Glad to hear you’re enjoying the site. Great to have you visit us! It sounds like it may well be birds going after your tomatoes. If your tomatoes are caged, and have already set fruit, you may want to consider wrapping a light -weight row cover fabric around the cage to keep the birds away from your tomatoes. This fabric is breathable and allows sunlight and rain to reach the plant. Sometimes just putting a few old fashioned pin-wheels in the garden to spin in the wind will keep the birds away also. Hope this helps.

If it’s been very hot in your area lately, the most likely cause of your tomato plants wilting is probably due to the heat. When plants wilt during the day and then recover overnight, it is their defense mechanism to protect themselves from extreme heat. Be sure to keep them evenly watered, but water only at the base of the plant, don’t water the leaves. Since you are using a raised box, make sure that the box drains well so as not to overwater. If the temperature stays very hot for an extended period of time, the tomato plants may not produce fruit right away. Keep them watered and once the weather cools off they should start to produce tomatoes again.

Tomatoes are considered a warm season crop as they do not take frost well. They should be planted in an area that receives plenty of morning sunlight, 6-8 hours of full sun, and some afternoon shade. However, high temperatures will reduce fruit quality, i.e. sunburned fruit or poorly colored fruit, and will cause the tomato flowers to drop before fruit development occurs. Arizona has quite a few varied climates, based mostly on elevation, and this determines WHEN vegetables should be planted. In the Phoenix and Chandler area for example, tomatoes should planted between February 15 and March 15. Hope this helps.