By Jodie Perry
One of the most satisfying feelings of home gardening is to harvest a bumper crop of beautiful tomatoes at the end of the season. Tomatoes are one of the most popular plants grown by home gardeners because they are relatively easy to grow and they produce a fruit that has many delicious uses!
To get tomatoes that look like those above at the end of the season, you have to avoid some common problems with growing tomatoes. We’re calling these the 7 deadly sins because they are what are known as “cultural” problems with tomatoes. That means you, the gardener, are letting them happen.
Following are the 7 sins and how you can easily avoid them this season.
Sin #1 – Blossom-end Rot
Blossom-end rot is a dark patch on the blossom-end of the fruit that turns black and leathery over time. The cause is a calcium deficiency in the tomato. Tomatoes become calcium deficient when the weather is too cold or too hot and the water supply is inconsistent. Heavy application of nitrogen fertilizer can also play a role.
How to Avoid It
To avoid blossom-end rot, plant your tomatoes at the appropriate time, not too early in the season. Water and fertilize them evenly and consider using mulch, which will hold water and even out the water supply to the plant. Also, don’t cultivate within one foot of the plant base to avoid root injury.
Sin #2 – Phosphorous Deficiency
There is plenty of phosphorous in the soil, but it isn’t available to the tomato plant at cool temperatures, and the lack of phosphorous can kill the plant.
How to Avoid It
Don’t plant your tomatoes too early. What that means exactly will depend on your climate, but the soil needs to be warm when you plant your tomatoes. You can also use mulch to warm the soil around your plants.
Sin #3 – Catfacing
Catfacing refers to holes and scars in the blossom end of the fruit that basically make for an ugly tomato that is often unusable. Larger tomato varieties are more susceptible than smaller ones. The cause isn’t entirely known, but it is thought to be some disturbance of the flowers or flower buds during their development. Cold weather during blossoming, high nitrogen levels and contact with certain herbicides might be to blame.
How to Avoid It
Don’t plant your tomatoes too early in the season and expose them to cold weather. (Are you noticing a theme here?) Also, certain varieties of tomato are more prone to catfacing than others and if you have this problem you should choose another variety that is less susceptible.
Sin #4 – Growth Cracks
This is just what it sounds like, cracks that run from the stem end and can encircle the whole fruit. The cracks are often invaded by bacteria and fungi once they appear, which ruins the fruit. Growth cracks are the result of very rapid growth of the fruit brought on by environmental conditions like when water becomes abundant after a drought.
How to Avoid It
Again, even and consistent watering practices will help with growth cracks. Mulch will also keep moisture more consistent. Some varieties of tomato are more prone to growth cracks so choosing the right variety also helps.
Sin #5 – Sunscald
As the name implies, sunscald is a discoloration of the fruit that occurs when it is exposed to too much sun. It is a white or pale yellow spot on the fruit where the sun hits it most directly. Heavy pruning can make a plant susceptible to sunscald.
How to Avoid It
Shade the plant, reducing exposure to the sun. The same way you’d treat a human with the same condition.
Sin #6 – Herbicide Injury
Tomato plants are easily injured by hormone-type weed control herbicides. These are the type of herbicides that you might spray on your yard for controlling dandelions and clover in your lawn. It’s easy to expose tomatoes if these herbicides are used, it could be through drift from spray, using a sprayer that had the herbicide in it previously or even by using grass clippings as mulch for the tomatoes.
Depending on the severity of exposure, there can be a range of symptoms on the leaves and the fruit may become catfaced or otherwise irregularly shaped. Plants with minimal exposure might recover or harvest might be delayed, but severely exposed plants do not recover at all.
How to Avoid It
Keep herbicides away from your tomato plants. I’m a big believer in organic methods and would never use chemical herbicides on anything, even the lawn, so this would never be an issue for my garden. However, if you’re using them be meticulously careful not to get them on your tomatoes.
Sin #7 – Soil Rot
There are a few different types of fungi that can form in your soil and can infect your tomatoes when they come in contact with the soil. You’ll usually find soil rot in conditions that are favorable for the growth of fungus generally, meaning warm, moist environments.
If your soil is poorly drained and overly moist, then your tomatoes are at risk. Soil rot typically affects ripe fruit but it can sometimes afflict your green tomatoes as well.
How to Avoid It
In short, don’t let your tomatoes touch the soil. Make sure the tomatoes aren’t over-watered and that the soil is properly drained. An easy fix is to stake your tomatoes to minimize contact with the soil.
However, that isn’t a complete fix because soil can splash up onto your tomatoes. Mulching with a plastic film or (preferably) organic matter will also help to keep the soil out of contact with your tomatoes. You should also rotate where you plant your tomatoes, planting in the same spot only once every three years.
Bonus – Stink Bugs
This one is not your fault, stink bugs are just really bad in certain years. They are big, shield-shaped bugs that release a foul odor if you handle them. They will spend the winter in tall grass so keep the weeds down near your garden. They will damage the fruit when it’s green and as the fruit develops there will be cavities or spongy areas of the flesh, ruining the fruit.
