Sorry to hear your frustrations! I'm not sure there are many varieties that reliably set fruit at very hot temperatures since the pollen becomes inactive after a certain point. If there are, someone more versed in tomatoes than I will chime in hopefully. Still, I'm wondering if there is more than just the heat happening. Are these plants well-fertilized, large, and have deep green leaves? If so, it could be a case of too much fertilizer, particularly N. If it is the heat, perhaps more shade is in order. You could try constructing a shade canopy over the bed to increase the hours of shade it recieves. Or maybe your heat will start to ease and you'll see some fall tomatoes yet. Some years the weather just takes things over the edge and there is nothing to be done until the weather changes. Cheers, and good luck!

The plants stopped growing early on. They are pretty small, but have been a healthy green color until recently, with only a few flowers. Now, they are dying off one by one. I think a disease is spreading through them. I am starting a project at work tomorrow that will require 12-14 hour days for the next couple of months. My growing season is over for this year because there is no way I will keep them watered now. (Unless my Dad finds the time to come over and do it) I am hoping for a better season next year. :) Which is why I am looking for a recommendation for something better suited to my conditions- hot and dry.

To get a helpful response, more description and a photo can be useful.
Where are the plants?, in pot, in ground, in bed, what is spacing, hours of sun, daily temperatures, watering, fertilizing , ...???

But most likey the answer is in your post:
-- started late at COOL spring, now suddenly got heat wave..
But still you should've gotten some fruits and blossoms. Not all tomatoes lose all their blossoms in hot weather. So There could possibly be other issues.

You can keep them watered with a soaker hose, snake it around the base of the plants and you can turn it on when you get up, and off before you go out the door to work. But since you say the plants stopped growing early on, something is up. Disease, stress, fertilizer issues? Can't tell which with what's been said so far, and as mentioned a couple of pictures might help. People grow tomatoes in hotter, drier areas than Kansas, so it can be done. :)

Agree with the others above - variety isn't your problem. Growing methods are the source of the issues. Consider that many growers are quite successful with those same varieties in weather conditions just like, or even worse than your.

The plants stopped growing early on. They are pretty small

Heat may prevent fruit set but it doesn't stop growth.

So to help we need much more info on the growing conditions you are providing.

Dave

I would always grow some cherries. I think they are more forgiving just bc they have so many blossoms to start with. Sungold and Black Cherry are doing great in my Kansas garden. I grow mostly OP varieties but will forever grow Big Beef. It is very productive right now. I'm north of you and we've had moderate weather, but I think with those three you are guaranteed some tomatoes.

LynnMarie:

You and I need to get away from Kansas. Too hot here to grow tomatoes!

I'm probably only about 100-125 miles north of you, and have had the same problem the last three hot years.

I thought this summer might be cooler, based on last winter and spring. (I had snow 5-1!)

My major suggestion: give up the Brandywines and perhaps all beefsteak tomatoes. I believe they produce less in the heat than the round tomato varieties. Brandywines are not very productive even in good years.

I do have a dozen Brandywines (Sudduth, OTV, Purple, Red (Landis), Yellow (Platfoot), and Black (2 each), growing this year.

I planted over 100 tomato plants the last two years, about 2/3 beefsteak. Got less than one tomato per plant from the beefsteaks. (Most varieties produced none). My most productive Beefsteaks were Mule-Team and Marianna's Peace.

If not for my Burgundy Traveler, Prue, Thessaloniki, a few black tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes, I would have been without.

I have a similar challenge growing tomatoes. It's not uncommon to see frosts all the way up to June, and there have been several years of Memorial Day snowstorms. Then I have about a month of decent days and then July with 100 degree high temps. All at 5100 feet, full sun exposure in arid high-desert with constant drying winds that sometimes get up to 45mph... I've pretty much given up on growing varieties with large fruit as my season is just too short (frosts start up again in september) and they get tossed around so much by the wind.

This year I tried the Celebrity hybrid and it seems to be pretty resilient to the heat and a decent producer. I also have Sungold and rainbow cherry as well as Siberian Pole and Thessaloniki, all of which varieties performed well last summer. I grew everything but the Celebrity from seed started indoors and transplanted them really early for my area (like, end of April) in wall-of-waters. I think that made all the difference because by the time we had our week straight of 100 degree days most of the plants had already flowered and started to set fruit as well as put on a goodly amount of foliage. I mulched everything with a thick layer of straw (half of the plants are in containers) and I water heavily in the early morning and again in the evening (but very lightly, just enough to moisten the soil) just after the sun has set (this may not work for you but it is so arid here I've never had any problems with mildew or mold). The plants get fertilized about once a week. The plants not in containers are in a 4x8x1 raised bed that has triple mix and is amended with compost every spring. So far it's been manageable if time-intensive.
I think having the right variety will get you to a point but the fact that none have grown at all makes me think there's some other limiting environmental factor besides the heat.

