Why no tomatoes? Blame the hot weather

July 26, 2011|By Robert Marin | KWCH 12 Eyewitness News

(WICHITA, Kan.) — If you are missing the tomatoes from your backyard garden, you are not alone, but experts say there is little you can do about it.

Days of triple-digit heat can take a toll on home vegetable gardens, particularly tomato plants. The plants do not like to make fruit when the daytime temperatures get above 95 and the overnight temperatures do not go below 75.

Experts at the Sedgwick County Extension Office say the heat means you will just have to wait to whip up a BLT.

"The best thing you can do is keep your plants as healthy as you can," says extension agent Rebecca McMahon. "Don't stress out when you don't have tomatoes, just keep them healthy and the next time we have a cooler spell hopefully they will set some tomatoes and we'll get some this fall".

If you do have some tomatoes growing, McMahon recommends picking them early and letting them ripen on your counter. McMahon says that will help avoid poor coloring and cracking.

While most tomato varities don't like the heat, some plants do not mind it. Experts say eggplants, okra and peppers generally tolerate heat as long as they are taken care of.

For any home garden, there are some things you can do to help the plants weather the heat. Experts say putting mulch around your plants is important, as the mulch will help hold moisture in and shade the roots. They also suggest watching how you water. McMahon says you should not water lightly every day, instead you want to give plants a good, deep soaking every two or three days. McMahon says that will help keep the soil moist deep in the ground, instead of just moistening the surface.

For more details and tips contact the Sedgwick County Extension Office at (316)660-0100 or by clicking on the link above.

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