Jogeephus":v9dryiwc said:
Could be blossum drop which is caused by hot dry conditions and/or cool nights. At the risk of sounding foolish, try this: Go out in the middle of a hot clear day and shake the bushes vigorously and/or if you are using stakes - shake the stake and disturb the root system some. Kinda like beating a fruit tree. Don't want to kill it, just wake it up. I know it sounds crazy but try it on a couple and see if it helps. Good luck. You gotta get some tomatoes.
Blossom drop could be caused (and usually is) by inadequate pollination. Tomatoes do not have separate male and female flowers like watermelons, etc. All of their pollen is contained within one flower.
By shaking the plant or hitting the stakes of the tomatoes you are aiding pollination within each flower.
Vibration of the wings of bees is what pollinates tomatoes, not moving pollen from one flower to another like some other flowering fruit.
Tapping the stakes lightly with a stick is my preferred method
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Tomato Pollination
Tomato flowers come complete with both male and female organs and are self-fertilizing. Pollen is shed with great abundance between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on dry, sunny days. Normally, the wind will pollinate the flower sufficiently. To ensure better pollination, gently shake or vibrate the entire tomato plant. The best time to do this is midday when it's warm, and the humidity is low. Optimum fruit set occurs within a very narrow night temperature range of between 60° F and 70° F. When tomato plants experience night temperatures lower than 55° F or above 75° F, interference with the growth of pollen tubes prevents normal fertilization. The pollen may even become sterile, thus causing the blossoms to drop. High daytime temperatures, rain, or prolonged humid conditions also hamper good fruit set. If the humidity is too low, the pollen will be too dry and will not adhere to the stigma. If the humidity is too high, the pollen will not shed readily. Pollen grains may then stick together, resulting in poor or nonexistent pollination.
Have you ever wondered why large-fruited tomato cultivars are sometimes "catfaced" but not the small-fruited ones? This is due to a failure of complete fertilization of the ovule. The larger fruit demands more complete fertilization. This is not a disease but a physiological disorder.
For further infomation contact your local WSU Extension Office.
From The Gardener, Vol. 6 No. 2, Summer 1995
Holly Kennell, WSU Extension agent, King County
