Why do green tomatoes fall off in a greenhouse: quickly determine the cause and effectively combat it

Falling ovaries of green tomatoes is a headache for many vegetable growers. This problem indicates a lack of plant care. What can be done to save the crop and prevent the fruit from completely falling off before ripening? Let's look into this issue.

Why do green tomatoes fall off?

Creating favorable conditions for growing tomatoes requires compliance with all rules of agricultural technology. Below we will look at the most common mistakes that gardeners make.

Improper watering

Tomatoes do not tolerate both waterlogging and moisture deficiency.. In most cases, green fruits fall off due to high humidity in the greenhouse. Excess moisture in the soil is also harmful to plants. Although they are moisture-loving, they are able to survive short periods of drought.

During active growth and flowering, insufficient watering can lead to the fall of inflorescences or young ovaries. With high humidity, green tomatoes also begin to fall off. In addition, excess moisture initiates the development of fungal diseases.

Lack of pollination

The reason why unripe tomatoes drop may be due to lack of pollination.. If tomatoes are grown in open ground, this process occurs due to beneficial insects and wind. The pollen mixes and the plant produces an ovary.

When growing a crop in a closed building, for example, in a greenhouse, tomatoes are deprived of this natural opportunity.In this case, it is necessary to open the greenhouse doors slightly so that bees and other insects can fly in. In colder times of the year, tomatoes will need to be pollinated artificially.

Important! In conditions of high humidity, pollen falls out of the inflorescences in the form of a lump. In dry air, pollen cannot form an ovary.

It's too cold in the greenhouse

Often the tomato ovary does not form due to the ambient temperature. As you know, tomatoes prefer to grow in warm conditions. If the air temperature is low, the plant will not bear fruit.

In the future, it may even die from the cold. The bush also reacts to watering with cold water. If the night temperature remains stable around +15°C and below, pollination of flowers will not occur, since the pollen will not ripen.

At the same time, there is a huge difference between the two concepts - plant development and fruiting. In order for the ovary to form on the bush and the fruit to ripen, it is necessary to ensure a temperature at night within the range of +18°C...+25°C. Otherwise, even if the fruits set, they will fall off from the cold.

It's very hot in the greenhouse

If the greenhouse is very hot, the inflorescences begin to fall off. At elevated temperatures, pollen becomes almost completely sterile. To pollinate tomatoes, it is enough to maintain the temperature within a narrow range - +20°C...+25°C. Moderate humidity and ventilation of the greenhouse space is important.

At long-term high temperatures, which exceed 30-33°C, the pollen is sterilized, after which the ovary does not form on the tomato bushes. At higher rates, the foliage begins to wither and the plant may die. Tomatoes, like humans, are susceptible to heatstroke.

Read also:

Rules for feeding tomatoes in a greenhouse

What to do to make tomatoes in a greenhouse turn red faster

Diseases and pests

A serious cause of spoilage of green tomatoes in a greenhouse The following diseases and pests become:

1. Tomato rot. Gardeners call this disease brown rot. Over time, a brown spot appears at the point where the tomato attaches to the stem. If you cut a tomato in half, you can see the brown core inside.
2. Late blight. The cause of the disease is fungal spores. A comfortable environment for their existence is high humidity and soil enriched with nitrogen compounds. They fight the disease with calcium nitrate.
3. Caterpillars, scoops. Dark gray and black caterpillars and cutworms gnaw the stem part, leaf mass and stalks of the plant. This leads to the fall of unripe tomatoes. Pest control involves removing weeds, digging up soil, and manually collecting caterpillars.

 On a note! If all the necessary conditions have been created for tomatoes in the greenhouse, but green tomatoes continue to fall off, you need to use chemicals.

Poor seed quality

When harvesting, many gardeners prefer to collect tomato seeds themselves. But the same variety does not always grow from them next year.

There is no need to save on planting material; it is better to buy selected seeds in a specialized store to guarantee a good harvest.

Besides the seeds may contain pathogens of tomato diseases - fungal spores and bacteria that accumulate in the soil and foliage of agricultural crops. Even a healthy-looking plant can contain pathogenic microorganisms.

Unfortunately, poor quality seeds can also be bought in the store. Especially if the manufacturer is little known. Such seed does not germinate well, the seedlings grow weak and get sick. On bushes, flowers form few ovaries and fall off.

Lack of sunlight

On cloudy days, when there is almost no sunlight, the ovary does not form on the tomatoes. To preserve the inflorescences on the bushes, it is recommended to spray the plant with special solutions: boric acid, growth stimulants.

