Blue tomatoes and sun scald

Fred Hempel · October 21, 2012

The blue tomatoes we had in the field this summer seemed to be significantly more sun scald resistant compared to everything else.

Has anyone else noticed this?

pugfrog · October 21, 2012

Funny you should bring that up! I made a thread about this about a month ago and it went down like a lead balloon! Natural'y ,we get sunscald like you would not believe here in Aust. I grew Orange Flesh P smudge and Bosque Blue here last year and not a fly speck of it on any fruit!

Fred Hempel · October 21, 2012

I didn't see the thread, Pug, but I noticed the same thing. It was pretty striking in our field too.

pugfrog · October 24, 2012

Looks like we will have to share the secret Fred!

cornbreadlouie · October 24, 2012

Since they turn blue where the sunlight hits them, I'm thinking it might just be a trait that evolved to prevent sunscald in whatever tomato specie they got those particular genes from. Nature is some crazy stuff.

Tormato · October 27, 2012

I've never seen sunscald on blue tomatoes.

Another factor may be the tight radius at the top of the tomato deflecting most of the suns rays.

In my garden, large beefsteaks/hearts get sunscald, cherries don't. My blue tomatoes aren't much bigger than cherries.

Tormato

maf · October 28, 2012

The darker color would absorb more sunlight than the typical green of unripe and red/orange/yellow of ripe tomatoes so something involving the anthocyanins must be going on to reduce the incidence of sunscald.

I believe the pigment is developed as a protection from the sun, so reduced sunscald would be natural/expected. Kind of like melanin in the skin of humans and animals.

casino · October 28, 2012

no sun scald on my indigo rose.

This year I trimed away a lot of leaves off the tomato plants so I could take pictures of the fruit on the vine and in my garden the large beefsteaks and hearts got sunscald. Not good and all those beautiful giants made great pictures but the sun damage is irreversable.

October 21, 2012	#1
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Blue tomatoes and sun scald The blue tomatoes we had in the field this summer seemed to be significantly more sun scald resistant compared to everything else. Has anyone else noticed this?

October 24, 2012	#5
cornbreadlouie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: SF bay area... north bay Posts: 242	Since they turn blue where the sunlight hits them, I'm thinking it might just be a trait that evolved to prevent sunscald in whatever tomato specie they got those particular genes from. Nature is some crazy stuff. __________________ Do You Like Worms?

October 21, 2012	#2
pugfrog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Australia Posts: 38	Funny you should bring that up! I made a thread about this about a month ago and it went down like a lead balloon! Natural'y ,we get sunscald like you would not believe here in Aust. I grew Orange Flesh P smudge and Bosque Blue here last year and not a fly speck of it on any fruit!

October 27, 2012	#6
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	I've never seen sunscald on blue tomatoes. Another factor may be the tight radius at the top of the tomato deflecting most of the suns rays. In my garden, large beefsteaks/hearts get sunscald, cherries don't. My blue tomatoes aren't much bigger than cherries. Tormato

October 28, 2012	#7
maf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: England Posts: 512	The darker color would absorb more sunlight than the typical green of unripe and red/orange/yellow of ripe tomatoes so something involving the anthocyanins must be going on to reduce the incidence of sunscald. I believe the pigment is developed as a protection from the sun, so reduced sunscald would be natural/expected. Kind of like melanin in the skin of humans and animals.

October 28, 2012	#8
casino Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Southfield, Michigan Posts: 318	no sun scald on my indigo rose. This year I trimed away a lot of leaves off the tomato plants so I could take pictures of the fruit on the vine and in my garden the large beefsteaks and hearts got sunscald. Not good and all those beautiful giants made great pictures but the sun damage is irreversable.