Growing tomatoes can be extremely rewarding, especially if that means getting a plump and juicy treat after a long and tiring season.
Hence, there’s nothing more disappointing than seeing your tomato plants developing flowers but not producing any fruits.
So if this stumps you, we’ve got your answers! Read on as we discuss several possible reasons your tomato plant isn’t producing any fruit and ways you can fix them.
1. Lack of Pollination
How To Fix:
Option 1: Introduce more pollinators into your garden.
Option 2: Manually hand-pollinate your flowers.
Introduce more pollinators into your garden
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Speed | Slow-acting |
| Things You Need | Native plants |
Without beneficial pollinators in your garden, it’s no surprise that your tomato plant’s flowers don’t produce any fruits. In fact, none of your other plants will be able to pollinate either.
It’s essential to increase the number of pollinators in your garden to boost fertilization and seed production. Aside from that, bringing in a variety of pollinators helps make your garden a more healthy and balanced ecosystem.
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to attract pollinators. All you need to do is to make your garden a more welcoming habitat by diversifying your selection of native plants, creating water sources, and providing nesting habitats.
What To Do:
1. Research which native plant species best suit your location.
First thing’s first, look up which kinds of local plants best suit your garden’s environment. If you’re having trouble Googling them, you can visit your local garden center, conservations, and government organizations.
2. Select several native species to add into your garden.
After doing some research, it’s time to pick which native plant species will be added to your garden. You can mix a variety of plant types such as shrubs, trees, and flowering plants to boost diversity in your garden’s ecosystem.
It’s important to take into consideration the type of climate and soil you have, how much sunlight exposure your area gets, and water availability, among others.
3. Create a plan of where you’ll be growing each plant.
Plot where you intend to grow each new plant you’ll be adding. You’ll want to take into account whether the species you’ll be growing together are compatible or not.
4. Add in your new plants one by one and observe.
Don’t bring in all of your new plants right away. Instead, add only one and observe for a couple of weeks to see how it, along with the rest of your plants, interact.
If everything goes smoothly, you can gradually add more plants as the months go by.
Manually hand-pollinate your flowers
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Speed | Slow-acting |
| Things You Need | Cotton bud, paint brush, or soft-bristled toothbrush |
As they say, if you want something done right you’ve got to do it yourself. So if you have an active pollinator population but aren’t seeing any action happening, then it’d be best if you take the wheel.
Hand-pollinating, as the name suggests, is the manual method of pollinating flowers. All you need to do is to transfer the pollen from the male flower to the female flower using a soft tool such as a cotton bud, paint brush, or a soft-bristled toothbrush.
Then, you can let nature take its course and observe to see whether your hand-pollinating was successful.
What To Do:
1. Pinpoint which flowers are male and female.
Identifying early on which flowers are male and female will give you a better idea of how many flowers you can pair up for pollination.
2. Choose the right time to pollinate your tomato plant’s flowers.
Keep in mind that the best time to pollinate flowers is when they’re fully opened. This is a tell-tale sign that they’re ready to take in pollen.
3. Gather pollen from your male flower.
Using either a cotton bud, paint brush, or a soft-bristled toothbrush, gently collect pollen from one of your male flowers.
4. Transfer pollen from your male flower to your female flower.
Gently dab the pollen collected from your male flower onto the stigma of your female flower. In order for pollination to happen, it’s crucial that the pollen makes direct contact with the stigma.
5. Repeat the pollination process.
Collect more pollen from your male flowers and transfer it onto the stigma of your female flowers. Do this with the rest of your blooms until each one has been pollinated.
6. Protect your newly pollinated plants with a net.
To ensure a high success rate, you’ll need to shield your newly pollinated plants with a netting or small bag to protect it from strong winds and pests.
7. Keep an eye on your flowers to check whether pollination was successful.
Within the next few days, you should be able to see your flowers changing and the fruit development starting.
If you don’t, then it means that your hand-pollination was not successful. Your flower will remain the same and eventually die and fall off.
2. Temperature Extremes
How To Fix:
Option 1: Install row covers.
Option 2: Add mulch onto the top soil.
Option 3: Relocate your tomato plants.
Install row covers
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Speed | Slow-acting |
| Things You Need | Row covers Support structures (PVC pipes, stakes) |
If your tomato plant is facing temperature extremes, it’s possible that the lack of fruit development is an effect of the stress.
