Buds Falling Off Tomato Plants: What to Do About Blossom Drop

Posted on July 18, 2010

Tomato’s are a tough plant to grow for most people. They tend to be very picky and climate sensitive and when a tomato plant starts going down it’s quiet noticeable. An obvious sign that a tomato isn’t doing so hot is when its yellow buds start falling off. Known as blossom drop, losing the flower of any plant while in the growing season is never a good thing; unfortunately, it’s can be difficult to diagnose the exact problem.

  1. Climate: Temperature variation is the most likely reason that a tomato would lose its buds. Ideally daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees F (21 to 29 degrees C) are the best, although these can vary depending on the variety of tomato plant. Night temperatures cannot dip below freezing. Folks living in areas with cool or cold winters should hold off on planting their tomatoes until night temperatures are over 50 F (10 C) to ensure the survival of the plant.
  2. Be Aware of the Amount You Water: Tomato plants have deep roots going down at least a foot and likely more. Make sure that you water enough so that the deep roots can get some water. The plant will struggle with shallow watering.
  3. Pollination: Don’t spray a plant with so much insecticide that bugs cannot get to them at all. Tomato plants need to be pollinated and if bees won’t go near it, you won’t be getting the fruit. Also be wary of humidity, as pollination is negatively impacted at either humidity extreme.
  4. Wrong Variation: Gardeners can be fickle at times. Make sure to use tomato plant varieties that are native to your area. Failure to do so will only lead to frustration and problems unless you have a greenhouse or some other mechanism to control the plant’s environment.
  5. Too Many Blossoms: If your plant has lost some buds but the remain blossoms and fruit still seem to be going strong then it’s likely that your plant simply grew to many flowers. With only a certain amount of resources, a plant must dictate how to use them. If the tomato plant cannot support the growth of all the blossoms, then some will likely fall off as the others get the resources.

Sometimes hard working gardeners just get unlucky. With so many factors, specifically the climate, there is no guaranteeing  a fruit set. With that said, do your best to diagnose the problem and adjust accordingly.

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