Why Are My Tomatoes Small, Few or Slow to Ripen?
A healthy-looking tomato plant does not always produce the expected crop. The plant may carry only a few fruits, the tomatoes may remain smaller than expected or full-sized green fruit may take a long time to ripen.
These problems can be caused by variety, temperature, light, pollination, watering, feeding, root health or the number of fruits already developing.
Before changing the plant’s care, consider what is normal for the variety and examine the entire plant. Heavy feeding, severe pruning or removing the growing tip will not correct every fruit-production problem and can sometimes reduce the eventual harvest.
Begin With the Tomato Variety
Tomato varieties differ greatly in:
Mature fruit size
Number of fruits per truss
Time to maturity
Final plant size
Tolerance of heat or cold
Length of cropping period
Resistance to particular diseases
A cherry tomato may carry dozens of small fruits, while a large beefsteak variety may naturally produce far fewer. Plum, paste and slicing tomatoes also differ in their usual size and yield.
The description supplied with the seed or plant provides a useful comparison, but fruit size and maturity figures are estimates. Actual performance depends on the growing conditions.
Determinate and Indeterminate Tomatoes Crop Differently
Determinate and indeterminate plants do not produce fruit in the same way.
Determinate Tomatoes
Determinate, or bush, tomatoes reach a naturally limited size and usually produce most of their crop within a relatively short period.
Once their main flush of flowers and fruit has developed, they do not continue growing and flowering indefinitely.
Heavy pruning can reduce the crop because many of the plant’s side shoots contribute flowers and fruit.
Indeterminate Tomatoes
Indeterminate, cordon or vining tomatoes continue producing new stems, flower trusses and fruit until growth is stopped by cold, disease or deliberate topping.
They may produce tomatoes over a longer period, but their later flowers may not have enough time to develop ripe fruit before the growing season ends.
These plants need reliable support and enough healthy foliage to feed a continuing crop.
Why a Tomato Plant Has Only a Few Fruits
A low number of fruits may result from:
Poor pollination
Blossom drop
Excessive heat
Cold nights
High humidity
Very dry air
Inadequate light
Excessive nitrogen
Irregular watering
Root restriction
Heavy pruning
Pest or disease damage
Natural variety characteristics
Flowers forming too late in the season
The first step is to determine whether the plant produced few flowers or produced flowers that later fell.
Few Flowers and Excessive Leaf Growth
A tall, dark-green plant with thick stems and many leaves but few flower trusses may be receiving too much nitrogen.
Nitrogen promotes stems and foliage. Tomatoes need nitrogen, but an excessive supply can delay flowering and encourage vegetative growth at the expense of fruit production.
Possible sources include:
High-nitrogen fertiliser
Large quantities of rich manure
Frequent feeding before flowering
Fertiliser intended mainly for leafy crops
Several nutrient products being used together
Stop applying high-nitrogen feed and allow the plant to use the nutrients already available.
Do not remove large amounts of healthy foliage as a substitute for correcting the feeding problem. Leaves are still needed to support existing and future fruit.
Plenty of Flowers but Few Tomatoes
If the plant flowers well but little fruit develops, poor pollination or blossom drop is more likely.
Common causes include:
Daytime heat
Warm nights
Cold conditions
Excessive humidity
Very dry air
Lack of pollen movement
Water stress
Poor ventilation under cover
Tomato flowers are self-fertile, but movement helps release their pollen. Outdoors, wind and insects normally provide this. In a greenhouse or polytunnel, gently tapping flower trusses or shaking the support may help.
Hand pollination cannot correct pollen damaged by extreme heat or cold. Later flowers will often set more successfully once conditions improve.
Heat and Low Tomato Production
High temperatures can reduce both the number and size of tomatoes.
Extreme heat may:
Make pollen less viable
Cause flowers to drop
Increase water stress
Slow photosynthesis
Reduce fruit expansion
Delay ripening colour
Cause leaves to curl
Increase the risk of sunscald
Warm nights can be especially disruptive because the plant has little opportunity to recover.
During severe heat:
Keep soil moisture reasonably consistent
Water deeply
Mulch the root zone
Ventilate covered growing spaces fully
Use light temporary shade where necessary
Retain enough healthy foliage
Avoid heavy feeding
Avoid severe pruning
Once temperatures moderate, later flowers may set and existing fruit may resume more active growth.
