“We’re pretty late in the season, harvesting our tomatoes. It’s been a tough year for tomatoes because of the weather,” said Moir Beamer of the Virginia Produce Company. “All varieties, such as grape and round, were affected. We got too much rain early on, then the excessive heat caused our growing season to be shorter then normal after bloom drop began to set in.” Bloom drop begins when temperatures go over 90 degrees F, according to Beamer.Bloom drop takes place after the flowers blossom, but before the tomatoes begin growing. One cause can be excessive heat, although too much cold can also cause this issue. According to about.com, the optimal temperature range for tomatoes ranges between 70 and 85 degrees F (21 to 29 degrees C). If the excessive heat or cold are short-lived, the fruit blossoms may still survive. If the heat or cold go on for more than a few days, the tomato plant will drop its blooms as it tries to survive.
“We sell our produce mainly in Virginia,” Beamer said. “Even so, the weather conditions we experienced caused the availability of our tomatoes to be lower than normal.”
For more information:
Moir Beamer
Virginia Produce Company
+1 276-728-7525