The Real Reason Your Tomato Plant Is Growing But Not Producing Fruit

A ripe, juicy tomato picked straight from the vine is one of the highlights of summer for many home gardeners, but sometimes the reality of growing this warm weather-loving crop doesn't match the reality. It's all too common for the plants to grow — and even flower — without producing the desired fruit, resulting in disappointment and confusion over whether you've done something wrong. The real cause may have nothing to do with how you're caring for the plant but everything to do with location, as tomatoes are very temperature sensitive. Their producing habit can be thrown off by overly cold nights or sweltering days, although different varieties thrive in very hot or cool and shady conditions, respectively. One common reason for tomato plants not fruiting is a mismatch between the variety and the temperatures common in your climate.

Of course, growing the wrong tomato variety for your climate isn't the only reason the plants may struggle to bear fruit. It could simply be too early or late in the growing season if you're growing bush tomatoes, also known as determinate types. These kinds of tomato plants take four to six weeks to develop their fruit and then they stop, as opposed to indeterminate varieties that keep producing all season. In the event that you're growing a type of tomato suited for your locale but it's still not fruiting, factors like too much nitrogen in their fertilizer or not enough sun exposure could be to blame. There's also a chance the plants are stressed during a heat wave or cold spell (if those temperatures aren't the norm for the area) and they'll eventually rebound with weather changes.

Tomato plants are generally most productive in warm, but not overly hot, temperatures. The ideal weather for fruit setting is between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. If evening temperatures dip to 55 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, blossoms that would otherwise develop into tomatoes can fall off the plant. Too much heat can also be problematic. During stretches where it's hotter than 70 degrees at night or 85 degrees during the day, the pollen doesn't function as it should and the plants tend to abort their flowers.

When your otherwise healthy tomato plants lack tomatoes, one fix is to plant varieties that are more compatible with the local climate. With more than 10,000 tomato cultivars available, there's a wide spectrum ranging from varieties that grow in cooler climates to heat-tolerant tomato varieties you can grow in Florida and other tropical areas. Cherry and grape tomatoes are also known to perform well in high heat, even in the later part of summer. For chillier places, experiment with cultivars developed in the Pacific Northwest, like "Early Girl" and "Legend," try to avoid growing beefsteak varieties, and consider putting in row covers for some extra insulation. If you're having trouble with fruit set due to temperatures, it's best to skip growing heirloom tomatoes, which are known to be especially finicky. As you figure out what works best where you garden, one strategy is to grow a few different kinds simultaneously and observe how they do.

Having climate-appropriate plants should go a long way toward getting you the satisfaction of biting into a home-grown tomato, but you'll want to make sure the time is right to plant the replacement crop. By the time you notice the lack of fruit set, it will most likely be well past the last frost and too late to sow tomatoes outside, but seedlings to transplant are often available in nurseries. Warm climates are the easiest places to grow tomatoes later in the summer after an original crop that doesn't fruit. Some cultivars, like "Heatmaster," can even grow into autumn. Many tomato plants that favor cooler weather, however, are bred to develop fruit early in the season before it gets too hot. If timing isn't favorable and you need to wait until the next spring or summer, you can still try your best to keep the tomatoes you do have well-watered, hoping the weather and your luck will change.

Other practices will increase the chance of success. The stems of tomato seedlings should be as wide as a pencil before you gradually get them used to outdoor life and then plant them in the ground (or set the containers in the garden). As strange as it may seem, you can also increase your tomato harvest by tapping the stem. It mimics the action of the wind, which shakes the plant to move pollen between the "male" and "female" parts of individual flowers. It's especially important to do this when you're in a humid area where pollen can't move around as easily.