When growing tomatoes, you can encounter a lot of difficulties, since the crop is quite demanding in terms of care and growing conditions. One of the most common problems is flower drop, which leads to crop loss. To avoid negative consequences, it is necessary to take timely measures to eliminate existing errors in growing plants.
High air humidity
When air humidity is high, pollen begins to stick together and does not reach the pistil. Most often, this problem occurs when growing tomatoes in a greenhouse. To prevent crop loss, it is necessary to bring the air humidity back to normal. Experienced gardeners recommend a figure of 50–60%.
To achieve the desired indicators, perform the following actions:
- timely ventilation of the greenhouse;
- mulching the beds, which prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil;
- Watering is carried out in the morning so that by evening the soil has time to dry.
Pollen clumping can be easily prevented by establishing air circulation in the greenhouse, in which case the possibility of excess humidity formation is eliminated.
Pollen sterility
Too high a temperature, which is maintained in a greenhouse or greenhouse, leads to sterilization of pollen, and it ceases to perform its main function. Shedding of flowers is observed at temperatures above 35 degrees.
This problem can be solved with frequent ventilation. Experienced gardeners also recommend shading the sunny side using special materials. These include white non-woven material and blackout mesh. You can purchase them at a specialty store.
Irregular structure of the pistil
It often happens that in tomatoes the stigma of the pistil is longer than the stamens, which is why pollen does not fall on the stigma and pollination does not occur correctly.
Such flower deformations are most often associated with waterlogging of the soil, its high acidity or salinity. You can solve the problem using the following methods:
- frequent ventilation;
- reducing the number of waterings;
- surface feeding with dolomite or slaked lime;
- In the evening, mechanical pollination can be carried out. To do this, the plant is gently shaken so that the pollen gets onto the stigma;
- You can add bees or bumblebees to the greenhouse to help with pollination. This method is the most labor-intensive.
Nutrient deficiencies
If the plant lacks potassium or phosphorus, then, in addition to the flowers falling off, you can observe a yellowed peduncle. In this case there may also be an excess of nitrogen. Phosphorus is not absorbed at air temperatures below 12 degrees. Therefore, a deficiency of an element may be associated with unfavorable weather conditions.
Also, a lack of substances may be associated with improper planting and care. Phosphorus fertilizers are applied to the hole during planting. Fertilizing with potassium fertilizers is carried out at the beginning of flowering.
To correct the current situation, you need to apply the necessary fertilizing and balance the composition of the soil.If brown spots appear on the edges of the sepals, this means that the plant lacks manganese or boron. In this case, using boric acid during watering is a good idea.
Lack of moisture
Often flowers begin to dry out and crumble when the plant lacks moisture. To save the crop, it is necessary to water according to a schedule, while increasing the amount of water used per tomato. It is important not to overdo it, as excess moisture will lead to rotting of the roots.
Gardeners recommend using warm, settled water for irrigation. In this case, the nutrients are absorbed faster.
Lots of foliage
If the tomato bush is formed incorrectly, the plant will have a lot of excess green mass and shoots. In this case, most of the plant’s energy will be spent on maintaining the branches and foliage, while fruiting will fade into the background and flowers will begin to fall off.
To avoid such consequences, it is necessary to carry out pruning in time:
- The foliage in the lower part of the bush must be removed;
- excess stepsons are trimmed in a timely manner;
- if the plant becomes too dense, the foliage must be removed in a timely manner.
Diseases and pests
At high humidity or low temperatures, bacterial diseases begin to develop on the plant. The main symptom is brown spots on the foliage. If left untreated, the bacteria spread to the flowers, which subsequently begin to fall off. To combat diseases, follow the following recommendations:
- infected parts of the tomato must be removed and disposed of;
- the bushes are treated with special preparations or yeast infusion;
- To prevent the growth of bacteria, it is necessary to mulch the soil.
The following pests can cause flowers to fall off:
- mole cricket - injures the roots of the plant. Frequent loosening of the soil is used as a control;
- wireworm - damages the lower part of the tomato, which is why it begins to dry out and crumble. You can get rid of pests by using special preparations;
- whiteflies - you can get rid of butterflies using traps or spraying with preparations.
Prevention of flower shedding
To avoid shedding of flowers and get a good harvest of tomatoes, it is recommended to adhere to preventive measures:
- It is necessary to monitor the temperature of the air and soil, avoiding hypothermia or overheating.
- Regular ventilation of the greenhouse or greenhouse is very important.
- Watering should be carried out according to schedule. Excessive moisture and drought are not allowed.
- The soil for tomatoes should be rich in useful microelements. Particularly important are potassium and phosphorus, which are added during planting and at the beginning of the formation of ovaries.
- All damaged leaves are removed. It is also important to carry out pinching and preventative pruning of foliage in a timely manner.
If your tomatoes begin to lose flowers, this could be a sign of a variety of problems. It is very important to correctly determine the cause of shedding and begin rehabilitation measures as soon as possible. With careful attention to plants, you can get a good harvest of tomatoes, despite temporary difficulties.
