Have you seen this?

[rhoder551]

This was very common in my crop last year. The white streaks are very much like the white part that appears in the meat of a tomato, at the stem end. The one in the photo has streaks of similar throughout....edible but not delicious. I had this happen to maybe 3/4 of my crop last year. I'll be planting out my seedlings soon and was wondering if anyone had some insights into this. Weather? Nutrients?

[Labradors2]

Were they all the same variety?

Linda

[rhoder551]

I had 4 different varieties. The only one that seemed immune was the dwarf purple heart... The later tomatoes seemed less effected but this problem showed up until the end of the season.


In my limited experience, some varieties have the white area in the stem end (black krim comes to mind) but I have grown most of my varieties for several years and never had anything like this.

[PaulF]

This is often caused by stressful weather conditions. Up and down temperatures and low temps overnight. Also high temps during the ripening period. Too much fertilization can also contribute especially nitrogen. Sometimes not enough potassium. Lower N and more K. This will help but not eliminate this common situation. Yours is worse than I ever get but that may be location more than anything.

[rhoder551]

Originally Posted by PaulF

This is often caused by stressful weather conditions. Up and down temperatures and low temps overnight. Also high temps during the ripening period. Too much fertilization can also contribute especially nitrogen. Sometimes not enough potassium. Lower N and more K. This will help but not eliminate this common situation. Yours is worse than I ever get but that may be location more than anything.

I suspected weather since this isn't the optimal climate for tomato growing...it can get chilly at night. I amended the soil with compost before planting then fertilized at flowering. Maybe too much fert, as you suggested because all my plants had purple tinge to the leaves and I thought a little more fertilizer would help. I planted out 2 weeks earlier last year so I waited this year.

[Tormato]

I like to see tomatoes cut horizontally, as it generally helps me in any assessment.


If you do a search for "physiological tomato fruit disorders" and "Gerald Brust", hopefully the first link will be what you're looking for. While I can't really tell by your cut, what you may have is "internal white tissue".


I've seen it, and every tomato I've ever sliced that had it has been a complete flavor dud. So, when I slice and see it, straight to the sauce pot.



DR. LVE APPLE

[rhoder551]

Originally Posted by Tormato

I like to see tomatoes cut horizontally, as it generally helps me in any assessment.


If you do a search for "physiological tomato fruit disorders" and "Gerald Brust", hopefully the first link will be what you're looking for. While I can't really tell by your cut, what you may have is "internal white tissue".


I've seen it, and every tomato I've ever sliced that had it has been a complete flavor dud. So, when I slice and see it, straight to the sauce pot.



DR. LVE APPLE

Thank you... I'll do a search. Last year I tried to ignore the white streaks hoping things would get better in time but it was a problem the whole season. I did a few internet searches but did not come up with anything, mainly because I couldn't seem to describe the problem clearly enough.



Yep, complete flavor dud is a good description. I'm starting to feel a little anxious about this seasons tomatoes. I'll be heartbroken if I have to buy tomatoes...

[Tormato]

I see it almost always in red globes and red beefsteaks. Most other colors, and shapes, rarely. And, luckily, never in back-to-back seasons.

[JosephineRose]

Originally Posted by rhoder551

Thank you... I'll do a search. Last year I tried to ignore the white streaks hoping things would get better in time but it was a problem the whole season. I did a few internet searches but did not come up with anything, mainly because I couldn't seem to describe the problem clearly enough.



Yep, complete flavor dud is a good description. I'm starting to feel a little anxious about this seasons tomatoes. I'll be heartbroken if I have to buy tomatoes...

Are you growing in ground? I had some trouble with the cool nights here too, and my solution was containers over pavement (inspired by Craig LeHoullier's driveway). The pavement absorbed so much heat from sunlight it drove the daily temps up by at least 10 degrees and held heat overnight. Pavers in the backyard worked the same way.


Seriously, I was ready to lay stone tiles over soil in the open spaces in my raised beds at the community garden to get the same effect. But the containers worked so well, I never looked back (I'm using earthboxes and grow bags). You could try picking up some of those Saltillo tiles at home depot and use them like a heat shield around your plants.

[cwavec]

Yes, I have seen this in my own garden. Sick tomatoes!


I've had this condition appearing for about three years or more now and, since
a couple of those years have given cool and cloudy summers, I attributed it
to the weather. This year I have it again though the weather is much better,
so that's not the reason. I've done more research.


I believe this is what is called tomato yellowback or sometimes
tomato greenback. It is caused by a potassium deficiency in the soil.
I suspected it because I also have encountered a magnesium deficiency
so in response I got a soil test done at Penn State. Sure enough, it came
back with potassium severely low.



If you want to confirm this, have a look at the area right around where the stem
is or was attached. You may see a band or ring of hard, brown, maybe scab-like
tissue about 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. This is the surface appearance of the white,
unripe tissue near the stem end.


In the three weeks or so since I figured this out, I have been buying tomatoes
because mine are just not good enough. Oddly enough, of what I have seen
in farmers' markets, etc., locally, that are presented as "homegrown", MOST
are afflicted with this condition. Sadly, some of the places are run by people
who should know better.





Don't know if this picture will stick. If it doesn't just google tomato greenback
and select images, where you will see many more.


For a thorough education in this and similar topics get a copy of
"The Albrecht Papers, vol. 1" and read it. I'm about a third of the way
through it and it has completely upended my understanding and outlook
towards gardening.

[jtjmartin]

""The Albrecht Papers, vol. 1" and read it. I'm about a third of the way
through it and it has completely upended my understanding and outlook
towards gardening."

How so?

[bower]

The general cause is definitely potassium defects - the direct cause of the defects can be complex: too much sun, too much shade/cloud, soil K deficiency, or anything else that affects K uptake including pH, balance of other nutrients/ions, temperature too hot or cold.
The worst thing about these defects, you don't know there's a problem until the perfect looking fruit get ripe.

[cwavec]

Yes, I agree. And it is always disappointing.


On the other hand, if you look at the area right around the stem, you can often
see development of the hard, scabby lesion there. I'm seeing plenty right now
and of course I have in hand the soil report of extremely low potassium. I have
added some potash to see what happens over the rest of the season.

[GoDawgs]

Try searching for "physiological disorders of tomatoes". In particular, check out:

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HS/HS20000.pdf

https://extension.umd.edu/sites/exte...omatoFruit.pdf

I had a large tomato like that that was very, very good-tasting, this year. The texture was even good. It was just an aesthetic issue in that case. Subsequent tomatoes on the same plant were unaffected, but they tasted about the same. The unaffected ones may have been juicier, however. The plant should have had enough potassium. It wasn't super hot. The plant did experience quite a bit of drought (but that didn't change for subsequent fruits).

I hypothesize that it has a lot to do with the sun (not the amount of total sunlight, but the kind of sunlight, or the composition of it). Sunlight composition seems to change quite a bit from month to month, in my opinion. We really ought to measure that sort of thing (and not be satisfied with the UV index alone). I mean, we could have an index for every visible color of light, and every non-visible type. So, that way, we could tell if there's a lot of green light on any given day, or what-have-you, or how much far infrared is shining.

The composition of colors on the plant itself probably makes a difference, too. It might all look green, but I'm pretty sure there are color variables in there that differ from plant to plant.