Organic Pro Tip:
In addition to controlling weeds around the garden, you can also use an organic spray to repel or kill the stink bugs. Cedar oil is an effective repellent and it also kills stink bugs without causing them to release their offensive odor.
Choose Disease-Resistant Tomatoes
Another common theme of good tomato-growing practice is to choose the right tomatoes to grow in the first place. If you’d like a chart that details the most disease resistant tomato varieties to help you make the right choice, click here and we’ll email it to you.
Hopefully this list will help you avoid these problems in the coming season and you’ll harvest bushels of beautiful tomatoes as a result!
Sources:
Damicone, J.P. & Brandenberger, L., Common Diseases of Tomatoes, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service – http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-1323/EPP-7625web.pdf
Grabowski, M., Disorders of Tomato, University of Minnesota Extension – http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/disorders-of-tomato/
Kluepfel, M., Blake, J.H. & Keinath, A.P., Tomato Diseases and Disorders, Clemson Cooperative Extension – http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/veg_fruit/hgic2217.html
Flickr Creative Commons photo credits (photos link to source)
Liz West, Scot Nelson, Prizmatic, Gary Stevens, Scot Nelson, born1945
Author Bio:
Jodie Perry is a natural health enthusiast and co-founder of the Organic Daily Post.
You can also avoid bloom rot by saving up egg shells in your freezer, then crushing them and putting them in the hole with the tomato plant, no need to buy anything.
I didn’t believe this would work until I tried it.
It never worked for me. What has worked is the Espoma Tomato Tone. Since I’ve been using it I have never had that problem again and neither has anyone else I’ve recommended it to. All are very happy with this product.
What is that and where do u get it?
You can purchase this product just about everywhere. Nurseries, Lowes, Home Depot, Amazon etc. I usually get mine at my local nursery because I purchase the very large bag. I use it for just about everything and add a little bit of other things to my other veggies.
My brothers tomatos leaves turn in and start dieing. Any ideas?
What is meant by suckering tomato
a sucker or a new strarter branch will try to sprout where each limb of the plant branches off from the main stalk. They look harmless, but rob your plant of all it’s nutrients, sunlight, water, etc, and take away from the fruit making part of the plant cycle. Keep them pinched off.
Cut the bottom off a plastic 16oz bottle, bury 1/2 next to tomato plant. Water by pouring water in bottle, not good to wet plants w/ water hose.
what about when it rains? people talk about not getting plants wet when they water but it makes no sense. they get wet when it rains
Rain won’t damage the tomatoes the way spray hose watering potentially can; first because strong sun shining on hose watered tomatoes can scald them and secondly the hose/house water usually has chlorine and fluoride in it which will also burn and damage the tomato skin.
Exactly!
You`er right. Just don`t spray for primary irrigation. I give my plants a quick spray down if I see some wilting from heat. I use drip for about 100 or so plants. That`s 100s of pound of fruit. Been gardening for 50+ years.
Mike, I have my bush sitting in a tray a couple of inches deep. This is how I water it. My tomatos (Ive picked two so far ) are mushy. Can you tell me why?
I got a rain barrel and water my tomatoes with a sober house I have great looking plants and lots tomatoes ?
Jeremy,
Please don’t try to disprove or question these suggestions. Rain is different from a water hose. These tips are given by people that have gained knowledge from experience.
Don’t question. LOL OK Hitler.
we learn by questioning…
“Socrates”
Quote
“The unexamined LIFE is not worth living.”
Learn by questioning.
🙂
Hitler?!! That was quite the leap!
“Deadly sins,” my aspidistra. I live in Canada, and we get some of all of the above (except stinkbugs, we have a lovely wasp family that patrols the garden.) But – sorry, weather happens. And excuse me, but it sounds like you don’t really KNOW what causes “catfacing.” I’ll tell you this: my homegrown ‘maters are still better than anything I can buy, and if we see an occasional catface or sunscald.. guess what? They still make super tomato sauce.
Gardening can be a spiritual experience but you can keep your “sins.” We all make mistakes and learn from them.
Your Canadian Manitoba tomatoes grow very well here in pa. , if only they were indeterminate.
Fantastic. Last year was my first with tomatoes and I’m at fault for at least 3 of these. *sigh* I did the egg shell thing and am trying to be better at watering consistently…it’s tough when you’re growing in buckets and can’t control the weather…
I don’t know where you live, but my “secret” to great tomato production and taste is the following:
Till your soil in early to late March so the soil can breathe. When you plant your seedlings (In mid-April/early May) add a handful of pelletized lime, epsom salt, and powdered milk (this would be about a 1/3 cup of each) and mix lightly with some soil. Bury your seedlings leaving the top leaves exposed (this makes the roots a lot stronger to hold the load of tomatoes). I will “plant” a plastic gallon milk jug that I have punched 2 or 3 small nail-sized holes in the bottom of next to the plant, slanting it to the roots. I will water the plants using this jug and will fertilize every 2 weeks, using a water soluble fertilizer. We haven’t rotated our plants in several years, but we do mulch just to keep weeds down. I must say that eight plants yield enough fruit to can, cook, and EAT!!! Good luck!!
