Help with my tomatoes???

I had to remove 6 tomatoes from two different plants tonight with this malady. What is it? My DH thinks spiker mites, but I can't find any on the fruit or plants. Please help! Thank you in advance!!! Gretchen

Looks like classic sunscald. do you have good foliage cover and avoid overhead irrigation when sun is on the plant. There could be other causes but sunscald is a problem in the south especially during a rainy season.

Thank you! After doing some research, I'm sure that's what it is. These are Early Girl and they do not have much foliage. Guess I won't plant them again next year... thanks again for responding!!! Gretchen

I had the same problem two seasons ago. Too much water and sparse foilage caused sunburn on my tomatoes. Have you been getting a lot of rain? It would help if you mentioned your locale on your introduction. Some choose not to but when seeking advice it is important to know location. Example zone
8 goes around the world??? Where are you?

Tplant...good point. Kaufmann is in Texas, where it's probably so hot the birds fry their earthworms on the sidewalks just to get that "extra crispy" texture. ;>)

I grew Early Girls for years here and on occasion would see sunscald but very rarely. I mainly grew them for the early market sales and then my other plants would take over and provide maters for the rest of the Summer/Fall, and they seemed to handle heat/sun much better. I'd go with Abe Lincoln next year, lots of good foliage on them and fairly disease resistant, too.

Thanks, both of you!!!

I have a quick question on tomatoes (and dont want to start a separate thread :) )

When is the height of tomato season, generally speaking?

When your evening temp gets down to 45deg you have just reached the end of your season.

when you mean "height" do you mean kind of the middle, before it starts to decline? Or???? That would depend on where you live, and what the length of your growing season is.

Eh, I'm just anxious for tomatoes to grow on my plants!! And I learned with strawberries that there is a height of the season and then a quick decline within about 3 weeks in most growing conditions and was wondering if it were similar with tomatoes. So I guess my best tomatoes will be grown in August?

Susanne: Tomatoes (from what I've been taught), will grow indefinitely, given the right conditions. They are only limited by the environment we place them in, so when the days shorten and cool off, they shut down. But they can grow and produce fruit for a long time, say if in a greenhouse with controlled lighting and temps. If I'm wrong, I welcome someone to jump in here and correct me :) Gretchen

oh - like a "peak" - I couldn't answer that question, as I'm not in your zone. My peak is in August, I'm up North. When did you get yours outside?

Interesting, thank you Gretchen. I guess I will try to keep them in ideal conditions as long as I can!

I dont know much of anything about growing them- but this year I've bought 3 different kinds and am very excited about them. Better Boy, Sweet 100, and Juliet.

I'll tell you though, my mom sure taught me how to kill tomatoes...I'm trying to turn the family tomato growing legacy around! Thanks again.

Have your tomatoes improved since you figured out what was wrong?

Karrie I have had my Better Boys outside for about 4-5 weeks and the other 2 kinds I have bought more recently, in the past 2 weeks.

We have incredibly hot sun here and average humidity of 12 percent- and the tomato plants are just LOVING it. I'm letting them ramble- not staking them (by the way, what is the purpose of that? ) and they are a rambling. :)

Gretchen, so your tomatoes aren't for naught, would you like to add your picture to Garden Terms here: http://davesgarden.com/terms/go/895.html - it's worth a thousand words, at least!

The purpose of that Susanne, is to prevent them from getting a fungus that happens when they come in contact with the ground. It also helps prevent the sunburn that my above tomato received. I've done a fair amount of research since this happened and have determined that the BEST way to grow tomatoes is to CAGE them. Mine are staked and that was a big mistake. There must be foliage to protect the fruit from the sun, and the cage supports the branches and forces them to grow upwards, rather than along the ground. The foliage on the branches then protects the fruit and you end up with a healthier plant. Thought I'd try something new this year with the stakes...live and learn. And, hopefully learn from my mistake so you don't pay the price I have this year :) Gretchen

There are alot of threads in the Tomato forum that might help you through all this. Caryoln, whom I believe has a PhD and taught, plus wrote a book comes in there very often and gives advice to those of us with questions. She really knows her stuff. The Four biggest topics I see in there are:

To Prune or Not to Prune (the suckers)

To Stake, Cage or Let them Sprawl

Fertilizing &

Diseases


There are many different experts that have all kinds of things to say. To each is own, after you establish what you are dealing with.

One thing I have learned from Carolyn is to not over-fertilize. Many fertilizers (including many I've seen sold for tomatoes) have too much nitrogen in them. Apparently, too much nitrogen will give you a wonderful green plant, real big, bushy, and full, but not much in fruit. I believe Phosphorus is very good for them (but ask her for sure) and that you want to get a certain ratio of the main fertilizing ingredients to get a good crop. Also, where you apply it and when makes a difference (like after fruit appears, etc). It is quite a science and many of us share what we are learning (or have learned) on that forum. They also cover topics on that forum about diseases, funguses, etc..... that can happen to plants. It really is a great place to visit if you want to have great tomatoes.

I think it's Trial & Error, learning from our own and other's mistakes that makes us a better gardener each year.

I can only hope to have a better crop, each year, mother nature permitting.

Woa I didnt even know there was a Tomato forum. When I chose my forums to watch, I was not growing tomatoes and hadnt discovered my interest yet. Yall have been so much help! (as usual :) )

Terry: Thanks -- I missed your post earlier, guess I posted on top of you. Sure, I'd be happy to add the picture, but I unfortunately didn't keep a copy of it. Certainly didn't think it was worthy of anything at the time... If you want to copy it and move it over, please be my guest :) Gretchen

Edited to add -- got it done. I forgot that these photos aren't protected from theft... I just re-saved it and entered it under my definition... Thanks again, Terry!

This message was edited Jun 12, 2004 8:44 PM

Um, Dr. Carolyn did write a book (THe Heirloom Tomato Bible) Actually... And she lets hers sprawl... She said she grows about 250 plants per year and has grown 1600 varieties. Participate in teh Tomatoe forum and with her help and encouragement I am sure that next year you will have carefull selected 12 or so varieties.

Wow that sounds awesome! I have started to watch the tomato forum now-- and I've learned a ton already. Thanks for yalls help