(WKBN) — You’ve spent countless hours planting, watering, weeding and yes, even talking to your garden, and it is now lush and green, but your plants aren’t producing any fruit — why is that?

There are several reasons your plants may not be bearing fruit, including an imbalance in nutrient levels, a lack of pollination or high temperature, among others.

How soil, nutrients and pH affect plant growth and fruit production

Different nutrients in the soil lead to different outcomes in terms of plant growth, and different plants react differently to those nutrients.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center details the three most important mineral nutrients found in soil: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These minerals can sometimes be lacking in soil since the plants absorb so much of them. To avoid depleting your garden of these nutrients, it is important to rotate your plants year by year since different plants absorb different levels of different nutrients.

Nitrogen is part of all living things, and in the case of plants, it is part of chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis. It helps plants grow quickly and increases fruit production. It often comes from fertilizer application, so if your plants are growing slowly and bearing little fruit, it could be a sign that your garden needs more nitrogen.

Phosphorus also plays an important role in photosynthesis, helping with the transformation of solar energy into chemicals, which is involved in the formation of oils, sugars and starches. It also affects the growth rate of the plant, as well as encourages blooming and root growth.

Potassium is absorbed by plants in larger amounts than any other mineral element except nitrogen and helps in the building of protein, fruit quality and reduction of diseases.

Soil pH greatly affects the presence of minerals in the soil. Adding lime to soil can raise the pH to the optimal level of 6.0-6.5 while also supplying calcium and magnesium. Soil tests can be purchased at garden centers to help determine what minerals may need to be added to achieve a successful harvest.

What role do pollinators play in a garden and why is pollination important?

While some people may fear bees, they are a gardener’s best friend! Honeybees account for 80% of pollination of flowering plants, including more than 130 types of fruits and vegetables, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

There is a wide assortment of pollinators including bees, beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths and even the wind.

Bee populations, as well as other pollinator species, have seen a rapid population decrease in recent years, however. If you don’t see bees and other various insects on your plants, this could be why your plants aren’t bearing fruit.

There are two types of flowers: male and female. It is a pollinator’s job to transport pollen from a male bloom’s antlers to the female bloom’s stigma, effectively fertilizing the female plant and leading to fruit production.

If your garden is lacking in insects, it is possible to manually pollinate the blooms by hand; simply take a cotton swab and rub it over the antlers of a male plant, then, with the same end of the cotton swab, rub it on the stigma of the female plant.

It is possible to tell the difference between male and female flowers based on how they look. The images below are of two pumpkin blossoms, male and female. The female pistils consist of multiple parts while the male stamen is a singular piece.

How does temperature affect plants?

Much like humans, plants are very sensitive to extreme temperatures, though most are even more sensitive than we are. The ideal temperature range for plants is between 60-85 degrees, according to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources branch.

Once temperatures exceed 85 degrees, plants can begin to suffer from heat stress, marked by wilting or droopy leaves and blooms. The high temperatures cause the water stored in the leaves to evaporate faster than roots are able to absorb it.

Another thing to be careful of is not watering plants during peak heat hours when it is most hot. Watering plants during extreme heat can actually lead to water temperatures so high that it can begin to cook the roots of a plant. To avoid this, it is best to water your plants early in the morning or at night.

Harris Seeds stated that excessive heat can cause plants to drop their flowers, even if they were pollinated. If it is too hot, the ovary of the plant may not develop, making it impossible to produce fruit.