I think a plant is less likely to have fruitset if weather conditions aren't ideal. Ie over 95 degrees will hinder most fruit set. I wouldn't be surprised if you have fruitset soon if the weather is cooler.
I think I had fruit set around 3 weeks after plant out date on my cherries first. We had some hot temps but not in 100 more like in 90s. I got a lot more fruitset when temps dropped to mid 70-80 range

Based on subtracting tomato developmental rate from DTMs on seed packs you should have your first set of fruiting flowers about 25 days after planting if you set out a realatively small seedling (6"-8" tall), and the weather has been good. If you set out older seedlings they could be in flower much sooner, and if conditions are not optimal (too much nitrogen, cool wet weather etc) the plant may resist flowering even when old enough, and if too hot flowers will abort.

Hi - I think I planted the same day as you (in southern Indiana) and my plants that were older when planted are about 3' tall with substantial fruitset and the younger seedlings are just now flowering. I've only hit them with Miracle Grow once since planting out (it's rained a lot here). It's been an average of about 70 here since planted.

It sounds like your high temps are the issue...

Early May would be a very late planting date for your area so it may be difficult for the plants to cope with the weather. Check out the FAQ here on Blossom Drop as it explains in detail the effects of air temps and humidity on fruit set and the lack of it.

In your zone earlier planting will get you fruit set before the weather becomes a problem.

Dave

I had heard to pinch flowers off for the first two weeks after planting and I did that, did I damage the plants?
Thanks!
*****

Pinching off blossoms after the plants are out won't damage the plant but it will delay everything b'c you then have to wait until the next blossom cycle, etc., which is about three weeks.

But seeing you're in Sacramento I agree that your plants should have been set out several months ago to avoid the high very temps of summer that does lead to blossom drop as was mentioned above.

I will take off any blossoms before the plants are set out, but not after that.

Carolyn

While I agree that May temps get to be a problem for fruit set, I don't think planting several months earlier is a solution for me , since we don't usually hit night time temps of 55 until May 1st. BUT! This year we ( Sacto valley) have had many days below 90 in May, and I am hopeful! I put my plants out when you did, and have maybe three or four little fruit peeking out from beneath their yellow "skirts"!

45 degree night time temps are fine for transplanting. No real need to wait for 55 degree nights to transplant.

Dave

Okay. Still, mine seem to sulk before 55, and even when I put some out before, even with WOW, the ones I put in after seem to do better. Also, I was under the impression you needed 55 at night to set fruit, so flowers after that and before days above 90, seem like the sweet spot for me. 0TOH, what do I know? I'd almost given up until THIS is year.

I know "we" grow a lot of tomatoes around here, so can it really be this tricky? The Sacramento Valley seems to be unique in some ways.

Here is a link that might be useful: Too early yet for Early Girls, tomato grower cautions

I put mine out when it was in 40 and they did fine. I am in 50s now and they are really taking off.

^Loved your blog! I'm growing Marvel Stripe too, first time, from Morningsun. They are beautiful plants! Put them in mothers day. Sounds like my fruit are about the same size!

For what it's worth, I was putting my tomatoes out in early March when I lived in Bakersfield. A little warmer there than Sac, but not by too much.

I imagine your plants will set fruit soon. Most of my plants were not phased and would bear tomatoes through most of the summer in Bako as long as I kept them well mulched and watered.

Here in the Boise area, I put my tomatoes out about 3 weeks ago and pretty much everything has set fruit, including Isis candy, red currant, Stupice and Earl's Faux, but I started the plants indoors March 1 and babied them so they were quite far along before they went in the ground.

Although your plants may appear to be sulking and not doing much when you set them out early, there is stuff going on underground that you can't see - i.e. they are establishing their root system in the garden soil, which will help them take off quickly when the temps come up to their liking. Also, hardening them off thoroughly will help, if you are not already doing so.

I know this may differ from yard to yard but my toms were setting fruit with nights in the high 30's low 40's and day temps in the 50's to low 60's with very little blossom drop. A few of them came out catfaced and a few have green shoulders but i'd rather have them ripe in late June than wait till mid July or early August.

