Home » Blog » Tomatoes Not…Tomato-ing? You’re Not Alone. Tomatoes Not…Tomato-ing? You’re Not Alone. July 18, 2025 Seasonal, Vegetables If your tomato plants are looking more “meh” than “marvelous” this year—just sitting there, not flowering, not fruiting, just… existing—you’re definitely not alone. Our beloved backyard tomatoes are throwing a bit of a fit—and honestly, who can blame them? Rochester’s weather has been doing the gardening equivalent of slamming on the brakes, then flooring it. Not exactly ideal for tomato greatness. Let’s rewind for a second. We started the season with a cold, wet spring—basically the opposite of tomato heaven. Tomatoes love warm soil and sunshine, not soggy roots and chilly air. This delayed planting, slowed growth, and left many gardeners staring at tiny, sad seedlings wondering if summer would ever show up. No sun, no warmth, no thanks. Then, BAM! Tomatoes went from chill to grill overnight. Hello, heatwave! We went from needing jackets to watering our gardens with sweat, baking in the dry, scorching heat with no rain in sight. Tomatoes like heat, sure, but even they have their limits. Extreme heat and low moisture stress the plants, disrupt pollination, and can cause issues like blossom drop (when flowers fall off before fruit forms) and sunscald (think tomato sunburn). So what’s the result in our gardens? 🍅 Small or non-existent fruit🍅 Blossom drop🍅 Curled, stressed leaves🍅 Cracked skins and sunburnt patches🍅 A lot of frustrated gardeners wondering why their prized slicers and cherry bombs aren’t booming like usual. What’s A Gardener To Do? If you’re feeling discouraged—don’t throw in the trowel just yet. There’s still time. Keep your watering consistent (deep, not just surface sprinkling), mulch to hold in moisture, and maybe offer a little shade during the hottest part of the day. Tomatoes are stubborn—but so are Rochester gardeners. Check out some of our favorite tomato loving products to help your crop be successful! Bonide Tomato & Vegetable 3-in-1 Espoma Tomato-Tone Fertilizer Bonide Rot-Stop Tomato season might be a little “off” this year, but hey—so is the weather. And if they really don’t pull through? There’s no shame in hitting the farmers market and pretending they’re homegrown. Your secret’s safe with us. 😉 Happy Growing and hang in there; Tomato season isn’t over yet! 🍅