blossoms withering

[Fiishergurl]

What besides too high of temperatures can cause blossoms to wither up and rot off before they even produce a blossom? Im not referring to blossom drop, this is something different. The blossoms never get to the point of producing the yellow blossom and the tiny little immature geen bud just withers up and falls off the stem. I have had it happen to a plant after it produces a good amount of tomatoes. I think it has something to do with either a ph imbalance in the soil or maybe too much nitrogen. But the plants do great for a while and produce a lot but then quit producing any mature blossoms before the season is over when weather is still good and the plants should still be growing.

Thanks

Ginny

[KarenO]

Hi Ginny,

Drought stress or too much water as well as over or under fertilization will do it. For some reason, the plant doesn't seem to be able to manage to supply nutrients to more fruit.
I would start by harvesting any ripening fruit if there are some. The tomato plant's sole job is to make seeds so maybe it "thinks" it's job is done if it already has a nice crop of fruit.

KarenO

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by KarenO

Hi Ginny,

Drought stress or too much water as well as over or under fertilization will do it. For some reason, the plant doesn't seem to be able to manage to supply nutrients to more fruit.
I would start by harvesting any ripening fruit if there are some. The tomato plant's sole job is to make seeds so maybe it "thinks" it's job is done if it already has a nice crop of fruit.

KarenO

True I can think of many plants and animals that do this in one way or another.
Okra and squash are two I can think of.
You have to keep picking or production shuts down.
Other plants like pecan trees will shed all of their nuts if the weather isn't right.

[Fiishergurl]

Thanks Karen and Worth,

Of the 4 choices it definitely is not drought or too little fertilizer. It could be too much water but I doubt it because I use SWC's and I think if the mix was too soggy it would show up earlier in the season. This has happened a couple of growing seasons in a row and I use a fert strip PLUS supplement with TTF regularly without flushing the water reservoirs. I dont leave the fruit on. I usually pick it after first blush because we get so much rain here they get watery tasting if I leave them to full ripeness. So I think it is most likely an over fertilization issue or maybe fertilizer imbalance. I'm testing some of my SWC's with different fertilization routines this fall and going to keep notes so I will hopefully be able to determine if overfertilization was the key.

Thank you!

Ginny