OK, how about we back up here and take things in order.

You sprayed with Daconil for what diseases?

I ask b/c I do see some fruit spots but I've seen no pictures of your foliage infections so assume you know what those are.

And you sprayed with Sevin for what insects that were bothering your plants?

I also see some splitting of your fruits,

So, the fruit spots are no doubt related to the foliage disease, but I don't know what that disease is since you just started a thread saying you'd sprayed with Daconil.

The fruit splitting we can discuss later since that's not an infectious process.

Carolyn

I am not sure of what the correct answers are. From reading this forum, I sprayed the Deconil to prevent any disease though I do not think it had any yet. I sprayed the Sevin because every morning when I came outside, I found that my leaves were being eatten, but never could find any insects.

Sorry I am a newbe with tomatoes. I could take additional pictures of the foliage if you need.

where are you carolyn?

BK, I looked at your pictures and what I mainly saw was some possible wormholes and/or insect damage. *shrug* at least that's what it looks like to me on both the green and red fruit.

Also, the fruit showed some cracking (which is generally caused by watering too much after fruit has reached mature size). Also, some varieties are just more prone to cracking.

Now, you mentioned that fruit is actually rotten on the vine. The ripe fruit in the picture did not look rotten to me. Did you have pics of some rotten fruit (a cross section of the rotten areas might be helpful), and also, is it turning rotten while still green?

One thing I wanted to mention to you is that black pots really aren't a good idea in hot climates. I'd suggest that you get some white spray paint and paint those pots ASAP, it'll make it a lot easier on the roots.

The red one got kinda rotten two days later. I cut into it and found no evidence of bugs.

What should I do to fix the problems that you've mentioned?

"The red one got kinda rotten two days later. I cut into it and found no evidence of bugs."

You're not necessarily going to find the caterpillar still there in the hole it has made. What makes me think 'worms' is the appearance of the spots in both the first and third pictures of fruit. They look like holes to me instead of cankers/spots, the same holes I'll occasionally get in the spring from smaller caterpillars. And, you had mentioned earlier that leaves were being eaten, which they will also do.

"What should I do to fix the problems that you've mentioned?"

As far as the splitting goes, try watering a bit less as you've got several fruit reaching mature size. I know, this is sometimes easier said than done in containers. If you were to mulch with some straw, that would help. Another thing you can do is start picking fruit when it starts to change color (breaker stage), but before it cracks. Then you can set it in one of your cabinets for a couple of days to ripen (*not* in a sunny window as some people will advise).

Oh, and pick first, then water.

As far as the caterpillars go, you can use Dipel dust (Bt) as a preventative. Sevin (which you've mentioned before) also works, but I feel more comfortable using the Bt.

If you think that there's still the possibility that your plants have some sort of bacterial spot/canker, I'd recommend that you go the Tomato Problem Solver site and study the pictures for both fruit and foliage.

s far as the splitting goes, try watering a bit less as you've got several fruit reaching mature size.

When you say to water less, do you mean less frequent or less in volume. I seem to be watering everyday about an hour after sun up. I totally saturate he soil with water each morning as it is very hot here in the desert.

I am installing a drip system. With the drip system, how much water would you recommend per day in those containers? Once or twice a day?

Based on the plant size in your pictures, watering every day for 15 gal containers could be a bit much, even in 100 degree+ weather. Get some straw mulch and put it a couple of inches thick, that'll help with moisture retention. In general, even if you stick your finger down a few inches into the container the soil shouldn't be soaking wet all the time.

I wouldn't advise just watering plants every single day because it happens to be hot. It's better to come up with solutions that keep the plant cooler in the first place like the following: White or light colored pots, light colored mulch (straw), shade cloth (put a couple of stakes in and drape shade cloth, placing containers at the edge of a tree canopy so they don't take the brunt of midday sun, pot feet so that air can circulate underneath, etc.

I can't give you specifics on drip, you might try posting or doing a search over in the regular tomato forum.

Suze9, Great posts.

where are you carolyn?

Watching Wimbledon. LOL

The spots that I saw on the fruits resemble those that can be seen on fruits on plants that have certain diseases, and that's why I asked you what disease or diseases you thought you had or if we could address that.

If you do think it's wrom holes, then that's fine as well. Such holes allow the many fungi and bacteria in the envionment to invade thru that hole and can cause rotten areas. Even minor scratches on fruits can do the same. And if plants are too close and there isn't good air circulation around the plants then that can also be bad.

There are three kinds of splitting and what you'r shows is called horizontal splitting which occurs when fruits are at their full size, weither green or riper, and the toamto skincan no longer expand to accomodate too much water, either rain or irrigation.

And others here have spoken to that already.

So if you think your plants have an infectious disease, either a foliage disease, which can be treatred, or a systemic one, we can still deal with that here, if you wish.

Just describe in detail and symptoms you see on the foliage , or show a good closeup, or any other plant symptoms.

Carolyn, nopw back to tennis