It’s worth highlighting that tomato plants have varying ideal temperatures depending on its variety and what stage of its growth it’s currently at. Check out this table for a comprehensive overview:
| Growth Stage | Ideal Temperature |
| Germination | 75 to 85°F (24 to 29°C) |
| Seedling | 70 to 75°F (21 to 24°C) |
| Transplanting | 60°F (15°C) |
| Vegetative Growth | 70 to 85°F (21 to 29°C |
| Flowering and Fruit Development | Day: 70 to 75°F (21 to 24°C) Night: At least 55°F (13°C) |
| Fruit Ripening | 75 to 85°F (24 to 29°C) |
With fluctuating weather, installing a row cover can provide additional coverage by creating a more controlled environment, especially in the evening when temperatures drop.
What To Do
1. Choose the right kind of row cover to fit your tomato variety and area.
It’s important to keep in mind that the type of row cover you install will depend on the needs of your tomato plant as well as the weather, lighting, wind, and temperature conditions in your area.
You can choose from a variety of options as row covers come in plastic, mesh netting, and even fabric form.
2. If needed, trim your tomato plant’s foliage.
Give your tomato plant a little haircut if it’s too bushy as this could hamper with the installation of your row covers.
3. Plan where you’re going to install your row covers.
Before actually putting them in, identify where you’ll be staking them because you don’t want to install them too close to your tomato plant as you could accidentally puncture its roots under the soil.
4. Drape the row covers over your tomato plants.
To install, lightly drape your row covers over your tomato plant ensuring that this extends all the way to the soil. This is to make certain that every inch of your tomato plant is covered.
If your row cover is too long, you can either cut it to size or fold it inwards and pin it down with a large, heavy rock.
5. Install support structures to help hold up your row covers.
To keep your row covers in place, you can use PVC pipes or even stakes.
6. Check on your tomato plant every few hours for any changes.
Because your tomato plant is now in a more controlled environment, there’s a possibility that it won’t react well to it at first. For example, moisture retention is more prominent during hotter months.
Thus, it’s important to monitor for any significant changes in your plant’s appearance to determine whether you should keep or remove your row covers.
7. Open the row covers during the day to increase ventilation.
During hotter months or hours of the day, open your row covers to boost air circulation.
Add mulch onto the top soil
What’s great about mulch is that it doesn’t just regulate the temperature of your soil, it also helps improve the soil structure, moisture retention, and suppresses weed growth.
It’s just like hitting three birds with one stone! Another added bonus is that it’s relatively easy to add mulch onto your soil.
To boot, you can use a variety of organic and inorganic material depending on whatever’s readily available to you.
What To Do:
1. Get your planting area ready for the mulch.
To maximize the effects of mulch in your soil, you’ll first need to prepare your planting area. This way, it’ll decompose easily, allowing it to be easily absorbed by your plant’s roots.
2. Generously water your tomato plant and the surrounding soil.
Watering the soil helps increase its moisture content, helping it mix in the soil better.
3. Plan how much mulch you’ll need for your planting area.
In order to use mulch correctly, you’ll need to apply the correct amount to your planting area. You’ll need an even 2 to 4 inch layer for it to be effective.
4. Add an even layer of mulch onto the soil.
Start by adding mulch onto the area of soil that’s closest to the base of your plant, ensuring that there’s still a 5-inch gap between the two.
Otherwise, this could hamper ventilation, especially if your tomato plant’s bushy, and promote pests and diseases.
5. Lightly mix in the mulch with the first few inches of your soil.
To speed up the decomposition process, mix your mulch into a couple of inches of soil.
6. Reapply mulch as needed.
Since mulch decomposes over time, you’ll need to keep adding more as it diminishes from your top soil. Don’t forget to maintain a height of 2 to 4 inches.
Relocate your tomato plants
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
If you want the easy way out, then you can simply relocate your tomato plant to an area where it’ll get the right amount of sunlight or shade that it needs.
This is pretty easy and requires little to no explanation. Even then, you’ll want to strictly monitor your tomato plant for any changes, both negative and positive.
For negative, you’ll want to keep checking whether its leaves are curling, discoloring, or if the stem is drooping. For positive changes, you’ll want to see if your plant looks livelier and healthier.
