Thank you for your comment being a beginner its probably all of them. lol I have so many questions. I'm feeding my plants with the saucer method keeping it full every day, It was my assumption the plant would take just what it needs?Ive mulched the top.Its been very sunny here in NC and living ocean front windy.As per directions Ive been giving them direct sun for at least 8 hours a day.Temps cool off to perhaps 75 to 80 with a breeze. Using Osmocote slow release 15 15 15. Nothing else added. Please comment need to learn. thanks PS Will add pics if I can figure it out at 81 computers have passed me by.

Good FAQ here on Blossom Drop that discusses the basic causes - excess nitrogen, air temps, humidity, stress from growing conditions, etc.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions/2766768/why-are-the-blooms-on-my-tomato-plant-dying-and-falling-off

and lots of discussions too on the condition:

http://www.gardenweb.com/gardenweb/query/blossom-drop/topic=tomato

As PC said, a stressed plant will drop its blossoms and/or abort any pollinated embryos. Eliminate the cause of the stress when possible and you are back in business.

Dave

That seems to be my problem. I don't know which one of the 20 problems it is. Thanks for your input Dave I will read them.

If I read the post by the OP correctly, his blossoms are dropping before even opening up. They never bloom, he says. That's a little different than classic "blossom drop", where the bloomed flowers drop. So I'll ask the OP to clarify. Are we talking about unopened flowers that drop? That might be dryness or extreme heat.

What is the "saucer method"? Is that where plants are sitting with their pots sitting in liquid?

OK, with the additional info we'd have to know the rate of Osmocote you are using to see if my first suspicion was right or not. But now that you mention the wind, that is serious and in sun can dry budding flowers out. Now I'm starting to think you are the world's most humid place after my place, on the NC Cape, and humidity has been probably 80% average over the last 2 weeks. That alone would likely cause blossom drop. Add the wind and that is probably the more likely guess at this point, the wind weakens and knocks them off with all the bending and drying. Tomatoes can be grown successfully in the shallow saucers, as long as the soil mix isn't a terrible sponge, but there are right and wrong ways to do it.

Please try to hook up a camera to the computer. If you need help doing that post it right here and we'll help you. Nothing wrong with growing tomatoes at any age, just consider the camera and computer the best tomato growing tool you can get when it comes to asking for pointers :-)

I want to warn you, the summer is going only to get tougher because your night low temps are gonna be over 75 F there on the coast. You can put zone 8b in your profile if you want.

Cheers

PC

Blossoms are dropping before even opening up. Pot sits on saucer,correct Dan. FL9a, it's a slow release formula, correct Cape Hatteras. I do the 2 inch finger test the soil is moist not wet. I think I can post. can't try today hopefully tomorrow. Thanks for your help Bill

"That's a little different than classic "blossom drop", where the bloomed flowers drop. '

Sorry to disagree but blossom drop (the condition) can include blossoms in all stages depending on the causal factor. I believe this was discussed in some of the previous discussions I linked above.

Just as a tomato blossom doesn't have to open in order to be pollinated it doesn't have to open to be affected by the conditions that cause blossom drop - especially heat and humidity.

Granted dropping open blooms is more commonly seen due to how we observe them but opening isn't required to qualify as BD. And granted there are other things that can cause blooms to fall off other than BD - thrips, high winds, birds, hail or hard rains, etc. - but BD is by far the most common cause and the place to start.

I do want to mention that leaving potted plants sitting is water or liquid of any kind is not recommended. Not only is wicking the least effective way to deliver nutrients it can create a perched water table in the container and cause root rot (which can also cause blossoms to drop).

Dave

You also have a recent thread about blossom end rot, correct? Sounds as though you should examine your watering.

Depending on the consistency of your potting mix and the size of your container, watering via a saucer at the bottom may not be delivering enough water to your plants.

People grow successfully in earthboxes and other SIPs, but they pay careful attention to their potting mix, and the containers are constructed so that wicking is more efficient and aeration still occurs.

Granted dropping open blooms is more commonly seen due to how we observe them but opening isn't required to qualify as BD.

Very insightful statement^^^. We need to recognize how our perceptions can lead to biases in our interpretations of symptoms.

Cheers

PC

Thanks Dave, for pointing out that blossom drop can be on unbloomed blossoms. Never heard of that. But it isn't common. Agreed that leaving a container sitting in a puddle of liquid in a saucer probably isn't smart. That's a recipe for root rot.

That looks more like a flower that has finished blooming and then was aborted, either because of lack of fertilization or because of stress. Or a flower that dried out/experienced stress early before fully opening. But that doesn't look like an unopened bud at all to me. To me, that pic is consistent with normal stress-related blossom drop.

Picture of a bud, the inside is brown and dead.

gorbelly, your right the bud is slightly open,it died at that point,the flower never came to full bloom.

Agree with GB. There is no way to Dx the cause from just looking at the buds or blooms. The cause of any problem is in the plant itself, the whole plant. But that pic could just as easily be one that bloomed and died normally as it could be one that never bloomed at all for some unknown reason.

It appears to have a yellow pedicle but that develops quickly as the bloom dies so it can't be used to Dx. If you have open blooms that otherwise appear healthy but have yellow pedicles then the most likely reason is insufficient nutrients or ineffective delivery of nutrients throughout the plant due to a problem with moisture delivery methods.

