Andrea,

Have had the same problem down here in Florida...hot, windy days interspersed with cool/cold days and nights. I've lost 100's of blossoms. It's the weather!

cheers

Bing

Yeah, it's the cool nights. I have fruit set on Kimberly, Stupice and Matina, all earlies you can count on in cool weather. Everything else is dropping blossoms like confetti.

This being my second year I was screaming NO! I thought I had done something again. Thanks for asking the question as I didn't even know what to ask. I have NO tomatoes at all but plenty of Hot Peppers. This weather has been nuts around here. So, it's a waiting game? The plants have new growth and don't look sickly.

the thing i'm worried about most is that once this cool weather passes, then the scorching weather will come and none of the blossoms will be viable due to sticky pollen from the high temps!

ahh well...thank goodness i grow only for hobby and not for profit!

I'm 40 miles from you in Martinez. My Brandywine has lost most of its early flowers. I'd say 20 have dropped, and I have only 4 baby fruits on it. My Bonnies Original has set like 20 fruit. Wierd.
Its gotta be this crazy weather we've been having.
104 degrees two weeks ago, chilly weather for the last week and a half.
Seems to be nicer today :)

the thing i'm worried about most is that once this cool weather passes, then the scorching weather will come and none of the blossoms will be viable due to sticky pollen from the high temps!

****

Andrea, from friends I have in Sacramento I'd be much more worried about the high temps than the lows.

Pollen is effective at night as long as the temps aren't above about 65-70 F but sustained daytime temps about 85-90F and above will destroy the pollen and if differs b/c not all varieties are the same in terms of temp susceptibility.

And when there are high sustained temps the pollen doesn't become sticky, as you posted above, it becomes denatured ( destroyed).

Pollen can become clumped and thus sticky due to high humidity, but I dare say last I knew high humidity wasn't a problem in Sacramento. ( smile)

Carolyn