Hot and Cold Weather Tomatoes

Don’t let the weather ruin your tomato harvest. Select the variety best suited to your area.

Weather extremes can prevent tomatoes from forming fruit. When daytime temperatures rise above 90 degrees and night temperatures remain above 70 degrees blossom drop and poor fruit development can occur. Combine this with low humidity and the pollen is not viable. In hot and humid conditions the pollen’s too sticky and doesn’t move from the male to the female part of the flower. Without pollination, fruit will not develop.

Cool weather can also hinder fruiting. Night temperatures below the optimum 59 to 68 degrees will reduce the amount and viability of pollen that the plant produces.

Visit Bonnie Plants’ Tomato Chooser for help selecting the best tomato variety for your climate, growing space and cooking needs.

A bit more information: Don’t fret if your tomatoes are already in the ground. When hot weather does arrive be sure the plants receive ample moisture. Mulch the soil with shredded leaves, pine straw or other organic matter to keep roots cool and moist.