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-   -   Why does my tomatoes look like this? (http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=45679)

bluee19 July 24, 2017 10:33 AM

Why does my tomatoes look like this?
 
2 Attachment(s)
Why does my cherry tomato look likes this and my orange beefsteak tomato have cracks?

Thank you in advance for your help.

zipcode July 24, 2017 12:20 PM

Those gold flecking in the first picture are usually associated with spider mites, but not always, it's still debated what all causes could be.
That cracking is really quite tame for a heirloom beefsteak. It's usually a variety characteristic and it will be accentuated by rain, uneven watering, etc.

RayR July 24, 2017 12:31 PM

[URL="https://ipm.missouri.edu/MPG/2011/8/Gold-Fleck-of-Tomato/"]Gold fleck as a physiological disorder.[/URL]

Father'sDaughter July 24, 2017 12:32 PM

[QUOTE=zipcode;656575]
That cracking is really quite tame for a heirloom beefsteak. It's usually a variety characteristic and it will be accentuated by rain, uneven watering, etc.[/QUOTE]


Yes, very characteristic. I rarely get large beefsteaks that don't have that top cracking -- the larger the fruit, the greater the cracking seems to be. I always thought the size/weight played into it, but never bothered to research it. As I typically cut out or around the core, I just take the cracked areas off as well.

MadCow333 July 24, 2017 02:06 PM

Last year, we had alternating drought and deluge. All of my heirloom beafsteaks split open like crazy. It was disgusting. If left on the vines until fully ripe, they'd just crack even worse and attract insects, even maggots. So I started picking all of them at first blush and bringing them indoors to ripen.

JosephineRose July 24, 2017 03:05 PM

I tried that this year to prevent the cracking and feel they don't taste as good as those on the vine - lacking in sweetness and/or flavor intensity.

What has your experience with indoor ripened been?

carolyn137 July 24, 2017 05:07 PM

[QUOTE=RayR;656583][URL="https://ipm.missouri.edu/MPG/2011/8/Gold-Fleck-of-Tomato/"]Gold fleck as a physiological disorder.[/URL][/QUOTE]

Good article, but other articles also cite a genetic cause as well, and I am trying so hard to remember the name of the well know one that is permanently shows the flecking.

Carolyn

carolyn137 July 24, 2017 05:18 PM

[QUOTE=bluee19;656553]Why does my cherry tomato look likes this and my orange beefsteak tomato have cracks?

Thank you in advance for your help.[/QUOTE]

Your orange beefsteak shows what is called radial cracking since rays come out from the stem end. And it's a gentic trait of certain varieties.

The other kind of splitting is called circular, and shows splits that circle around the stem

A third kind of splitting is different from the above and is called horizontal splitting and can occur for various reasons..

[url]https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1402&bih=788&q=radial%2C+circular%2C+horizontal+tomato+splitting&oq=radial%2C+circular%2C+horizontal+tomato+splitting&gs_l=img.3...4588.44774.0.51320.46.46.0.0.0.0.287.4720.33j11j2.46.0....0...1.1.64.img..0.15.1629...0j0i5i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i30k1j0i10i24k1j0i7i30k1j0i7i5i30k1.CK4yDq2Ud24[/url]

[url]https://www.google.com/search?q=radial,+circular,+horizontal+tomato+splitting&hl=en&site=imghp&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjN2PzI6qLVAhULaT4KHe_PApgQ_AUICSgA&biw=1402&bih=788&dpr=1[/url]

Carolyn

Worth1 July 24, 2017 06:00 PM

There's ((((GOLD))))) in them there tomaters.:lol:
Worth

Father'sDaughter July 24, 2017 07:13 PM

[QUOTE=carolyn137;656637]Good article, but other articles also cite a genetic cause as well, and I am trying so hard to remember the name of the well know one that is permanently shows the flecking.



Carolyn[/QUOTE]



The Speckled Roman tomatoes I've both purchased and grew had a good amount of gold speckling. And last year I saw it on a few of my Dwarf Project growouts that had Speckled Roman as one of the parents.

RayR July 24, 2017 08:57 PM

[QUOTE=carolyn137;656637]Good article, but other articles also cite a genetic cause as well, and I am trying so hard to remember the name of the well know one that is permanently shows the flecking.

Carolyn[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't doubt there is a genetic link to gold flecking. Just like there is a genetic link to some cultivars being more susceptible to BER. At least that explains part of it, but the entire picture is much more complicated than that, isn't it?:dizzy:

carolyn137 July 26, 2017 11:00 AM

[QUOTE=Father'sDaughter;656673]The Speckled Roman tomatoes I've both purchased and grew had a good amount of gold speckling. And last year I saw it on a few of my Dwarf Project growouts that had Speckled Roman as one of the parents.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Speckled_Roman[/url]

Nope, no gold speckling, see the link above as to origin and John Swenson.

Carolyn

bower July 26, 2017 11:15 AM

I put a half dozen ruffly-topped beefs outdoors last year, and every fruit was damaged severely by mold spores landing in that convenient water-and-spores catcher on top. :bummer:
Outdoors with rain protection overhead was okay, greenhouse the best for getting clean and uncracked fruit from those cracky beefs.

Smooth shoulders is IMO a highly desirable trait! :roll:

carolyn137 July 26, 2017 02:04 PM

[QUOTE=carolyn137;656637]Good article, but other articles also cite a genetic cause as well, and I am trying so hard to remember the name of the well know one that is permanently shows the flecking.

Carolyn[/QUOTE]

Not exactly gold flecking,but there's the one I was trying to remember.

[url]http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Depp%27s_Pink_Firefly[/url]

Carolyn

Scooty July 27, 2017 12:51 AM

[QUOTE=JosephineRose;656616]I tried that this year to prevent the cracking and feel they don't taste as good as those on the vine - lacking in sweetness and/or flavor intensity.

What has your experience with indoor ripened been?[/QUOTE]

Some people say they can't taste the difference. As for me, I definitely can taste the difference. It's always vine ripened for me.

Having said that, it depends on the variety. Putting aside textural and aesthetic marketability reasons for indoor ripening, the commercial F1 varieties have less in the way of taste. The perceivable delta between say an indoor and vine ripened Big Beef is a lot smaller than say a Carbon or Black Krim or Esmeralda or most other heirlooms [I'd argue].


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