Dave

That's great you got the pictures! My first suspicion about fertilizer is important to cover. I had asked you to tell us the rate of use? Also, a picture of the plant if another pic isn't much trouble could be very helpful. What I am specifically looking for is the environment your plant is in to judge the amount of fertilizer used, and generally how refreshed the plant might get in the short night lower temperatures. A picture will help rule out whether it is your growing method or simply unavoidable due to the weather, and at the same time we can look for any fertilizer issues with the plant generally, which might translate into insufficient soil fertility.

Regarding the weather: This is a strong possibility for you if all else turns out well which it very well may. The last two weeks have averaged 80% humidity. Tomatoes simply can't set fruit in such high humidity, and the blossoms drop. My plants are very well fertilized and I'm in zone 9a (which a few years ago I was also considered 8b - so we are quite similar). The rain situation has been similar and I have a perfect fertilization program with stems up to 14 feet tall/long loaded with fruit and continuously being harvested. Most of my blossoms from the last two weeks look just like yours, and basically all are dropping. It is a combination of high night temperature and continuous high humidity and rain which I'm sure is my problem. It happens every summer here, this June has been terrible for that. Your weather is very similar rain and humidity-wise, not so bad for night temperature over the last few weeks, but your 2-week forecast, shows that you will catch up to us starting tonight.

Basically, in our coastal areas, if I personally get the muggy feeling of a night sweat (and need air conditioning, open window breeze, or a fan to sleep) without a few hours of none of that, the tomatoes also have problems. Not everyone gets uncomfortable at the same thermal comfort level so your mileage may vary a little.

There is a product called blossom set spray (link) at Lowes, etc., for around $5. This can help the flowers set fruit under conditions they normally may not in some cases. It can be a good option if you have nothing to show for your effort and want just to get something to hang you hat on.

Cheers

PC

FL, Osmocote slow release 15 15 15 ,tablespoons 4,for abt a 6 or 7 gallon pot. Perhaps tomorrow I can get another pic. . In my particular case would blossom set would be appropriate since the flower never opened? thank you for your interest.

In my particular case would blossom set would be appropriate since the flower never opened?

A very good question, and one I hoped not to have to answer :-) I don't know. The point is some flowers do better than others and when you are on the borderline, this can make a difference. In other words, I never count my chickens before they hatch.

We need to know what variety as the pots are on the small side and I want to know if the flowers can be fertile before opening fully. With the humidity and rain, I am not assuming your flower didn't try to open and considering you overlooked that. Do the saucers catch all the leachate, or during these rains, have they flushed the soil of fertilizer and overflowed out of the saucer (if the plants are exposed)?

Osmocote 15-15-15, I am not familiar with that one... is it 14-14-14 or 15-9-12 by chance? Four tablespoons, when? It doesn't sound like much, not enough actually, so let's unravel this - if you tell me 2-3 months ago, I'll tell you your plant is running on empty and it is past time to add a soluble fertilizer supplement. How much soil in the pot, full, 3/4, or half ... here is when a picture is worth the time, as the pots may be small in relation to the plants.

Cheers

PC

IME Blossom set does not fix the reasons that cause blossom drop. Can you post a pic of the entire plant? Or Plants, incl. the pot. How many plants are affected?

I am beginning to wonder if over watering is causing your problem.

You do say the plants are getting 8 hrs of direct sunlight? Cuz lack of adequate sun will also cause BD. Are they getting too hot?

Suffice it to say that mama is not happy and feels she can't take care of the babies, so she lets them go.

(CT it says Z5) I believe you are right .I changed the way I was watering.Up to today I was adding water to the saucer every time it was low, in my endeavor to improve. I stopped doing the the 2 finger test in the soil. I'm going to let the plants dry out a little and go back to the proven method, beginners mistake.FL9 Osmocote 14 14 14 when the plants were started abt 6 weeks old.

Osmocote 14 14 14 when the plants were started abt 6 weeks old"

4 Tablespoons of 14-14-14, how long has it been? Get some soluble fertilizer, for a quick fix and periodic supplementation, the warm rains have probably left you with very little fertilizer in there, and certainly you need more. The coming night heat is going to cause stress, and now is the time to correct ASAP if you're to be successful. Picture, hopefully ...

Cheers

PC

FL9 what would recommend, at this point I don't want to screw up again. Any specific instructions with it?

Depends if you want to use more Osmocote or rely on the soluble fertilizer only. At this point really you should do soluble only in those pots for a few reasons. Can you get hold of Miracle Gro Tomato fertilizer or do you already have any MG plant food? Lowes, Walmart and Home Depot have it. Comes in 1 1/2 lbs and 5 lbs. You probably don't need the bigger one but it's a better deal if you will do more tomatoes. Use it right away, a week later, and every two weeks thereafter if you want a ballpark of how it's used.

Cheers

PC

Thanks FL I'll get right on it.

Flowers dropping before even fully developing is a clear case of weak plant.

Are the flower trusses kinda small and close to the top of the plant? Is the stem near the top thin, and top leaves kinda growing upwards? If yes, you have a weak plant.

Solution: water in the evening, fertilize, add boron.

Thank you, fungus I don't see any of those symptoms. For some reason which I'm not quite sure of, my plant is beginning to develop tomatoes. Some of the things I did, moved it to a shadier spot ,stooped watering it for a while, took out of the wind, prayed to the tomato God.Take your pick.Just as a safety precaution I'm going ahead with FLs advice and get some Miracle Grow to cover all the bases . To all the people that contributed to this question thank you. It was an enlightening experience.