This is catfacing right? Please help!

[raindrops27]

I noticed this the other day. I have no idea as to what variety. As most I grew from a mixed bag of rainbow seeds. I think it looks disgusting. The whole tomato including the spot is, rock hard. So, is this catfacing, and if I leave this on the plant will it affect other fruits, which have not set yet? Also, does diseased fruit take more energy to grow. In other words, am I doing more harm to the unset fruit, by having it on there. Thank you so very much in advance, for the help..

[ContainerTed]

That looks more like BER. Blossom End Rot is usually caused by some kind of stress the plant has endured. Some varieties are more susceptible than others. Water (lack of or too much) and temperature (hot, cold, rapid variations) are two of the more common causes.

[kath]

This looks like Blossom End Rot and maybe catfacing as well which isn't a disease and doesn't spread to other fruits/plants so leaving it there won't affect other fruit. I can't see how it would take more energy from the plant to grow this fruit, but I'm not a scientist. Some people leave them and try to salvage the good part of the ripened fruit. I just toss the affected fruits in the compost heap. There have been recent threads about this and it seems a matter of preference whether to leave it or cull it.

By the way, I'm seeing WAY more of this in my garden this year than ever before and we're 2 hours from LI, so it's probably weather related.

Oops, posts crossed, Ted.

[raindrops27]

Oh no Ted, so is all my fruit, going to set this way? I cannot stand the look of tomatoes that have the sunken in shape. I get heebie jeebies easily. I am about to rip the whole plant up. If you tell me that. In all my 5 little yrs of planting tomatoes. I have never had BER. I guess, there is always a first time.

[raindrops27]

Thanks Kath, and Ted. So, BER is not something that will spread. Ok, I will go out and pluck it off now. Thanks again, for the fast response!

[tam91]

I have BER for the first time ever too this year - mostly Black Krim (dang it, one of my favorites) and some other of the black tomatoes. I can't really blame the poor plants though, they're in containers, we've had blazing heat, and then with the power outage I only watered them once per day, and probalby not sufficiently.

[raindrops27]

Well, it was BER. Once I took it off, I could see it better. I looked through the rest of the tomatoe plants, which have set fruit. I see one, that looks like it may have a tiny spot on the bottom end. But, it's so low to the ground. I am not so sure, will watch it closely. Thanks again.

Kath, I guess it could be the weather. Or, my infrequent watering schedule. I learned my lesson..I will definitely water twice a week now, if there is no rain forecast.

[kath]

Raindrops-
This doesn't mean that all your fruit will set this way. It just depends on the conditions when the fruit set takes place. This year I have plants that had BER very early, then set perfect fruits and then had more BER later. I plant in the ground and generally don't water unless we're having a drought and the plants show distress so there is no watering schedule here.
Kath

[Tom C zone 4/5]

Originally Posted by raindrops27

Oh no Ted, so is all my fruit, going to set this way? I cannot stand the look of tomatoes that have the sunken in shape. I get heebie jeebies easily. I am about to rip the whole plant up. If you tell me that. In all my 5 little yrs of planting tomatoes. I have never had BER. I guess, there is always a first time.

Neither cat facing or Blossom End Rot are infectious. There is no reason to do more than cull the tomatoes that do show BER.

if you close your eyes the cat-faced ones will taste just fine.