Heat Stops Tomatoes from Setting Fruit

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. 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 large enough to notice that something is wrong and an additional week before tomatoes are full size and ready to start ripening.

Though there are “heat-set” 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.