Greetings and disease question

taboule · August 16, 2021

Hi All, I hope everyone is doing good. My garden has been very challenging this year, between the heat and the rain and not enough time to tend to it.

Quite a few of my tomatoes have developed rot at the stem end, starts small and gets big enough to ruin the whole fruit. First time I see this. I searched the diseases info, including the great U of Florida guide but no luck. Some other tomatoes start rotting from the middle, with no discernible pattern. My only suspicion is too much water/rain. Any ideas?

Thanks
rotten-aug-2021.jpg

Fusion_power · August 16, 2021

Most of these show either sunscald on the shoulders or fruit worm damage that has expanded. Sunscald is from lack of enough shade by leaves. Fruit worms are endemic this time of year but can easily be controlled with a dusting of dipel. This also takes care of tomato horn worms. There is quite a bit of radial cracking near the stem which also gives an entry point for fungi.

VirginiaClay · August 16, 2021

That looks like early blight to me. People mainly think of early blight as a foliage disease, but it also can cause black lesions around the stem end of the fruit. Google "early blight on tomato fruit" for pictures. If you've got early blight symptoms on the foliage of your plants, there's a good chance that's what you're dealing with on the fruit.

taboule · August 18, 2021

Hello,

thank you both for your replies, I have new data and will start with commenting on your notes.

Sunscald: there's that one bottom row, in the middle, that is definitely burned, because I found it on the ground, unprotected from any shade. It came lose due to the rot at the stem. However, most of the other ones were well hidden and shaded.

Worms: possible, although I cant see nor find any -not saying they're not there.

Blight: unfortunately that's what i think I have ;<( Many plants have it, some worse than others. I looked at some photos as you suggested VirginiaClay.

Other indication that it's a disease: I cut up a few tomatoes that looked perfect on the outside, but had a core that was rotting from the inside out.

Most of the affected plants are potato leaves, brandywines, GGWT and others. Only one oxheart fruit was affected, and two hybrids (4th of july) were totally unaffected. I've cut up my first batch this year for sauce, lots of waste -more than ever before. Oh well.

thanks again.

August 16, 2021	#1
taboule Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: MA Posts: 903	Greetings and disease question Hi All, I hope everyone is doing good. My garden has been very challenging this year, between the heat and the rain and not enough time to tend to it. Quite a few of my tomatoes have developed rot at the stem end, starts small and gets big enough to ruin the whole fruit. First time I see this. I searched the diseases info, including the great U of Florida guide but no luck. Some other tomatoes start rotting from the middle, with no discernible pattern. My only suspicion is too much water/rain. Any ideas? Thanks rotten-aug-2021.jpg

August 16, 2021	#2
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Most of these show either sunscald on the shoulders or fruit worm damage that has expanded. Sunscald is from lack of enough shade by leaves. Fruit worms are endemic this time of year but can easily be controlled with a dusting of dipel. This also takes care of tomato horn worms. There is quite a bit of radial cracking near the stem which also gives an entry point for fungi.

August 16, 2021	#3
VirginiaClay Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 140	That looks like early blight to me. People mainly think of early blight as a foliage disease, but it also can cause black lesions around the stem end of the fruit. Google "early blight on tomato fruit" for pictures. If you've got early blight symptoms on the foliage of your plants, there's a good chance that's what you're dealing with on the fruit.

August 18, 2021	#4
taboule Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: MA Posts: 903	Hello, thank you both for your replies, I have new data and will start with commenting on your notes. Sunscald: there's that one bottom row, in the middle, that is definitely burned, because I found it on the ground, unprotected from any shade. It came lose due to the rot at the stem. However, most of the other ones were well hidden and shaded. Worms: possible, although I cant see nor find any -not saying they're not there. Blight: unfortunately that's what i think I have ;<( Many plants have it, some worse than others. I looked at some photos as you suggested VirginiaClay. Other indication that it's a disease: I cut up a few tomatoes that looked perfect on the outside, but had a core that was rotting from the inside out. Most of the affected plants are potato leaves, brandywines, GGWT and others. Only one oxheart fruit was affected, and two hybrids (4th of july) were totally unaffected. I've cut up my first batch this year for sauce, lots of waste -more than ever before. Oh well. thanks again.