[aclum]

Hi,

I seem to be having an unusually large amount of catfacing this year. I did a partial search on catfacing on the forum and came across this from Carolyn:


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Catfacing? More is known about that and it usually occurs with large fruited varieties, well let me just type out what's in my tomato pathology book:

"Abnormally cold weather during flowering is known to enhance this disorder. Also high soil nitrogen levels and any disturbance to the flowering parts during anthesis ( pollen shedding, CJM) can increase catfacing."

Otherwise the book also says that it's especially important on large fruited varieties and the severity is variety dependent.

And most of us have seen that catfaced fruits are usually found only on the earliest fruits and when the weather is warmer, for the reasons cited above, catfacing usually goes away.
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We certainly haven't had any problems with cold weather in these parts, and the amount of catfacing seems to be remaining fairly constant, and I'm fairly certain that I don't have excess nitrogen, so that leaves "any disturbance to the flowering parts during "anthesi"......

Towards the beginning of the season I was quite diligent using the electric toothbrush to assist in pollination and more or less applied the technique with reckless abandon to any flower I came across. Since I'm sort of overwhelmed with tomatoes at the moment, I haven't been quite so diligent in using the electric toothbrush, but when I do, it has been in the same random matter as earlier in the season.

So, I'm wondering if I'm inadvertently causing the catfacing by my toothbrush pollination techniques. If this seems likely, any tips on what I should be looking for (or avoiding) when I do my pollination rounds in terms of getting the blossom at the right time.

Thanks for any opinions/advice!!

Anne