Inadequate Light and Low Yields
Tomato plants use light to produce the sugars required for growth and fruit development.
Insufficient light may cause:
Tall, weak growth
Long gaps between leaves
Fewer flower trusses
Poor fruit set
Small tomatoes
Slow ripening
Reduced flavour
Shade may come from:
Buildings or fences
Trees and shrubs
Nearby crops
Overcrowded tomato plants
Dense greenhouse growth
A naturally unsuitable growing position
Move containers to a brighter location where possible. In permanent beds, reduce avoidable competition or choose a sunnier position in a future season.
Removing a small amount of obstructive foliage may improve airflow and light within a very dense plant. Removing too much will reduce photosynthesis rather than improving it.
Why Tomatoes Remain Small
Small tomatoes are not always unhealthy. Fruit size is influenced by both genetics and growing conditions.
Possible explanations include:
A naturally small-fruited variety
Heavy fruit load
Limited water
Inadequate light
Root restriction
Nutrient shortage
Nutrient imbalance
Poor leaf health
Extreme heat
Cool weather
Disease
Competition from nearby plants
Compare several fruits on the same plant. The first tomatoes may be larger than later ones, or a heavily loaded truss may contain smaller fruit than a truss carrying only two or three.
Heavy Fruit Loads and Tomato Size
A plant has a limited supply of water, nutrients and energy. When it carries many tomatoes, those resources are divided between them.
Small-fruited varieties are adapted to support many fruits. Large-fruited varieties usually carry fewer, and individual fruit size may fall when a truss sets an unusually large number.
This does not necessarily mean the plant is performing badly. The total weight of the harvest may still be good.
Some growers selectively reduce the number of developing fruits on large-fruited exhibition varieties to encourage larger individual tomatoes. This is not normally necessary when the aim is an ordinary kitchen harvest.
Watering and Fruit Development
Developing tomatoes contain a high proportion of water. Inadequate or irregular moisture can restrict their growth.
Repeated drought stress may cause:
Small fruit
Slow fruit expansion
Flower drop
Blossom end rot
Leaf curl
Reduced nutrient uptake
Fruit cracking after later watering
Water deeply enough to moisten the root zone. Check the soil approximately 5–8 centimetres below the surface rather than judging it only by its appearance.
If the soil remains moist at that depth, do not water automatically. Waterlogging damages roots and can also reduce fruit development.
Mulch can reduce evaporation and slow rapid changes in soil moisture.
Why Container Tomatoes Produce Small Fruit
Container plants have access only to the moisture and nutrients held within the container.
An undersized or root-filled pot may:
Dry out very quickly
Become excessively hot
Restrict root development
Accumulate fertiliser salts
Supply insufficient nutrients
Make moisture difficult to regulate
Use a container suitable for the mature size of the variety. Large indeterminate plants need substantially more root space than compact patio tomatoes.
A mature container-grown plant may need daily moisture checks during hot or windy weather. Water thoroughly so the entire root area is reached, then allow excess water to drain.
Can Feeding Make Tomatoes Larger?
Balanced feeding can help a plant reach its natural potential, especially when it is growing in a container. It cannot make a naturally small variety produce beefsteak-sized fruit.
Once flowering and fruiting are established, use a suitable feed for fruiting crops according to its instructions.
Too much fertiliser can cause:
Excessive leaf growth
Root damage
Salt accumulation
Nutrient imbalance
Poor water uptake
Reduced fruit production
Increased risk of blossom end rot
Do not increase the concentration because fruit appears slow to grow. More feed is not always more available nutrition.
Nutrient Shortages and Small Fruit
A plant growing in exhausted soil or compost may lack the resources needed to maintain fruit development.
Possible signs include:
Pale foliage
Weak growth
Small leaves
Thin stems
Poor flowering
Slow fruit growth
However, similar symptoms can occur when roots are cold, damaged, waterlogged or tightly restricted.
Check root conditions, drainage, watering and light before assuming that fertiliser is the solution.
Why Tomatoes Take So Long to Ripen
Once a tomato reaches its mature green stage, it still needs time to develop its final colour, texture and flavour.
