How to Grow Tomatoes That Actually Produce Fruit

This guide is for gardeners whose tomato plants grow big and leafy but give few ripe fruits, or who want to get it right the first time. You will learn which varieties to choose, how to plant, water, feed and support tomatoes, and how to diagnose the common reasons flowers drop or fruit fails. It works for beds, raised beds and large pots.

Why Tomato Plants Fail to Fruit

A tomato plant can only produce fruit if three things line up: the plant has enough energy from sunlight, the flowers are pollinated, and the temperature is within a range where pollen works. Most disappointing harvests come down to one of a handful of causes, and nearly all of them are fixable.

Temperature is the hidden cause many growers miss. As a general guide, tomato flowers set fruit best when daytime temperatures are roughly 21 to 29 C (70 to 85 F) and nights stay above about 13 C (55 F). Extended spells outside that range, especially hot nights, often cause flowers to drop. You cannot control the weather, but you can control planting time, variety choice and some shading.

Choose the Right Variety

Variety choice has a big effect on how much you pick. Tomatoes come in two main growth habits, and knowing which you have changes how you prune and support them.

• Determinate (bush) types grow to a fixed height, set most of their fruit over a few weeks, then slow down. They need little pruning and suit containers and short summers.
• Indeterminate (vine or cordon) types keep growing and fruiting until frost. They need tall support and regular pruning, but give a longer harvest.
• Cherry and small-fruited types are the most reliable for beginners. They ripen faster and set fruit in a wider range of conditions than big beefsteak types.
• Large beefsteak types take longest to ripen and are the most likely to disappoint in cool or short seasons.

Check the seed packet or label for days to maturity, which is the approximate time from transplanting to first ripe fruit. If your summers are short or cool, choose varieties listed at around 50 to 70 days. If you have had disease problems before, look for varieties described as resistant or tolerant to common problems such as blight, fusarium or verticillium wilt. Local nurseries and garden clubs can tell you which varieties do well in your area.