It is always very disappointing when we face problems with our tomatoes, isn’t it? Yellowing leaves are not the only sign what the tomato plant can give us when there is something that is stressing it. Sometimes the green tomatoes can be falling off the plant before ripening, while they are green.
You might think that it has no explanation, however, there can be several reasons why is this happening.
Temperature shock can be one of the reasons, then you should think about your watering style, or maybe it is nutrient deficiency. Some pests and diseases can also cause green cherry tomatoes to fall off, so you should check your plant for these.
Or sometimes there is nothing to worry about, or to control. Sometimes the weather can be blamed, as the strong winds could just shake off the plant the little cherry tomatoes.
Whatever the issue is, if unsolved, your cherry tomato plant can suffer and struggle, and you will end up with less yield or dying tomato plants.
Green Cherry Tomatoes Dropping off
Cherry tomatoes, and not only, sometimes can fall off the plant before ripe. This can happen for several reasons.
This article will present a few of the reasons that can cause green cherry tomatoes to drop off.
Temperature Shock
The ideal temperature for tomato plants is 65° to 85°F/18° to 29°C in the daytime and 60° to 70°F/ 16° to 21°C at night.
If the temperatures are below or above this range then the tomatoes can suffer and get a temperature shock.
When the weather is too hot and the tomato plants don’t like it, you can also observe dropping flowers and wilted or even dry leaves.
If the temperatures go below 55°F/ 13°C, your tomato plants will get cold and can suffer as well. This will be unable to produce enough energy via photosynthesis; therefore, the growth will be stunted and the fruits will be dropped.
Luckily, for this problem, we have the solution. You cannot control the temperatures when your plants are outdoors, but you can protect your tomato plants from extreme temperatures to damage them.
If the temperatures are too hot, you can use a shade cloth to filter the sunlight. This will reduce the temperature of your tomato plants.
When the temperatures are lower, you can use a row cover that will protect your plants from getting cold. Or, if you have more space in your garden, building a greenhouse can be a great idea as well.
The easiest way of preventing temperature shock is to choose a tomato variety that is suitable for your climate. Not all varieties are doing good in all the climates. For example, a tomato type that is happy to grow in Alaska, will not support the heat of Hawaii.
Pest Problems
There are few kinds of pests that can attack your tomato plants and can lead to problems.
One of the most common pest problems gardeners face, is the aphids attacking the plant. These are little green, white, red, pink or black bugs, which spread very quickly and feed on sap from the new shoots.
It is not difficult to get rid of aphids, but you have to do it as soon as you observe them. Because they multiply quickly, with their large number they can harm your tomato plants and can attack other plants in your garden.
If you want to prevent them, you can plant companion plants around the tomato plants, like marigold, basil, garlic or amaranth.
Disease
Viral diseases such as tobacco mosaic virus or cucumber mosaic virus can cause leaf curling, deformed or spotted fruits, stunted plant and blossom and fruit drop.
These viruses can penetrate the plant through mechanical wounds, infected seeds and can be carried infected tools and hand.
The tobacco mosaic virus can even be carried by a person who smokes and touches the tomatoes with unwashed hands.
Unfortunately, there is no treatment for this. You should remove all the affected branches, fruits and/or plants, and throw them out of your garden, as this can spread on other plants as well.
You should also use pesticides because pests can also carry these viruses from one plant to another.
Watering
Inadequate watering can cause your green cherry tomatoes to fall off. Too much or too little water is stressing the tomato plants and this can produce other symptoms as well.
If the soil is too dry, and you are not watering it sufficiently, the plant will suffer because it is unable to absorb enough nutrients. This will drop some of its fruits because it cannot produce enough energy to ripe all of them.
Too much water will also affect the tomato plant. This can cause root rot, and again, the plant will have no energy to keep all the fruits; therefore this will drop them.
Ensure consistent watering, as tomatoes like wet soil, but not soggy. Always water in the early morning, so the water has enough time to sink into the soil and get to the roots.
Watering close to the soil and avoiding the leaves from getting wet will prevent other problems like fungi.
Nutrient Deficiency
Nutrient deficiency will cause problems to your tomato plants as well. If the cherry tomato is lacking in nutrients this will be unable to support all the tomato fruits and will drop some of them.
But green cherry tomatoes falling off the plant is not the only sign of this problem. Yellow leaves are another sign of nutrient deficiency.
If the bottom leaves, which are the oldest, turn yellow, it means there is a lack of magnesium. The top leaves turning yellow can indicate a lack of iron.
When your cherry tomato fruits are turning black, it means they suffer from blossom end rot, which is caused by calcium deficiency.
Adding fertilizing to the soil can help, however, you should avoid overfertilizing.
To avoid nutrition deficiency, you can rotate your plants in your garden. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, so it helps if you plant them every year in another spot of your garden. But if you grow them in containers, you should change the soil every year.
Weather
Sometimes, your green cherry tomatoes can fall off because of bad weather. Unfortunately, you cannot really do anything about it.
If the wind is too strong, this can shake the green cherry tomatoes off of the plant. Sometimes the hail can be a problem because this can cause many problems not only to the fruits but the whole plant as well.
Unless you can change the weather, you can only protect your cherry tomato plants. You can protect your plants from extreme weather the same way how you would protect them from the sun or frost.
Wrap Up
Seeing your green cherry tomatoes falling off the plant can be daunting and disappointing.
But remember, we all face some problems in our garden at a certain point. However, you can always prevent them, or solve them.
If you are paying attention enough to your plants’ symptoms and signs, then you will not have green tomatoes which are dropping off. Remember to water adequately and fertilize your plants whenever they need it.
Checking the weather regularly will also help because you can get prepared for extreme weather.