Ripening may be slowed by:
Extreme heat
Cool temperatures
A late-maturing variety
Large fruit size
Inadequate light
Heavy fruit load
Poor plant health
Late-season conditions
The normal ripening period of the variety
A fruit may appear fully grown but remain green for longer than expected. This does not necessarily mean that anything is wrong.
How Heat Delays Tomato Ripening
Tomatoes need warmth, but extreme heat can interfere with the pigments responsible for ripe colour.
During prolonged high temperatures, full-sized fruit may remain green or develop uneven colour. The plant may continue supporting the fruit, but visible ripening slows.
Providing intense direct sunlight to the fruit will not solve this. Fruit temperature can become even higher, increasing the risk of sunscald.
Maintain consistent moisture and retain protective foliage. Ripening often resumes when temperatures become more moderate.
How Cool Conditions Delay Ripening
Cool temperatures slow the plant’s metabolism and the chemical processes involved in ripening.
Late in the season, tomatoes may remain green for long periods as days shorten and nights become colder.
Indeterminate plants may continue flowering even though newly formed fruit has little chance of ripening outdoors. At this stage, topping the plant and removing very late flowers can help concentrate its remaining resources on existing tomatoes.
Does Direct Sunlight Ripen Tomatoes?
Tomatoes do not need to be exposed to intense direct sunlight to ripen. Temperature and the fruit’s stage of development are more important than sunlight striking its skin.
The plant’s leaves produce the energy used to develop the crop. Removing healthy leaves to expose tomatoes can reduce photosynthesis and cause sunscald.
A small amount of selective leaf removal may improve airflow around dense growth, but fruit should not be left suddenly unprotected in strong sun.
Should Lower Leaves Be Removed to Speed Ripening?
Remove lower leaves when they are:
Yellowing
Touching the soil
Damaged
Clearly diseased
Preventing essential airflow
Removing two or three selected leaves at a time may improve access and airflow.
Stripping away all leaves below or around a fruit truss does not guarantee faster ripening. Excessive defoliation can:
Reduce photosynthesis
Slow fruit development
Increase fruit temperature
Cause sunscald
Weaken the plant
Healthy foliage remains valuable until late in the season.
Should the Tops Be Pinched Out?
Topping can be useful for indeterminate tomatoes, but timing matters.
Consider topping when:
The plant has reached the top of its support
It has become too tall to manage
The growing season is nearing its end
New flowers will not have time to produce ripe fruit
The plant already carries a useful crop that needs time to mature
Remove the main growing tip approximately two leaves above the highest flower truss being retained.
These leaves continue supporting and shading the upper fruit.
Do not top an indeterminate tomato early simply because the first tomatoes are few or small. Topping will not correct:
Poor pollination
Excessive heat
Inadequate light
Irregular watering
Root restriction
Excessive nitrogen
Unsuitable variety choice
Once the main growing tip has been removed, no further trusses will develop on that stem unless a side shoot is allowed to grow.
Determinate tomatoes stop growing naturally and should not normally be topped.
Should Side Shoots Be Removed?
The answer depends on the type of tomato and the chosen training method.
Indeterminate Tomatoes
Indeterminate plants are often trained as a single stem by removing side shoots from the joints between leaves and the main stem.
This creates a manageable plant with good access and airflow. Indeterminate tomatoes can also be grown with two or more stems if there is enough room, support, water and nutrition.
Allowing many uncontrolled stems may create dense growth and competition between numerous flowers and fruits.
Determinate Tomatoes
Determinate plants should not be routinely stripped of side shoots. Their growth and flowering are naturally limited, and heavy pruning can remove part of the potential crop.
For both types, remove clearly diseased, damaged or soil-contacting foliage as needed.
Can Removing Fruit Help the Others Grow?
Remove fruit that is:
Severely affected by blossom end rot
Extensively cracked and decaying
Badly damaged by pests
Diseased
Unlikely to remain usable
The plant no longer needs to invest resources in severely damaged fruit.
Routine thinning is not necessary for most kitchen-garden tomatoes. The exception may be very large-fruited varieties where unusually crowded trusses are being managed specifically to produce larger individual tomatoes.
Why One Plant Performs Better Than Another
Tomatoes growing close together may still produce very different crops.
