Building a food secured Africa
We all know how important leaves are to every plant, in this case, tomato plants. Like there’s no denying they do a lot of work from photosynthesis for food to respiration via the stomata etc. But then as much as they are so important, no tomato farmer wants to see just blooming leaves all around the farm and no flowers right?
I mean, after all the hard work and at the time you expect to see flowers for fruits, you see just leaves; that’s going to be quite disappointing. So the big question is ‘Why are my tomato plants producing all leaves and no flowers?’. Is this normal with tomato plants?
Well, this is a common occurrence and is caused by many factors but before we go into the causes you have to take note of these:
Tomato varieties produce leaves and flowers at different times. Some may produce flowers right about the same time with leaves while others don’t. But typically you should start seeing flowers about 4-5 weeks after planting.
So then, if there are leaves and no flowers forthcoming, these are the possible reasons:
EXCESS NITROGEN IN THE SOIL:
Nitrogen encourages the growth and development of green leaves but not flowers. Excess nitrogen in the soil probably from the application of nitrogen rich fertilizers only means more green leaves and stem growth for the tomato plant. Which is at the expense of flowers production.
You can do a soil test to be certain your problem is excess nitrogen. But in most cases where the leaves are blooming and producing even more leaves, excess nitrogen might just be it.
Solution: To fix this, try applying the fertilizers or supplements phosphorus and then pottasium (alum) to the soil which boosts flowering and fruiting respectively. These supplements can be purchased at agro shops.
At this stage it is advised that you get NPK fertilizers with 5-10-10. You can also mulch the beds with dried woods or saw dust. They are known to sap nitrogen from the soil as they degrade.
HIGH TEMPERATURES:
Temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (you know that warm-cool weather) are ideal for tomato growth. In a case where the temperature is not very suitable, let’s say a very high temperature, tomato plants tend to stop flowering and producing fruits.
This is just a survival mechanism; an act of self-preservation in which the organism attempts to conserve water and energy.
Solution: If a high temperature is the problem then you don’t have much to worry about. This is only temporal. In the time being you can simply hydrate the plants. Put up shades that reduces the heat intensity but still has access to the sun light.
PEST AND DISEASES:
Pests and diseases are usually the first point of suspicion when there is a problem with flowering. This is because we all know that pests will always go for the most crucial part of a plant at that moment.
Thrips for example tend to sap the juice off flowers causing them to fall off prematurely. As for diseases, they tend to affect both the leaves and also the flowers.
When you notice lack of flowers on your tomato farm, try looking out for the presence of diseases and pests around your farm to help act accordingly
Solution: Apply the appropriate pesticides for pests infestation and fungicides or disease control applications to prevent further damage to your tomato plants.
Another step you have to take is to make sure you weed within and around your farm. Just in case you don’t know; weeds and bushes harbor pests and diseases. Leaving them to grow around your farm means inviting the problems- pests and diseases to you farm.