Also, I was under the impression you needed 55 at night to set fruit,

Bit of a misunderstanding. :) There is a RANGE of fruit-set air temps, not any absolutes. And it is soil temp, not air temp, that determines if your plants sit and sulk or not.

First, transplant dates and fruit set dates are 2 different issues. Planting out earlier, even with 45 degree nights, allows for root development, quicker growth and development of the plants so no, you don't need 55 degree nights to transplant. Soil temps of 50 allow for root growth and plant development. Air temps of anything from 55-95 +/- 5 degrees over a 24 hour period can allow for fruit set.

Sure, if you get nothing but 50 degree nights and 55 degree days then fruit set may be delayed. But 45-50 degree nights with 65-70 degree days, which is quite common, easily allows for viable pollen and fruit set.

It is the RANGE of temps over the 24 hour period that counts for fruit set, not the temp at any specific time of day. The humidity levels also plays a huge role not just temp.

So no it isn't really that tricky. ;) We are back to planting much earlier that the 1st of May in your zone to allow for plant development and then it will be ready to bloom and set fruit as the range of air temps allow.

Dave

Well it FEEL's tricky, at least with some varieties, and in my yard. Is it possible that the range applies to tomatoes in general, but that certain varieties are picky? And I realize the sulking and fruit set are a function of different factors, but the original question was how long between planting and fruit set, and it seemed to me that putting mid to late season varieties in several months before the first week of May (i.e. February?) did not seem to make a difference in fruit set . I've started seeds as early as January, used raised beds with various soil mixes, used WOW and water jugs, measuring soil, ambient temps, and temps near the wow for side by side comparisons. kept diligent records about highs and lows and fruit set of various varieties in my own yard. I Do think it works for Stupice, Sun Gold, and Big Beef. Never tried other earlier or hybrids, but I bet it works far them too.But like I said, after 15 years, I've almost given up. Maybe these are factors specific to MY yard, but the UC Davis as folks seem to feel the some way. Anyway, to the OP, the consensus seems to be start earlier next time, but don't feel too badly about this year, since a lot of folks around here are doing the same thing.

OK , I promise to drop it after this. Here's a great chart for the Sacramento area from the ag folks at nearby UC Davis. Says late March, April transplant, which seems right to me too. I think we'll get away with early May this year....

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed, transplant, harvest chart for Sacramento

Hi nanelle. Thanks for checking out my blog. I am looking forward to seeing what the marvel stripe produces as it is one of my biggest plants. I coubted 6 today on it btu did not look too closely so it could have been more.

Some plants take 55 to 60 days others take 70 to 85 days. It depends on the variety. Look for something called "days to maturity" on your seed pack.

Thanks for all your responses.

I was starting to worry this year was going to be a total bust (it still could). Anyway, yesterday upon close inspection I noticed some little tomatoes on my Red Currant and also my Super Snow White. And lots of new flowers forming on my other plants. Next year I will try planting earlier. I had my plants but held off planting because of a cold rainy spell we had the end/beginning of April/May

Ciao all-

My mother lives in Paradise and she's just now hardening off her tomatoes for transplanting. She's at some elevation compared to Sacramento, but she is getting the same intense heat during the day now. Should she plant earlier and just protect the plants for the lower overnight temps?

We've had wet, cool summers in MA for the past few years. However, with some TLC and rearranging to the containers, my plants did well. Most of the stores around here didn't start selling plants until 3 weeks ago, and I didn't get my garden going until last week. Unfortunately, no sooner did I get them in, we had yet another night of frost. Lightly covered the plants with a tarp to stave off the cold air, and the plants were fine!

Here in the Chicago burbs, I planted the first weekend in May, which might have been pushing it. I just got my first four tiny tomatoes show up on my cherry tomato plant. The weather has been weird - cold, rainy, hot, dry, hot rainy, cold rainy, hot rainy... you get the idea. :)