What To Do
1. Locate a spot that receives the right amount of sunlight or shade that your tomato plant needs.
Observe which areas in your garden receive the most or least amount of sunlight each day. You’ll also want to observe the temperature, especially for less hardy tomato variants.
2. Prepare to move your tomato plant.
Before relocating your tomato plant for good, you’ll want to give it a trial period first by letting it stay at its new location just for a couple of hours each day.
Gradually increase the exposure until your tomato plant seems ready to stay there for good.
3. Move your tomato plant.
4. Observe for any changes.
Even though you’ve assimilated your tomato plant, observing for any changes is an extra measure that’ll allow you to save it early on in case it doesn’t take well to its new environment.
3. Poor Humidity Levels
How To Do
Option 1: Relocate your tomato plant indoors
Option 2: Use a fine mist spray
Option 3: Only water your tomato plant when needed
Option 4: Increase ventilation in the area
Option 5: Add standing bodies of water in the area
Relocate your tomato plant indoors
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
| Things You Need | Hygrometer |
For tomato plants to thrive and grow flowers that will ultimately turn into fruits, you’ll need to ensure that the humidity levels in your area are just right.
If humidity levels are too low, it will cause the pollen to dry up and lose its ability to adhere to the female flower’s stigma properly.
On the other hand, if your humidity levels are too high, the pollen can become too swollen, making it clump together and difficult to disperse. High humidity will also create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, mold, and fungi.
What To Do
1. Locate a spot that has just the right humidity level that your tomato plant needs.
You can use hygrometers to measure the humidity levels in your area. These are typically more accurate and reliable than smartphone apps.
2. Prepare to move your tomato plant.
Before relocating your tomato plant for good, you’ll want to give it a trial period first by letting it stay at its new location just for a couple of hours each day.
Gradually increase the exposure until your tomato plant seems ready to stay there for good.
3. Move your tomato plant.
4. Observe for any changes.
Even though you’ve assimilated your tomato plant, observing for any changes is an extra measure that’ll allow you to save it early on in case it doesn’t take well to its new environment.
Use a fine mist spray
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
| Things You Need | Fine mist sprayer Water |
Another easy-peasy way to increase humidity levels in your garden, greenhouse, terrariums, and virtually any indoor space is by increasing the moisture content in the air through a fine mist spray.
A couple of spritzes here and there can do wonders already because of how quickly the tiny droplets of water evaporate and cool the air.
However, you’ll want to be cautious as prolonged misting can result in over-humidification, which can lead to mold growth and other problems. Hence, it’s vital that you measure your humidity levels regularly and adjust how often you mist them.
What To Do:
1. Mist your greenhouse in the morning.
2. Repeat in the afternoon.
3. Continue misting twice a day until you’ve reached your desired humidity level.
Only water your tomato plant when needed
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
Only watering your plants when needed is a standard practice for many reasons. One of which is because constant standing water can raise humidity levels as it evaporates and increases the moisture content in the air.
Thus, it’s important to only water your plant when needed to avoid having puddles in your soil.
Another great way to avoid that is to only water in the morning. This way there’s enough time for the water to evaporate and sunlight to dry it up before nightfall.
What To Do
1. Water your tomato plants early in the morning.
Be sure not to water one area for too long as you could cause puddles.
2. Check your soil after a few hours to see if there’s any standing water.
Increase ventilation in the area
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
| Things You Need | Window Fan |
To lower humidity levels in your area, you’ll need to increase air movement and circulation, especially in indoor gardens or spaces that don’t get any natural wind.
Luckily, promoting airflow is as easy as cracking a window open. But if that isn’t good enough, then you can prop a fan right in front of the window to strengthen the breeze.
How To Do
1. Open a window
2. If humidity levels are still high, set a fan on low in front of the window and swing to blow air in all directions.
3. Increase the strength as needed.
4. Observe whether the wind is too strong for your tomato plant.
If the stem and foliage are swaying too much, then it’s a sign that the wind is too strong.
Add standing bodies of water in the area
| Difficulty | Very Easy to Hard ●○○○○ to ●●●●○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting to Slow-acting |
| Things You Need | Small pond, fountain, or bucket Water |
With low humidity levels, one of the easiest fixes is to add standing bodies of water. This can be as simple as leaving a bucket full of water out.