Using the wrong variety/hybrid

There is a huge variety of tomatoes. All of them are classified according to basic criteria. One of them is the growing method. Some varieties are created for growing only in greenhouse conditions, others are aimed at cold regions.

Buying seeds the climatic conditions of the region must be taken into account and characteristics of the tomato variety/hybrid. Take into account their taste, yield indicators and other important parameters.

It is advisable to opt for hybrids that have good resistance to tomato diseases, temperature changes, lack of lighting or moisture. In the end, such varieties can please with excellent yield indicators even when grown in unfavorable conditions.

Fertilizer shortage

Causes of falling inflorescences and unripe tomatoesrelated to the application of mineral fertilizers:

1. Excess nitrogen compounds. The leaf mass is growing on the bush, so the plant does not have enough strength to set the ovary. It must be remembered that nitrogen can be watered only until the first inflorescences appear.
2. Lack of phosphorus.
3. The plant receives little potassium. It is extremely necessary at the time of fruiting.

At first it is very it is important to follow the fertilizing schedule with balanced fertilizers, especially during the formation of flowers and clusters of fruits. If possible, monitor the composition of the soil and conduct a chemical analysis.

Most an affordable way to effectively care for tomatoes - monitor the condition of the plants. When characteristic signs appear, feed the tomatoes with complex fertilizers, humus, and manure.

Falling leaves

In most cases the leafy mass of tomatoes begins to fall off due to violations of watering and lighting rules. The leaf blade of a plant is the main part that takes part in the process of photosynthesis.

It is in the foliage that primary organic molecules appear. Later, they form plant cells and tissues. Since there is insufficient light during photosynthesis, the leaf blade becomes unnecessary and falls off.

How to avoid color loss in tomatoes in a greenhouse

Usually, Flowers that appear on tomatoes fall off due to a lack of chemical elements in the soil. If the flowers on the tomatoes fall off, and the leaf mass has become a rich green color, it means that there are not enough micro- and macroelements in the soil.

Reference. Falling flowers are also caused by poor watering of plants and damage to roots by pests.

To save the future harvest it is necessary take action as quickly as possible:

• balance fertilizing with the addition of nitrogen, phosphorus compounds and potassium to tomatoes;
• fertilize the tomatoes with a solution of boric acid and potassium permanganate;
• ensure uniform watering in sufficient volume;
• It is better to remove small ugly fruits so that the rest of the tomatoes can fill normally.

Troubleshooting solutions

After finding the answer to the question of why green tomatoes fall off in a greenhouse, you need to understand how to deal with such problems.

Experienced gardeners advise:

1. Close doors and windows in the greenhouse at night if they were open during the day for ventilation. This will help maintain a favorable climate for tomatoes.
2. Before a sudden cold snap, it is necessary to install a heating device in the greenhouse - an electric stove or potbelly stove.
3. It is advisable to water the tomatoes with settled warm water and not use cold water from a well or watering tap. During the day you can warm the water in the sun in wooden barrels.
4. If the air temperature in the greenhouse has dropped below +15°C, you will need to additionally heat the water for watering the tomatoes. You can use batteries for daytime heating of the greenhouse.

To improve the process of ovary formation, it is recommended to use two main methods:

1. Chemical stimulants. For example, you can use methyl products, gibberellin.
2. Mechanical pollination, that is, manual shaking of flowering inflorescences. If the procedure is done once a week, this will significantly increase the number of ovaries.

Preventive measures

The problem of tomatoes falling can be avoided, if you are not lazy and devote time to prevention:

1. During tomato flowering, pollen is formed on the 7th day. Its productivity in the process of ovary formation directly depends on climatic conditions.
2. The properties of pollen depend on the level of lighting in the greenhouse and temperature conditions. With insufficient daylight, pollen quality deteriorates, which reduces the amount of ovary formation.
3. For abundant flowering and formation of tomatoes in the greenhouse, you need to maintain the set temperature.Anthers can be deformed at temperatures below +15°C. If it exceeds +32°C, the anther becomes unviable.

Conclusion

Falling of green tomatoes is an unpleasant and frequent problem. If green tomatoes fall from the bush in a greenhouse, you need to immediately look for the root cause. When caring for tomato bushes, it is important to maintain the required level of humidity and temperature and provide the plants with fertilizer in a timely manner.

With a healthy approach to solving problems, you can avoid falling flowers and achieve positive results.