^ Lee is having a tough day I think. I thought this was a very informative article. Thank you.
Agreed. Lee, just chill out! No one is judging anyone, just offering ideas for improvement if you would like to change. Peace, brother!
Fantastic tips on tomato growth. Got my guys looking good!
My tomato plants are growing really tall like 4ft high are they suppose to grow that high? And I have very little of blooms need help
Determinate tomatoes are “cage size” and produce basically all at once.
Non determinate keep vining and producing untill frost
how do you know the difference ??
I can never remember which is which! Thanks for the reminder. I agree with your tips. My tomatoes have been great this year. I tried some Amish Paste along with my other favorites. Much nicer than Roma, in my opinion.
Is this true that tomatoes shouldn’t be plant in the same spots as the year before? Something about acidity of the soil.
I have always heard that in case of fungus or some other disease, it lives in the soil, so rotate them…
You’re not even suppose to compost tomato plants. Burn them.
Some of the tomato plants showed wrinkled of folded thick or hardened leaves. This development I think can disturb photo synthesis and normal fruit development.
As a temporary measure, what I do is remove the affected plant to a remote location to avoid spread. What else can be done?
I live in southern Oregon. In two weeks we are heading to Las Vegas for an undetermined time in our motorhome. I have two tomato plants planted in pots. One is patio and one is bush. They have blossoms on them. The weather has been in the 70-85. My question is, is there anything special I need to do to protect them for the trip? They will be in the back seat of our jeep for two days.
I keep a metal can in my oven for egg shells. Leave them in when preheating oven. When the can is full and dry I put them in a glass jar blender and pulverize them. I always put some in the tomato hole. No blossom end rot.
GOOD IDEA. I have lots of saved egg shells but never thought of drying them so they are more available as fertiliser (see the calcium bit No.1 tip).
Cedar oil is not an option for me due to allergies. What else can I do to get rid of stink bugs? Last year I had thousands that killed out nearly my whole garden. With a mild winter, I am nervous for this year. Also, not much was said in how to shade the plants. I live in Oklahoma and many times there isn’t enough foliage to shade the tomatoes especially if there are a string of 100 degree days.
Scott, I tried a mixture of garlic juice (1/4 cup), sarachia sauce (couple teaspoons) and 2 gal of water. Mixed well and sprayed on all my garden plants. This was mostly for deer control, but did not have any bugs anywhere in the garden. Did not seem to bother if it ended up on the blooms and did not bother bees or butterflies at all. And the tomatoes didn’t have any garlic taste at all. Worked great on bell peppers, also. Deer still wandered through the garden looking for something to eat, but left every thing alone. Do have to re-apply after rain storms or the deer do come in and nip here and there , checking things out.
I am not certain if this is what worked or not…
i had a serious problem in my veggie garden 2 years ago, they destroyed my summer squash plants. Last year i planted garlic, A LOT of garlic, one in between each veggie plant, and had little to no stink bugs last year.
Great list. Right now we are “fortunate” enough to be the winners of the “bonus” item on your list. Hopefully we get a very cold winter which seems to reduce the stink bug population by a lot.
I like the idea of using egg shells when planting my tomatoes. Plan to do this next year. Talking to the guy at the nursery who said he has a customer that adds a whole raw egg along with the shells, interesting?
1 tbs dried milk powder in each planting hole for calcium =no blossom end rot…..works for me, eggshells go straight into compost bin!
I have a problem with wilt disease ,, WILtT disease is running every single plant no mater what I do or use to help them, thry always start out looking great and grow so lively, even get fruits on them , then they get the wilt and just die ,,, no matter what I do, what can I do this year to save all: my tomatoes ,, please help me with this.
I always put a tablespoon of baking soda and Epsom salts in the bottom of the hole to control BE Rot. A teaspoon in the water once a month or so also helps. The only problem is the tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic. Egg shells go in the compost heap.
When I was a kid –I am over 70–my father would turn in the ducks–they would make short orter of the bugs as well as squash bugs-
The Cedar oil worked for me, but I must have had too much concentration as some of the leaves died. The plants recovered and I didn’t have the deluge of stink bugs. What dilution do you use for the cedar oil?
Can anyone help with nemetodes, I had them three years ago so rested the soil and did the molasses thing and several other things but still the plants got them and the yield was poor, replaced all the soil for this year but is there anything that will help to keep the little critters out of my garden. Thanks.
I plant tomatoes in the same place every year with minimal tomatoe crop. How can I improve this as I have minimal sunny locations.
my tomato plant has flowers but just dry and drop, can anyone tell me what went wrong? Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your ideas and experience in using organic farming
God bless happy farming
What are we doing wrong…We plant from seed ,they come up and the leaves start to curl and they die