If you want to take things up a notch and improve your garden landscape while you’re at it, then you can go as far as to install a small pond or fountain.
Having said that, the level of difficulty of this method completely depends on what you’re willing to do.
4. Nutrient Imbalance
How To Fix:
Incorporate nutrient-rich supplements and fertilizers into the soil.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
| Things You Need | Nitrogen-rich fertilizer or supplement Soil test kit |
It’s not uncommon to see tomato plants growing flowers but not developing fruits because of insufficient nutrients in the soil.
This all stems from overall poor vigor resulting in the limited ability to photosynthesize and produce energy. As a result, your plant isn’t healthy enough to support any more growth.
Thankfully, the solution is as easy as adding in some nitrogen-rich fertilizer or supplements. Though, don’t forget to test your soil first!
How To Do
1. Conduct a soil test to determine what nutrients your soil does and doesn’t need.
To determine which nutrients are lacking or abundant, test the soil. You may buy soil testing kits online, at your neighborhood gardening store, or by bringing a sample of the soil to your local council.
2. Based on your soil test results, add supplements or fertilizers that are rich in what your soil needs.
5. Inadequate Ventilation
What To Do
Option 1: Open a window to boost air circulation
Option 2: Use a fan to promote wind
Option 3: Space your tomato plants at least 10 inches apart
Open a window to boost air circulation
| Difficulty | Very easy ●○○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
| Things You Need | Window |
Opening a window helps let in the natural breeze that will make the pollen more transmissible, especially if your greenhouse doesn’t have a lot of natural pollinators such as bees.
Depending on how humid it is, you might want to crack open a couple of windows to boost ventilation.
Just don’t forget to close them when rain falls or else humidity levels will go through the roof because of the water.
Use a fan to promote wind
| Difficulty | Very easy ●○○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
| Things You Need | Electric fan |
Sometimes humidity levels are just too high, so opening a window won’t suffice. Hence, you’ll need to bring out the big guns, er, big fan to strengthen the breeze.
We suggest bringing in a portable fan so that you don’t have to worry about the wiring, especially if you live in an area with unpredictable weather.
You’ll also want to be mindful of the strength of your fan. If it’s too strong you could risk blowing away your pollen.
How To Do
1. Select a location next to a window where you can position your electric fan.
2. Position your electric fan’s head to face your tomato plant.
3. Set your fan’s strength to the lowest setting.
With your fan on low, you’ll be able to slowly get your plant used to the breezier environment. Then, you can simply raise the speed as needed.
4. Monitor your tomato plant to see whether the strength of the breeze is just right.
If you notice that your tomato plant’s stem and foliage are swaying too much then you’ll need to lower the speed.
Space your tomato plants out at least 10 inches apart
Thankfully, tomato plants are self-pollinators which means that they don’t heavily rely on bees, among others, to help them pollinate.
However, if they’re spaced too close together it can restrict the air flow needed to help disperse the pollen. Aside from that, flowers may not even be able to open completely because it’s so tight.
Thus, it’s important to space your tomato plants around 18 to 24 inches apart. It’s vital that you take into consideration their growth habits, too, as that will give you a better idea of how much space they need to develop healthily.
How To Do
1. Measure your plot of land to determine.
2. Calculate the distance between each plant.
Determine how many tomato plant seedlings you can grow in your pot of land while maintaining a distance of around 18 to 24 inches.
3. Tag where you’re going to plant your seedling.
Putting an indicator such as a stake, flag, or stick will help you visualize how far apart each seedling will be from one another.
4. Dig the planting holes.
Dig holes that are a bit deeper and wider than the root ball of your tomato seedling.
5. Plant your seedlings into the holes.
Gently move your tomato seedling into the hole, extending its roots to reach the very bottom. Then, carefully fill in the hole with soil until it’s level with the rest of the planting area.
6. Add a layer of mulch on top of the soil.
Put a 2 to 4 inch layer of mulch on top of the soil. Ensure that your mulch is at least 5 inches away from the base of your pepper plant.
7. Deeply water the soil.
8. Install structural support such as stakes or cages if needed.
6. Under or Overwatering
How To Fix:
Observe your tomato plant, the soil, and weather to best determine whether to increase or decrease watering.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
Over and underwatering your tomato plant can impact its ability to develop flowers that will grow into juicy fruits.