Differences can result from:
Variety
Root damage
Unequal access to water
Different amounts of shade
Container size
Disease resistance
Fruit load
Soil fertility
Localised pest damage
Transplant quality
Natural variation between plants
Compare plants of the same variety before concluding that one is underperforming.
A cherry tomato and a beefsteak tomato cannot be judged by the same fruit number or ripening speed.
Could Pests Be Reducing the Crop?
Pests may damage flowers, foliage, stems or fruit and reduce the plant’s ability to support a crop.
Inspect for:
Aphids on growing tips
Thrips inside flowers
Mites beneath leaves
Caterpillars feeding on foliage or fruit
Beetles removing leaf tissue
Whiteflies beneath leaves
Stem damage
Root-feeding pests
Minor damage to a few leaves rarely explains a major reduction in fruit. Extensive defoliation, damaged flowers or injury to the growing tip is more significant.
Could Disease Be Slowing Fruit Growth?
A diseased plant may produce small or slowly developing tomatoes because it has lost functioning foliage or suffered root and stem damage.
Look for:
Spreading leaf spots
Rapid leaf death
Dark stem lesions
Wilting despite moist soil
Distorted new growth
Mosaic patterns
Fruit lesions
General collapse
Removing all marked leaves is not always helpful. Identify the problem and retain as much healthy foliage as possible.
What to Do When Tomatoes Are Few
Work through these checks:
Confirm whether the variety naturally produces large or small crops.
Identify whether the plant is determinate or indeterminate.
Check whether flowers formed and then fell.
Review temperatures during flowering.
Improve greenhouse ventilation if necessary.
Check soil moisture below the surface.
Review nitrogen feeding.
Assess the amount of direct light.
Inspect flowers and foliage for pests or disease.
Avoid heavy pruning while the cause is uncertain.
What to Do When Tomatoes Are Small
Check:
The variety’s expected fruit size
The number of fruits already developing
Soil moisture
Container size
Root health
Light levels
The condition of the leaves
Feeding history
Recent heat or cold
Competition from surrounding plants
Correct the growing conditions rather than trying to force rapid growth with extra fertiliser.
What to Do When Tomatoes Are Slow to Ripen
Take the following measured steps:
Be realistic about the variety’s ripening time
Maintain consistent moisture
Retain healthy foliage
Remove clearly diseased or dead leaves
Harvest fruit promptly as it begins to ripen
Improve airflow within excessively dense growth
Reduce extreme greenhouse temperatures
Stop applying high-nitrogen feed
Top indeterminate plants when late flowers cannot mature
Remove flowers and very small fruit near the end of the season
Ripening Tomatoes Indoors
Tomatoes that have reached the mature green stage can ripen after picking.
A mature green tomato has reached its expected size and has begun changing internally, even if obvious colour is not yet visible.
Harvesting may be sensible when fruit is threatened by:
Frost
Prolonged cold
Heavy rain
Splitting
Pests
Advancing disease
Damage to the plant
Place sound fruit in a dry, well-ventilated location at a moderate indoor temperature. Check it regularly and remove any tomato that begins to decay.
Direct sunlight is not necessary for indoor ripening.
Avoid Drastic Changes
When tomatoes are few, small or slow to ripen, avoid:
Applying several feeds at once
Increasing fertiliser concentration
Removing large quantities of healthy foliage
Overwatering
Topping plants before checking the cause
Assuming every variety should crop in the same way
Exposing shaded fruit suddenly to intense sun
Removing healthy fruit unnecessarily
Tomato production reflects everything the plant has experienced, including conditions during flowering several weeks earlier. A change made today may help later flowers and fruit, but it cannot always reverse earlier stress.
Support the Crop the Plant Already Has
A productive tomato plant needs:
Suitable light
Consistent moisture
Healthy roots
Balanced nutrition
Successful pollination
Enough leaf cover
Appropriate support
Temperatures within a workable range
Time to develop and ripen
Small or late fruit does not automatically mean the plant has failed. Consider the variety, the total crop and the recent weather before intervening.
Once the underlying growing conditions are improved, later fruit may develop more successfully. Towards the end of the season, measured topping and removal of very late flowers can help an indeterminate plant concentrate on bringing its existing crop to maturity.
For complete advice on growing healthy tomato plants from sowing through to harvest, return to How to Grow Tomatoes: Complete Guide.
