This is Catfacing right?

[jeremyhilton]

So these are my watermelon beefsteak tomatoes and the biggest one that has it worse is obviously the first one if the year. I don't think its blossom end rot as it is hard and more scar like. Can someone please confirm that this is catface and help with any suggestions...
Thanks,
Jeremy

Also what do you think about the darker shades on the tomatoes...

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[kath]

Looks like Blossom End Rot along with the catfacing. I've got a LOT that look like that, too. BER can feel the way you describe. You can pick off the fruit and toss it in the compost pile.

[liannenc]

I agree with Kath... that's a combination of BER and some interesting catfacing. Very disappointing, I know, when you've been looking forward to that first ripe 'mater for weeks, only to find it's developed BER.

[jeremyhilton]

Argh I was really hoping it wasn't... So does catfacing have the scar stuff going on or is it just the weird puckering?

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[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

Agree looks like catfacing and the darker spots look like BER does not look good for those tomatoes to make it. Hopefully later setting tomatoes will not be affected by BER.

Craig

[jeremyhilton]

Originally Posted by Gobig_or_Gohome_toms

Agree looks like catfacing and the darker spots look like BER does not look good for those tomatoes to make it. Hopefully later setting tomatoes will not be affected by BER.

Craig

Hmm yeah those dark spots did worry me also, so if I pick them is their any chance of them ripening and getting even a little bit of good tomato out of them?

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[dice]

Catfaced tomato:
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/vegprob...d_catface.html

[cornbreadlouie]

This is why you should have used compost!!!

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by cornbreadlouie

This is why you should have used compost!!!

Could please say more about that b'c I'm not getting a direct connection of using compost with either catfacing or BER knowing what causes both?

Thanks.

[jeremyhilton]

I was curious about that as well Carolyn, I was under the impression that BER is due to a lack of calcium while catface is usually caused by cold temperatures when the fruit is setting.

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[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by jeremyhilton

I was curious about that as well Carolyn, I was under the impression that BER is due to a lack of calcium while catface is usually caused by cold temperatures when the fruit is setting.

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Almost all BER is not due to lack of Ca++ for root uptake is fine, rather, it's due to bad distroibution within the plant that's caused by many variables such as too rapid growth, a stress, too hot or too cold, both stresses, uneven delivery of water, a stress, etc.

When the tissues of plants that had BER fruits was assyaed for Ca++ it was normal.

The only two situations where Ca++ is incolved is if the soil or container mix has NO Ca++ at all, which can be determined by tests, or if the soil or container mix is too acidic in which case Ca++ is bound and can't enter the roots. And both of those situations are very rarfe indeed.

Catfacing is caused when the blossoms are exposed to too cool temps before pollenization takes place, that is, before fruit set, and also disturbance of the blossoms can do the same and usually it's varieties that have beefsteak shaped fruits that arfe affected most severely, so there seems to be a genetic factor involved as well..

[z_willus_d]

Jeremy, I started a similar thread recently when I noticed a condition somewhat similar to yours a week ago. See: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=18938

The general consensus was that my condition was catfacing/blossom-scaring and not BER, but my tomatoes didn't/don't exhibit the dark, mushy-seeming necrotic matter on the periphery of the craters that your images depict. As for my tomatoes, so far so good - no rotting. I've noted that more recent fruit sets have been cleaner and less affected. Hopefully your likely BER/scarred exhibiting tomato vines follow a similar improving trend.

Good luck!
Naysen

[jeremyhilton]

Carolyn,
Thanks again for sharing your vast knowledge, I know since all but 2 of mine are in pots it could be much easier to stress them, although I do water daily when warm...

Naysen,
Again its good to hear your new ones are looking betterand I hope mine follow that trend as well.
Here are a few pics of the ones that I removed and like I said in your post that although they have some brown shading, they have not and still aren't soft or mushy whatsoever...
Note that you can really see the brown on the last photo.

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[z_willus_d]

Those are some nice sized green behemoths. I know you sliced and fried most of them, but if you have one left it would be interesting to see if it would ripen and if when ripe the mater was palatable and normal. I assume the browning discoloration wasn't the early blushing of ripening tomatoes. Keep us posted.

[jeremyhilton]

I did save the biggest one as well as the smallest and am crossing my fingers for it to ripen... I actually have the big one nestled in with some bananas.
Also the light brown spots are really weird as like I said they are not soft...

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