YUCK!!!!

[piegirl]

This is certainly the year of rots and spots - I haven't seen this one before - tom looks grand in the evening, but by the next day - one whole area is watery, opaque looking. Tried picking one and the bottom is just the same - not BER, and not internal BER. I did disect one - no black rotten spots inside, normal looking fruit one minute and the next YUCK, the whole thing just falls apart from the bottom. Not over or under ripe. Mostly on my heirlooms - Momotaro - almost all were that way tonight. Hungarian Heart - lost two pound plus. Tonight I had almost 20 of these gobs of goo - and did I mention THEY STINK! Not rotten tomato stink, but stinky stink. I think Momo will go in the garbage tomorrow, while loaded, it isn't worth it. Piegirl

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by piegirl

This is certainly the year of rots and spots - I haven't seen this one before - tom looks grand in the evening, but by the next day - one whole area is watery, opaque looking. Tried picking one and the bottom is just the same - not BER, and not internal BER. I did disect one - no black rotten spots inside, normal looking fruit one minute and the next YUCK, the whole thing just falls apart from the bottom. Not over or under ripe. Mostly on my heirlooms - Momotaro - almost all were that way tonight. Hungarian Heart - lost two pound plus. Tonight I had almost 20 of these gobs of goo - and did I mention THEY STINK! Not rotten tomato stink, but stinky stink. I think Momo will go in the garbage tomorrow, while loaded, it isn't worth it. Piegirl

Your description is the same as someone else's at another place and it sounds exactly like Pythium Fruit Rot, and the tomato fruits are described as water balloons and yes, the bottom can fall out and the stinky guts spill out all over the place.

If you can't find what you need to know about it online let me know by posting here and I'll cut and paste what I wrote elsewhere to here.

[piegirl]

Thank you Carolyn - I did a search and at the UMass ext. site there was a photo - I have several green fruit that look just like that as well as fully mature fruit which of course look slightly different. I didn't see a cause or treatment but only did a quick search. wow Carolyn without your assistance I probably would have never found out what this is. Seems more prevelent on the pinks. Haven't under or over watered. piegirl

[carolyn137]

I'm cutting and pasting part of my post elsewhere about Pythium. Prior to this Kevin had said that he didn't see all the symptoms I'd referred to which I guess you also found similar at U Mass. I'l just explaining this b'c of how this post opens:

Kevin, for almost any foliage disease or systemic disease of fruit rot diseases not ALL the symptoms that are given appear.

But I thought that the water balloon comment you made and was also made next to the picture of Pythium rot were kinda what I call BINGO!

The pictures/descriptions in my tomato disease book are from Petoseed, now Seminis seed and are the best one can find.

So many times I've said that it's hard to diagnosis problems via pictures b'c pictures are static while diseases are progressive.

What I didn't relate from that book is HOW such fruit rots and spots initiate infection, and I'll just list here b'c the men's semifinals for the US Open jsut started and I've got to get out there to the TV.

Mechanisms:

natural openings such as stem scars, growth cracks, wounds caused by insect feeding and mechanical damage.

Generally warm temps and high humidity provide adequate conditions for infection of the fruits.

Fruits touching the soil.

****

And well I remember a picture of plants that had fruits that had Pythium Rot hanging on the vine, some already collapsed with bits and pieces of those on the foliage, etc., and it was b'c the plants were IN an area of warm temps with high humidity with very close spacing so there was little chance at good air circulation.

Carolyn