You and I need to get away from Kansas. Too hot here to grow tomatoes!

Seriously? There are many parts of the country that are much hotter than Kansas and tomatoes get grown there - including beefsteaks.

This year, I planted Mortgage Lifter and Rutgers. No luck. I haven't seen a single tomato on any of the plants (22 total). There are a few flowers, but they just dry up and fall off. I think the problem is the heat.

I can think of at least 10 possible explanations other than the heat but without answers to all the questions we posted above there is no way to be of any practical help.

Dave

I appreciate all the responses! I am sorry I haven't gotten back here sooner. I have been working a lot. I will try to get pictures posted, but I don't know if it will help. Everything dried up pretty bad this week. I am watering thoroughly-20 minutes in each spot and will do the same tomorrow. I did find one tomato I didn't know was there, but the plant is nearly dead so I'm not sure I'll get to eat it. :(

Hi LynnMarie, I agree with everyone about 'growing method'. Tomatoes need to be in very composted*, well worked soil in a spot with full sun (6-8 hours) that is far from trees and shrubs (at least 25 feet). Then, there is watering, which needs to be at least three decently heavy soaks per week in my area. My area is very hot and humid, by the way. If it does not rain nicely at least that many times, I water.

If you compost your soil heavily in the fall, plant in well tilled soil, and water regularly and are still experiencing issues, you may want to try some of the tomatoes that are known for handling high heat. Some off the top of my head are Arkansas Traveler (supposed to be disease resistant, prolific and delicious!), Creole, Souix, Homestead 24, Eva Purple Ball, & Matt's Wild Cherry.

Hope this helps...

*Composted for tomatoes in my mind means tilling in a lot of fallen, brown leaves in the fall along with a bit of wood chips if we have a tree taken down (85-90% of what I till in the soil). The other 10-15% is coffee grinds, banana peels, carrot and potato peels, broccoli stems and the like. Be sure to get out and turn the soil at least 2 times a month to ensure proper breakdown during the fall/winter, so that the soil is ready by spring.

"I am watering thoroughly-20 minutes in each spot and will do the same tomorrow."

That may be the root of your problem (pun intended)!

When you water shallowly, you train your tomatoes to look near the surface for their water. As a consequence, the plants are much more susceptible to fluctuations in water levels and to heat. If you water deeply, they will send their roots 3-4 feet below the surface and as far in all directions. Lower soil levels, once watered adequately, don't dry out as fast as the surface and the roots will be in a zone that is temperature buffered. Both of those factors will help your tomatoes tolerate extreme heat better.

As a general rule, tomatoes need an inch of water every week. An inch of rain is exactly that, water that is one inch deep. One inch of rainfall equals 5.6 US (4.7 Imperial) gallons of water per square yard. Cool weather or soil with lots of clay will need less, hot weather or sandy soil will need more.

Dig down with your finger about 4", is the growing medium wet, dry, or just right? If it is wet, don't water, if dry then water. If it is just right, check again the next day. Water deeply once or twice a week. Watering daily encourages shallow roots which means the plant is affected more by variations in soil moisture. In my garden during the heat of the summer, I water deeply every 4-5 days, early spring I may only water every 8-9 days and when the weather is moderatly warm (70-80 degrees F), about once a week.

Mulching heavily (to a depth of 6 - 8 inches) with compost, straw, hay, rotted leaves, grass clippings, even shredded paper or sheets of paper or cardboard helps maintain a consistent moisture level.

Betsy

LynnMarie,

Air temps are what they are, but direct sun exposure can be reduced with shade cloth.

Another is placement. If your plants are up against, or near a wall made of concrete
they can get too hot from residual heat. Even against vinyl siding exposed all day can heat the area too much at night.

And if you grow your own seedlings, my recommendation for you is to look at Skyfire Seeds of Kanapolis, KS.

Other than that - Aniaj has some great suggestions.
Celebrity and Big Beef are both more forgiving hybrids, but Atkinson heirloom is more tolerant to your heat than the varieties you mentioned.