In article ,
"Suzanne" wrote:

This happened with my Green Zebras last year, and is happening with my Paul
Robesons this year. Tons of big fluffy yellow flowers, and then nothing.
Just little dried bits where the flowers used to be. Not a single fruit.

I live in southern Utah, zone 7 or 8. Daytime temps are currently around
90-100F. Direct sunshine during most of the daylight hours. The tomatoes
are planted in raised beds with a mix of my native clay soil and some
commercial potting soil. I water them fairly deeply every three days or so.
I gently tap the plants every few days to help pollinate the flowers. I
have applied no fertilizers to the plants, but they have a thin layer of
dead grass (cut after it was dead) as mulch underneath. They are planted in
the same bed as beans (there were no beads in the Green Zebra bed last year,
though).

Other varieties of tomatoes seem to be fruiting okay, in similar growing
conditions.

Can someone tell me what is going on, and if there is a way to get them to
fruit?
--S.

It's probably too hot for them. Optimum fruit set occurs with a night
temperature range between 60 - 70 degrees F. The plants need the rest
from the heat of the day. How hot is it there at night?

If it's too dry then the pollen might not be sticky enough. You might
need to spray the foliage with water during the day to help the plants
along.

You can also try to help things along by shaking your tomato plants to
help distribute the pollen yourself.

marcella