What to Do About Flower and Fruit Drop in Cherry Tomatoes? Cause Analysis and Prevention Methods
Cherry tomatoes are often called small tomatoes. The plant can grow up to 2 m tall. The fruit has the effects of promoting salivation and quenching thirst, strengthening the stomach and aiding digestion, clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling the blood and calming the liver, nourishing and enriching the blood, and increasing appetite. During the cultivation of cherry tomatoes, flower and fruit drop can occur. How to prevent and control flower and fruit drop in cherry tomatoes is a problem that many fruit growers worry about. Below, let's learn together about the causes and prevention methods of flower and fruit drop in cherry tomatoes.
I. Causes of Flower and Fruit Drop in Cherry Tomatoes
1. Insufficient light
The growth of cherry tomatoes requires sufficient light. If there is long-term rainy weather, it will cause poor development of cherry tomatoes, thereby affecting their growth, and all of these can cause flower and fruit drop in cherry tomatoes. However, attention should also be paid to the light intensity at noon in summer to avoid sunscald. Shade nets should be used for shading to reduce light intensity, which is beneficial for fruit retention.
2. Excessive watering
Flowering and fruiting in cherry tomatoes occur continuously. After entering their flowering period, special attention must be paid to watering. Watering should follow the principle of not watering if the soil is not dry, and watering thoroughly when watering. Soil that is too wet will lead to pests, diseases, and root rot, and this can very easily cause flower and fruit drop.
3. Unsuitable temperature
Temperatures that are too high or too low can both lead to defects in the floral organs, thereby causing flower and fruit drop. When the nighttime temperature for cherry tomatoes is below 15°C or above 22°C, or when the daytime temperature is above 35°C, a large amount of flower drop will occur. Throughout the entire growth period, daytime temperatures above 32°C or below 12°C, and nighttime temperatures above 20°C or below 12°C, will cause flower and fruit drop.
4. Boron deficiency
The element boron plays an extremely important role in the growth of cherry tomatoes. It can effectively promote pollen germination in cherry tomatoes, stimulate pollen tube germination, stimulate pollen tube elongation, and improve the fruit-setting rate. Boron deficiency can also cause a large amount of flower and fruit drop in tomatoes, so during the flowering period, attention should be paid to supplementing boron fertilizer through foliar spraying.
II. Prevention and Control Methods
1. Starting from the seedling stage of cherry tomatoes, it is necessary to cultivate strong seedlings to increase the stress resistance and disease resistance of cherry tomatoes.
2. During the growth period of cherry tomatoes, spray potassium fertilizer and pay attention to the application rate of nitrogen fertilizer to avoid excessive vegetative growth of the plants, which would make vegetative growth stronger than reproductive growth. At the same time, attention should also be paid to watering and to good fertilizer and water management.
3. The main pests and diseases of cherry tomatoes are early blight, gray mold, and viral diseases. Preventive measures should be taken in advance.
The above introduction to the causes and prevention methods of flower and fruit drop in cherry tomatoes is hoped to be helpful to you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.