Temperatures that remain above 75 degrees F at night and day temperatures above 95 degrees F with dry, hot winds will cause poor fruit set on tomatoes though cherry tomatoes seem to be more heat tolerant than slicers. High temperatures interfere with pollen viability and/or cause excessive style growth leading to a lack of pollination.
It usually takes about 3 weeks for tomato flowers to develop into fruit about the size of golf balls. Growth then becomes more rapid with the mature size being reached in an additional three to six weeks. A few more days are then needed to change color.
Though there are "heat-set" slicing tomatoes such as Florida 91, Sun Leaper and Sun Master that will set fruit at higher temperatures, that difference is normally only 2 to 3 degrees. Cooler temperatures will allow flowers to resume fruit set. (Ward Upham)
It usually takes about 3 weeks for tomato flowers to develop into fruit about the size of golf balls. Growth then becomes more rapid with the mature size being reached in an additional three to six weeks. A few more days are then needed to change color.
Though there are "heat-set" slicing tomatoes such as Florida 91, Sun Leaper and Sun Master that will set fruit at higher temperatures, that difference is normally only 2 to 3 degrees. Cooler temperatures will allow flowers to resume fruit set. (Ward Upham)
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