is this BER? (pic)

cleo88 · July 4, 2011

I am used to Blossom End Rot on a fairly mature sized tomato, but I found this on my Hungarian Heart plant today. The rest of the plant is extremely healthy - when I first saw the brownness of this, I immediately thought of Late Blight, having had that awful problem two years ago which destroyed all my plants in August. But with LB, the leaves are affected, perhaps even before the fruit.

Anyone who could confirm this is BER (or anything else that isn't going to kill all my plants) would put my heart at ease!

bcday · July 4, 2011

I think BER.

But you do need to keep a sharp eye out for LB as LB has been confirmed already this year in CT, ME, and NY. So you're more or less surrounded, lol.

I am inspecting my plants almost daily here as well.

Stepheninky · July 4, 2011

There is a thread on here somewhere about tomatoes turning into watery sacks on the plants. That really does not look like BER to me. Ber usually radiates out from the blossom end. I have seen something similar to that with squash, and with them it is just with one or two.

Maybe someone will chime in, but my guess would be it rotted due to an insect or something puncturing the skin. Or too much water, but those are just guesses.

**carolyn137** · July 5, 2011

Look at the large sepals as compared to the wee tiny fruit. I think it just rotted, and at this point I don't think I'd ID it as BER. Not that BER can't affect green fruits, it does but much larger ones, but that whole wee fruit looks rotted to me. And I've seen the same in my garden as well. I'd call it an aborted fruit for one reason or another.

So agree with Stephen on this one, same as one often sees on summer squash, etc.

Do you see others like it on the plant or any other plants?

**carolyn137** · July 5, 2011

I'd call it an aborted fruit for one reason or another.

****

And I should have clarified that.

Aborted fruit on squash can be due to two reasons, first, incomplete pollination and second , not really aborted but BER which affects squash as well.

On tomatoes aborted fruits are usually the tiny new ones and is probably due to incomplete pollination as well, although yes, I suppose other kinds of damage such as insects are possible, but when I've seen just wee aborted rotten fruits it's only been a few on a plant.

Aha, forgot one thing. On tomatoes aborted tiny fruits can also be due to heavy rains messing up the pollination process as well. I know I used to see more of them during rainy weather as well as primarily early in the season.

Stepheninky · July 5, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I'd call it an aborted fruit for one reason or another.

****

And I should have clarified that.

Aborted fruit on squash can be due to two reasons, first, incomplete pollination and second , not really aborted but BER which affects squash as well.

On tomatoes aborted fruits are usually the tiny new ones and is probably due to incomplete pollination as well, although yes, I suppose other kinds of damage such as insects are possible, but when I've seen just wee aborted rotten fruits it's only been a few on a plant.

Aha, forgot one thing. On tomatoes aborted tiny fruits can also be due to heavy rains messing up the pollination process as well. I know I used to see more of them during rainy weather as well as primarily early in the season.

Yea I agree thats probably it. Notice it more with wet weather as well on squash. Though in my normal climate its not usually an issue but this year has been rainy as possible me thinks.

July 4, 2011	#3
Stepheninky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 682	There is a thread on here somewhere about tomatoes turning into watery sacks on the plants. That really does not look like BER to me. Ber usually radiates out from the blossom end. I have seen something similar to that with squash, and with them it is just with one or two. Maybe someone will chime in, but my guess would be it rotted due to an insect or something puncturing the skin. Or too much water, but those are just guesses. __________________ tomatoprojects.blogspot.com

July 5, 2011	#4
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Look at the large sepals as compared to the wee tiny fruit. I think it just rotted, and at this point I don't think I'd ID it as BER. Not that BER can't affect green fruits, it does but much larger ones, but that whole wee fruit looks rotted to me. And I've seen the same in my garden as well. I'd call it an aborted fruit for one reason or another. So agree with Stephen on this one, same as one often sees on summer squash, etc. Do you see others like it on the plant or any other plants? __________________ Carolyn

July 5, 2011	#5
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I'd call it an aborted fruit for one reason or another. **** And I should have clarified that. Aborted fruit on squash can be due to two reasons, first, incomplete pollination and second , not really aborted but BER which affects squash as well. On tomatoes aborted fruits are usually the tiny new ones and is probably due to incomplete pollination as well, although yes, I suppose other kinds of damage such as insects are possible, but when I've seen just wee aborted rotten fruits it's only been a few on a plant. Aha, forgot one thing. On tomatoes aborted tiny fruits can also be due to heavy rains messing up the pollination process as well. I know I used to see more of them during rainy weather as well as primarily early in the season. __________________ Carolyn

July 4, 2011	#2
bcday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY z5 Posts: 1,205	I think BER. But you do need to keep a sharp eye out for LB as LB has been confirmed already this year in CT, ME, and NY. So you're more or less surrounded, lol. I am inspecting my plants almost daily here as well.