentration of 45% to 5.7% in leaf tissues.

As per research of Mississippi State University, tomatoes becomes mushy on the vine due to high nitrogen and low potassium in tomato plant. The average amount of required nitrogen that a plant requires is 4% to 5.5% in leaf tissue.

High nitrogen is tomato also leads to curling in leaves, missed flower clusters and balling up of the plant’s top.

Can overwatering cause blossom end rot?

According to the research done by Iowa State University, Blossom Rot occurs when the developing fruit have calcium deficiency.

Some of the reasons that can lead to blosson end rot are fluctuation in soil moisture due to overwatering or drought, use of high nitrogen fertilizer, and root pruning during cultivation.

Summary

When growing tomatoes, you should try your best to protect the rotting in tomatoes by watering them properly, cultivating them in good soil and maintaining correct moisture levels in the soil. Your plants become efficient in producing quality tomatoes.