Ever wonder whether tomatoes feel sad as we call them fruit, but they do not have a place in the fruit salad. Even tomato sauce is ketchup, not smoothies. Don’t think me a weirdo! Let’s discuss about growing tomato.
When do tomato plants produce fruit?
Tomato plants need 50-100 days to grow tomatoes. To grow from seed, you will need 70-120 days to grow tomatoes. There are wide varieties and species of tomatoes. But they like temperatures between 24 degrees to 30 degrees C. Plant them in early spring for the best result.
Tomatoes grow in the warm season and only grow once a year. The best time to grow tomatoes is in the spring, when there is no chance of frost. When you plant tomatoes in the spring, they get the whole spring and summer to grow and produce fruits.
Tomatoes need bright sunlight and fertile soil for their optimum growth. There are a lot of things you should know before buying tomato plants and seeds. This article will give you a clear idea about getting a good harvest from tomato plants and how to do it.
So, when do tomato plants produce fruit? There are many different species of tomatoes, and the production also depends on the weather conditions. But generally, you will need 2-3 months to get tomatoes from the plants.
Tomato plants start blooming within 3-4 weeks. You can even get small tomato plants that are blooming in the nursery. But you should not keep those young flowers when you buy those plants. In the early stage of their life, they should focus on growing more vines.
If you want to produce tomatoes from the seeds, you will need an extra 25 days to get the harvest. So, start early if you plan to grow the tomato plants from seeds. Note that if the temperature is cold, you will need extra two weeks for the harvest.
You can also plant tomato plants from cuttings. Propagated tomato plants will need 50-65 days to start growing tomatoes.
There are other things to consider, like the species of the tomato, hybrid or pure breed, and the color of the tomato. You can choose them depending on what you want to do with your tomatoes.
We will discuss more on the topic. Now let’s discuss two tomato species that can be an excellent fit for your home garden.
Cherry tomato plant:
Cherry tomato plants have a bushy appearance, so you should provide more space for them than usual. They need soil with a sound drainage system. They thrive when the soil ph is around 6.2, and they get about six hours of direct sunlight.
Smaller tomatoes usually take less time to grow. You can get cherry tomatoes in 60 days on average.
Roma tomato plant:
Roma tomatoes are also a popular type of tomato for home gardens. They are distinguishable for their unique shape. They have fewer seeds and good texture, making them suitable for tomato sauce.
They need soil with high organic matter and a sound drainage system. Tomato plants love weekly deep watering.
Roma tomatoes need about 60-70 days to grow in optimum conditions. Cold weather can delay the harvest.
Things to know about tomato plant fruiting:
Like all plants, tomatoes have optimum conditions for their best growth. The topic is so vast that you can do a Ph.D. on just tomatoes.
But as a grower, there are only a few things you should take care of to get the most tomatoes from your tomato plants. Here are some important things you know before starting to plan the tomatoes.
The months of the year when tomato plants produce fruit:
There is no specific month when tomato plants will produce fruit. They produce fruit in warm conditions. That is spring and summer. But the tomato trees cannot grow in the winter. So, to get fruit from tomato plants, you will have to plant them when the temperature rises.
Tomato production time depends on a few main factors. If you plant tomatoes in the early spring, you will start getting the tomatoes in the late spring.
If you plant them in the late spring, the tomato plants will start growing tomatoes in the middle of the summer. Early spring is the best time for growing tomatoes as the plant gets more time to grow.
Frequency of tomato production each year:
Tomatoes are seasonal fruits, and we designed them to produce fruit in one season. Tomato plants grow and produce fruit in warm conditions. Once you get all your seasonal tomatoes, you will have to remove the plant for the next crop.
However, tomato plants can produce tomatoes in the following years too. Some modified species provide tomatoes that can produce fruits anytime when the weather is not so cold. You can choose to get those if you are into gardening hobbies and love to see the fruits growing.
But if you prioritize the production, you should choose the regular ways. Hybrid tomato plants have multiple good traits and a reasonable production rate. But they are expensive. Pure breed tomato plants have wide varieties and are relatively cheap.
Amount of tomatoes produced from a tree each season:
A tomato plant can produce about 20-90 tomatoes in one season. Tomato species that provide big tomatoes are prone to grow less in season.
Small tomatoes grow in large numbers in a plant. The production also depends a lot on the soil and environmental conditions. In the following sections, we will discuss them in more detail.
What causes a tomato plant not to bear fruit?
We understand how it feels when you grow tomatoes with a lot of care but do not get the tomatoes. There are some main reasons for tomato plants not producing tomatoes. Read the following points to explain why tomato plants do not bear fruit.
Pollinators:
Tomato plants need pollinators to turn the flowers into fruits. Pollinators are tiny animals that transfer pollen from one flower to another.
Typically, you will not have to do anything about the pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and insects will visit your garden and do the pollinator’s job for free.
But you will notice a significant fruit production decline if insufficient pollinators exist. The use of pesticides during the blooming time can highly affect pollination. So, do not rely heavily on pesticides and don’t apply them while the flowers bloom.
Too high or low temperature:
Warm temperature suits tomato plants, but too high can affect tomato production. If the temperature exceeds 30 degrees C, you may get less fruit than expected.
Tomato plants can not grow in too cold temperatures. If the night temperature exceeds 55 degrees F, tomato production will drop significantly.
Nutrition and fertilizer:
Tomato plants need rich soil with high organic matter. Good quality organic matter is required if you want to promote their growth.
Potassium is also a critical mineral that has a significant role in turning flowers into fruits. So if your soil is low on potassium, it will negatively affect fruit production.
Tips for encouraging fruiting on tomato plants:
Tomatoes are easy to grow. Therefore, you don’t need to follow many rules to encourage their growth. Here are some of the tips that can enhance tomato production.
- Plant the tomato plants in the early spring, so the tomato plant gets the most time to produce fruits.
- If the lowest daily temperature rises above 55 degrees F, you can start planting the tomato plants. Take more care of the young plants. The plants will be more stable when they grow up.
- Plant the tomato trees deeper into the soil. Planting them deep can enhance their root system. Stable roots are essential for plants’ optimum growth.
- Ensure the plants get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.
- Tomato trees grow better in slightly acidic soil. Make sure the soil is rich enough to support its growth.
- Water the tomato deeply once a week. Ensure the water is draining well.
- Phosphorus is an essential fertilizer mineral for tomato plants. So, apply some phosphorus fertilizer to your tomato plants.
- Add mulch to the ground. Mulch will help to keep the moisture and temperature in the soil.
- Prune the yellowish and lower tomato leaves. It will help the tree focus on the young leaves and keep them safe from fungus.
- Add some support to the tomato plants, but ensure you are not damaging the roots. If the tomatoes touch the ground, they will be invaded by more pests.
Final thoughts
Tomato plants produce fruits depending on when you plant them. If the condition is suitable, they will produce fruits within 2-3 months. Growing tomatoes from seeds can take more time, so start early in the spring if you want to use seeds. Tomatoes will take more time to grow in colder temperatures.