Underwatering causes resource scarcity, prompting your plant to conserve its energy resulting in it to shed its flowers prematurely and limited pollen production.
Overwatering, on the other hand, will limit resource and oxygen availability in the soil, hindering plant and pollen development. Aside from that, waterlogged soil will cause mold, fungi, and bacteria to grow.
What To Do
1. Take note of your weekly weather forecast to anticipate whether conditions will be dry or wet.
2. Observe what the weather’s like each morning before you water your plants.
If conditions appear drier than normal, then it’s a sign that your plant and soil need a bit more water than usual.
If your soil is already soaking wet due to rain, then you can skip your watering until the soil is dry again.
7. Insufficient Sunlight
How To Fix
Option 1: Relocate your plant to an area that receives more sunlight.
Option 2: Transplant your tomato plant to a sunnier location.
Relocate your plant to an area that receives more sunlight
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
Insufficient sunlight will greatly affect your tomato plant’s pollen production because it’s essential for photosynthesis. Without this, your tomato plant will have limited energy available to perform tasks needed for proper development.
Don’t worry, though, as you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that it’s quite easy to fix this! All you need to do is find a location that receives the necessary daily amount of sunlight that your tomato plant needs and move it there.
What To Do
1. Locate a spot that receives the right amount of sunlight that your tomato plant needs.
Observe which areas in your garden receive the most amount of sunlight each day. You’ll also want to observe the temperature, especially for less hardy tomato variants.
2. Prepare to move your tomato plant.
Before relocating your tomato plant for good, you’ll want to give it a trial period first by letting it stay at its new location just for a couple of hours each day.
Gradually increase the exposure until your tomato plant seems ready to stay there for good.
3. Move your tomato plant.
4. Observe for any changes.
Even though you’ve assimilated your tomato plant, observing for any changes is an extra measure that’ll allow you to save it early on in case it doesn’t take well to its new environment.
Transplant your tomato plant to a sunnier location
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting |
If simply moving your tomato plant in its current container isn’t doable, then transplanting it is your next bet. As sun-loving plants, tomatoes need plenty of direct sunlight for proper fruit development.
For its new home, you’ll want to choose a location that receives a ton of sun with soil that is well-draining and full of well-rotted organic matter.
Here’s how you can do that!
What To Do
1. Evaluate which area in your garden receives the required amount of sunlight for your tomato plant.
Since tomato plants need at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily, choose a spot that gets just that.
You’ll also want to consider at what times during the day it gets this light. Preferably, you’ll want morning or late afternoon sun to avoid sun scalding.
2. Prepare your tomato plant for transplanting either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
You’ll want to ensure that your timing’s right to avoid putting your tomato plant through additional stress. Thus, choose a time wherein it isn’t too hot and the weather’s just right.
3. Loosen up the soil with a stick.
Gently loosen up the soil using a stick while being careful to avoid puncturing or injuring your tomato plant’s roots.
To make this easier, you can dampen the soil with a bit of water. This will also help to minimize the stress that your tomato plant is undergoing.
4. Gently uproot your tomato plant, carefully dusting off excess soil.
5. In your new pot, dig a hole that’s slightly bigger than the root ball of your tomato plant.
6. Gently lower the tomato plant into the hole, ensuring that there’s still a gap between the bottom of the roots and soil.
7. Fill in the hole with soil, gently patting it down.
8. Water the soil to eliminate air pockets.
9. Install structural support such as stakes or cages to help your plant grow upright.
10. Monitor for any changes in your plant’s appearance, both good and bad, as it adjusts to its new location.
8. Diseases
How To Fix:
Treat disease immediately and practice good plant hygiene.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ to Hard ●●●●○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting to Slow-acting |
Diseases are another culprit for tomato plants inability to produce any fruit. These can lead to deformed flowers, damaged reproductive organs, reduced pollen quality, and affect the plant’s overall attractiveness to pollinators.
While it’s early, it’s important to mitigate the effects of diseases on your tomato plant. To do so, you’ll need to treat the disease immediately and practice good plant hygiene and disease management moving forward.
Read on to learn how!
What To Do
1. Select disease-resistant tomato plant varieties.
Choose tomato plant varieties that aren’t susceptible to common diseases in your area. This way, they’re less likely to contract sicknesses.
2. Keep your plants healthy.
It’s vital that your tomato plant is always in tip-top shape to make it less susceptible to bacteria in the garden.
