Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Information and discussion regarding garden diseases, insects and other unwelcome critters.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old June 26, 2018   #1
GoDawgs
Tomatovillian™
 
GoDawgs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b
Posts: 1,685
Default Watery Rotty Areas on Tomatoes!

I've looked through all the tomato disease links I have, including that wonderful Tomato Fruit Disorders pdf here but I can't find the problem several tomatoes here have just had. Can anyone help with an ID?

This is a Golden Girl and it has a soft fluid-filled area on the side and I found another one like it on a Creole too. Two days ago my sister found a tomato completely gone with it, like a bag of nastiness that smelled to high heaven. I've never encountered this before and it's just started. A close inspection shows no other fruit involved so far.



Any recommendations on what it is and how to protect the other tomatoes?
GoDawgs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 26, 2018   #2
ginger2778
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
Default

Happens to my early season fruit every year. The stem end usually is rough, bacteria gets in, and it rots. Mostly all form better with smoother stem connections a littke later on, then this goes away. I do still get a few even later in the season.
ginger2778 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 26, 2018   #3
carolyn137
Moderator Emeritus
 
carolyn137's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoDawgs View Post
I've looked through all the tomato disease links I have, including that wonderful Tomato Fruit Disorders pdf here but I can't find the problem several tomatoes here have just had. Can anyone help with an ID?

This is a Golden Girl and it has a soft fluid-filled area on the side and I found another one like it on a Creole too. Two days ago my sister found a tomato completely gone with it, like a bag of nastiness that smelled to high heaven. I've never encountered this before and it's just started. A close inspection shows no other fruit involved so far.



Any recommendations on what it is and how to protect the other tomatoes?
What you have there is called sour rot and yes,it does stink to high heavens. As it progresses you can end up with a fruit that contains nothing but water from the decay of the inner structure.Actually it looks like a bag of water/liquid.

https://www.google.com/search?source....0.NVMAt8TM6DU

Carolyn
__________________
Carolyn
carolyn137 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 27, 2018   #4
b54red
Tomatovillian™
 
b54red's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by carolyn137 View Post
What you have there is called sour rot and yes,it does stink to high heavens. As it progresses you can end up with a fruit that contains nothing but water from the decay of the inner structure.Actually it looks like a bag of water/liquid.

https://www.google.com/search?source....0.NVMAt8TM6DU

Carolyn
Thanks for the information. I have been seeing this all my life and never knew what it was or what caused it. I never had a lot of it but it was a stinking mess when it did hit a tomato.

Bill
b54red is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 27, 2018   #5
GoDawgs
Tomatovillian™
 
GoDawgs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b
Posts: 1,685
Default

Thank you so much for the information! Now, I read where some tomato packing houses use a chlorine rinse on harvested tomatoes to prevent post-harvest rot issues.

Question: Would a light 10% mix of chlorine misted on tomato clusters help or hurt what tomatoes are out there now in case there's more bacteria lurking about?
GoDawgs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 27, 2018   #6
brownrexx
Tomatovillian™
 
brownrexx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southeastern PA
Posts: 1,420
Default

Your tomato need to have some sort of injury or opening for the bacteria to invade the inside if the fruit. Bacteria is everywhere both in the soil and floating in the air which is why anything laying on the ground will rot.

Did you ever notice how a tomato with a crack will develop rot in that area? Same thing. It's bacteria entering an opening in the fruit.

I would not worry about it and I would not want to spray my tomatoes with chlorine.

You could pick your tomatoes at first blush and let them finish ripening indoors. Experts here say that this does not affect the flavor and keeps them safe from rot, cracking or predators.
brownrexx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 27, 2018   #7
carolyn137
Moderator Emeritus
 
carolyn137's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoDawgs View Post
Thank you so much for the information! Now, I read where some tomato packing houses use a chlorine rinse on harvested tomatoes to prevent post-harvest rot issues.

Question: Would a light 10% mix of chlorine misted on tomato clusters help or hurt what tomatoes are out there now in case there's more bacteria lurking about?
This Google search should answer your question

https://www.google.com/search?q=trea...&bih=815&dpr=1

There's a HUGE difference between treating fruits with chlorine itself and Chlorine Dioxide GAS.

And one of those links even mentions Sour Rot.

Carolyn
__________________
Carolyn
carolyn137 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 28, 2018   #8
GoDawgs
Tomatovillian™
 
GoDawgs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b
Posts: 1,685
Default

Thanks again or the inputs and links. I've already been bringing some near-ripe tomatoes inside to finish ripening after seeing the first soft-rotted tomato. This is the first year in a while where the plants have been so loaded with large fruit. There's been no change in growing regimen so go figure. I'd just hate to see them all go down the drain.

Again, thanks for the help!
GoDawgs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 28, 2018   #9
brownrexx
Tomatovillian™
 
brownrexx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southeastern PA
Posts: 1,420
Default

It's probably unlikely that they will ALL have damaged spots for bacteria to enter so I wouldn't worry too much about losing them all but even a stinkbug bite punctures the skin and can allow bacteria to enter. We just can't control that.
brownrexx is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:30 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★