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organic_flutterby

marks on my tomatoes

Here is a picture of one of my mortgage lifter tomatoes.

What is that?

Also, the leaves are still turning yellow. I started feeding them with kelp meal and tomato tone.

How do I add more than 1 picture?

Comments (14)

  • organic_flutterby
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here is a shot of the whole plant.

    I have removed all the lower leaves which had turned yellow. I sprayed with organic fungicide and fed these plants about 1 week or 10 days ago or so.

  • edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
    9 years ago

    In the first picture they look like scars of some sort. Looks like you have a lot of nice tomatoes, I'd probably cull that one.

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    Damaged/eaten by a critter.

  • missingtheobvious
    9 years ago

    You can put more than one photo in a single post if your photos are on a photohosting site like Photobucket or flickr (or if the photos are on another website, perhaps your personal website).

    Absent that, it's one photo per post. [And if GW's software doesn't want to let you make two posts in a row, simply change what's in the Subject of Posting field.]

  • organic_flutterby
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you.

    I sure wish I could get a handle on the yellow leaves!

  • edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
    9 years ago

    The yellow leaves are some kind of blight or wilt. When that happens to mine, I remove them quickly, and spray like crazy with a fungicide. Most of the time the problem can be slowed down, or in some cases stopped completely.

  • yardenman
    9 years ago

    Lower yellow plant leaves can also be a sign of specific minor nutrient absence (as the plant steals vital nutrients from the lower leaves to support the growth of top ones). Specifically, iron, zinc, or calcium for example. There are some products on the market that deliver micro-nutrients (as opposed the the Big 3 of N-P-K). I don't have a particular one to recommend, but an internet search of "micro nutrients" should get you a bunch of sources.

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    You said ML plants, plural,so is it all the ML plants that are doing that or just one. And of all your ML plants is the fruit you show with what you call a scar just on one plant and one fruit?

    Carolyn

  • organic_flutterby
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks again.

    I have started feeding my tomatoes with tomato-tone and kelp meal. I've only just started with it so maybe they haven't responded to it yet. I'm due to give more tomorrow.

    I also just sprayed them with serenade fungicide at the same time.

    Carolyn~~~sorry, I just have the one ML plant. There is one other tomato on this plant that has what might be "catfacing". Right next to the ML is a normal size tomato of unknown variety that has 1 tomato on it with very light scarring, no gouging into the fruit.

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    OP's main question/concern was/is the marks on the tomato !!!

  • sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
    9 years ago

    Some insect damage early on, when fruit is green, can heal over like that. Thripes maybe?
    Not sure about hornworm but worth looking up 'green tomato fruit insect damage' for pics.

    Not sure if the yellowing/brown leaves are related to the fruit damage. A bit of yellowing down low may not be common but it is for me. I remove lower leaves near the ground to avoid soil bourn diseases...(and someone told me to yrs ago.) I have very damp foggy mornings so i also use a light fresh straw mulch. Much of my early advice came from my local CoopExtension service and arboretum lectures. A way to learn common problems for your area and how to avoid...also what to look out for seasonally. I follow the commercial grower alerts. Posted weekly.

    I grow plenty so i can rip out one that would ever look like that especially with others nearby that look so green and healthy. I've become much better at avoiding than identifying specific problems unless i see in person an insect doing its damage.

    Hopefully and expert will give you a more specialized ID to the problem.

    Animal/critter damage on my fruit does not usually heal over...tends to leave an open wet wound that invites other insects to join the feast...so it is hard to find who is initially responsible...starts to rot so i pull that damaged fruit.

  • organic_flutterby
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here are 2 photos of the other tomato that I originally thought might be "catfacing" but on closer inspection I see this area in the 2nd photo that looks like there is a small white worm in it and there is webbing across the opening.

    I don't know if this sheds any light on what the marks are on the other tomato.

    And showing off my new skill of adding more than 1 photo per post.

  • digdirt2
    9 years ago

    In a general way they are all symptomatic of catfacing and classed at that but with some fused fruit (fasciated blooms) and some zippering in this last pic. All are relatively common with early blooms and can affect most any variety. Some research indicates it is more common with potato leaf varieties but is far from exclusive to them.

    It is usually a result of cool temps at the time of pollination In some cases the sepals of the bloom may adhere to the fruit and cause them to be deformed, in some cases a second fruit or a partially pollinated ovule (as in the tiny one near the stem in the next to last photo) are incorporated into the dominant fruit causing the deformity. and zippering can be caused by all sorts of damage or injury including all of the above.

    But none of them preventable in the usual sense of the word as they are primarily weather related and none are indicative of pests or disease. They are simply classed as physiological damages. The fruits are still edible and later fruit seldom displays the same symptoms.

    Your yellow leaves you asked about is another matter. That is mostly nutrient related (based on the photos) and while you will lose the leaves already damaged, since you are feeding them the new growth should be healthy.

    Hope this helps.

    Dave

    Here is a link that might be useful: Physiological, Nutritional, and Other Disorders of Tomato Fruit

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    Definitely your very first picture depict a defect due to some possible culprits damage. One can see the chewing marks.

    In the above two picture also they are not typical catfacing either (IMO) catfacing is normally centered around the blossom point, not on the side or stem end.
    This is my understanding of Catfacing. It starts at pollination and shortly after that can be visible. Any crack and/or defect developed later is not a catfacing.

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