You’ll want to ensure they’re properly watered, receive the right amount of nutrition, and the area is well-ventilated.
3. Regularly inspect your plants for signs of poor health.
Monitor all your plants (yes, not just your tomato plant) for any signs of discoloration, wilting, drooping, and unusual growths, among others.
Detecting diseases early on will help prevent it from worsening and infecting the rest of your garden.
4. Sanitize your garden and tools regularly.
When handling different types of plants, regularly sanitize your tools before and after each use to avoid accidentally transmitting diseases.
5. Isolate infected plants properly.
Keeping all infected plants away from the rest of your garden is crucial to prevent the disease from spreading.
6. Properly dispose of infected plants.
Don’t chuck any infested parts of your plant into your compost bin as it’ll feast on the organic matter while waiting to be reintroduced into your garden beds.
Instead, dispose of them properly to ensure that they won’t make their way back into your plant haven.
7. Quickly treat any plant that has contracted a disease.
It’s vital that any plant that is sick is given the appropriate treatment, whether organic or chemical, immediately to avoid it from worsening.
9. Pests
How To Fix:
Eliminate pests and practice preventive measures.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ to Hard ●●●●○ |
| Speed | Fast-acting to Slow-acting |
As many gardeners already know, pests can do a great deal of damage on every part of your tomato plant.
For example, aphids, thrips, and beetles will eat away at your tomato plant’s flowers, making it difficult for them to open completely, limiting their ability to pollinate.
Meanwhile, ants and other crawling insects often contaminate flowers with dirt and bodily fluids, among others, making your tomato plants unattractive to natural pollinators.
What To Do
1. Keep your plants healthy.
It’s vital that your tomato plant is always in tip-top shape to make it less susceptible to pests in the garden.
You’ll want to ensure they’re properly watered, receive the right amount of nutrition, and the area is well-ventilated.
2. Regularly inspect your plants for signs of poor health.
Monitor all your plants (yes, not just your tomato plant) for any signs of chewed leaves, discolored foliage, or for any unusual insects roaming around.
3. Sanitize your garden and tools regularly.
When handling different types of plants, regularly sanitize your tools before and after each use to avoid accidentally moving pests around.
4. Isolate infected plants properly.
Keeping all infected plants away from the rest of your garden is crucial to prevent pests from spreading.
5. Properly dispose of infected plants.
Don’t chuck any infested parts of your plant into your compost bin as it’ll feast on the organic matter while waiting to be reintroduced into your garden beds.
Instead, dispose of them properly to ensure that they won’t make their way back into your plant haven.
6. Quickly treat any plant that has contracted a disease.
It’s vital that any plant that is sick is given the appropriate treatment, whether organic or chemical, immediately to avoid it from worsening.
7. Practice companion planting.
Companion planting is an easy and natural way to repel pests while attracting beneficial insects for your tomato plant.
Planter’s Tip: Companion planting is a great way to naturally control pests while enhancing pollination and nutrient sharing. Here are a few companion plants for tomatoes:
| Companion Planting | Benefits |
| Basil | Improves flavor Repels aphids, whiteflies, and mosquitos |
| Marigold | Deters pests like nematodes and aphids Brings in beneficial insects such as ladybugs |
| Chives | Repels aphids Attracts pollinators like bees |
| Garlic | Deters aphids, spider mites, and hornworms |
| Dill | Attracts predatory insects such as wasps and beetles that can help with pest control |
| Nasturtium | Acts as a trap crop, helping deter pests from your tomato plants Repels aphids, whiteflies, and squash bugs |
FAQs
Tomato plant flowers are self-pollinating because they have both male and female reproductive organs within the same flower. Thus, they don’t heavily rely on pollinators such as butterflies and bees.
From seeds, it should take about 7 to 9 weeks before your tomato plant begins to grow flowers.
Some determinate tomato varieties have a compact growth habit, which means that they develop rather quickly, so they tend to flower and set fruit earlier.
Determinate tomato plant varieties tend to produce yields anywhere from 10 to 30 pounds worth of tomatoes.
Meanwhile, indeterminate tomato plant varieties yield around 10 to 20 pounds worth of fruits.
However, the overall yields will still depend on the health of your tomato plant, allocation of resources, environment, and other conditions.
