Green shoulders

Nematode · July 30, 2016

Why this?

Knowing whats going on in the varden this year I would suspect
Too wet
Excess N
More sun than previous years.

Father'sDaughter · July 30, 2016

I see that a lot in some varieties regardless of what's going on.

brownrexx · July 30, 2016

Many of the heirlooms do that because they do not have the gene for even ripening.

Shapshftr · July 30, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nematode

Why this?

Knowing whats going on in the varden this year I would suspect
Too wet
Excess N
More sun than previous years.

Usually green shoulders is a sign of a potassium deficiency, but other factors can be involved, such as high heat. Tomatoes need potassium to develop lycopene (red color). High heat also prevents lycopene production.

excerpt:
"One unusual way of avoiding the problem all together is to harvest tomatoes when pink color is first seen and let the fruit ripen at room temperature in the dark. Because the lycopene is produced as the fruit ripens it is often possible to avoid yellow shoulders by removing the fruit from the high temperatures and other stresses."

But I would try to address nutrient deficiencies and possibly use shade cloth if the weather is hot, to help keep fruits cool. Potassium is what makes the sugars (brix) in fruit, so I would think that picking early and ripening in the dark (which is what greenhouses do) would make for less tasty tomatoes.

Here's some helpful insight:

agdev.anr.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/?p=3457

Ricky Shaw · July 30, 2016

You mean like this? High temps mostly. I'm working through some of this now, not nearly as bad as the pic. Mine affects about 1 in 10 pieces and runs more in seams, from the shoulders thru the locules.

http://thecountrybasket.com/growing-...roblems-fixes/

Shapshftr · July 31, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

You mean like this? High temps mostly. I'm working through some of this now, not nearly as bad as the pic. Mine affects about 1 in 10 pieces and runs more in seams, from the shoulders thru the locules.

http://thecountrybasket.com/growing-...roblems-fixes/

Yep. High temps prevent lycopene production and cause green shoulders.

**carolyn137** · July 31, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nematode

Why this?

Knowing whats going on in the varden this year I would suspect
Too wet
Excess N
More sun than previous years.

What is the name of the variety that you show?

I ask b/c while almost all modern F1 varieties have bred in the Uniform Ripening gene,not that many non hybrids have it naturally. Why just the F1's? Primarily for cosmetic reasons and primarily for commercial growers.

To me it's very common to see green shoulders and I don't worry about it one bit.

Carolyn

Nematode · July 31, 2016

SOTW stump of the world is the pic.
Fish lake is showing same pattern.
Dester was perfect.

BTW, whoever thought of using a sharpie to keep track of varieties is brilliant.

Nematode · July 31, 2016

It seems more prevalent this year, but we just came off a hot spell.

dfollett · August 2, 2016

I don't know if SOTW has the Uniform Ripening Gene or not. However, there is significant research that confirms that tomatoes that don't have that gene have better flavor than those that have it. Varieties that have the gene - most commercial varieties and heirlooms that don't show green shoulders - are usually significantly lower in sugars and chloroplasts, resulting in less taste.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/...-kept-on-going

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/...omato-ripening

http://frogsleapfarm.blogspot.com/

Barbee · August 2, 2016

That is a perfect Stump. How'd it taste?

Nematode · August 2, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbee

That is a perfect Stump. How'd it taste?

Don't recall eating it, must have sent it off with friends the other day.
It would have been my forst SOTW ever, so think I would have remembered it good or bad.
Good news is theres more

Ricky Shaw · August 2, 2016

I see the thread was about green shoulders the trait, as opposed to the condition. I'm gonna go on anyway, cause I took pics. Here's the condition in my garden. The shoulders stay green or yellow because the ripening process has been halted by high temps. In addition to fibrous streaks running longitudinally, it appears to me, that locules and seeds are not forming properly. Pretty much like the article above illustrates.

It affects the pinks and the lower tress fruit the most. Elgin Pink a lot, Brandy Boy some, Crnkovic has had zero.

Nematode · August 3, 2016

Ricky,
Just about green shoulders and what might cause it or aggravate it.
Thanks for your input. Now that the heat has passed, it will be interesting to see if the green shoulders will be less pronounced. Also I will try picking breakers to see if that helps.
I don't really mind it, but prefer less of the white pith that comes with the worst of it.

zipcode · August 3, 2016

From what I seen little a green like you show shouldn't lead to white parts inside. The white parts are almost surely caused by potassium deficiency in fruit and usually is associated with poor taste. High heat causes poorer absorption of nutrients for example.
Direct contact with sun usually causes some external green shoulders, but they should only extend marginally inside.

August 2, 2016	#11
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	That is a perfect Stump. How'd it taste? __________________ *Barbee*

July 30, 2016	#2
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	I see that a lot in some varieties regardless of what's going on.

July 30, 2016	#3
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	Many of the heirlooms do that because they do not have the gene for even ripening.

July 31, 2016	#8
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	SOTW stump of the world is the pic. Fish lake is showing same pattern. Dester was perfect. BTW, whoever thought of using a sharpie to keep track of varieties is brilliant.

August 2, 2016	#10
dfollett Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Utah Posts: 693	I don't know if SOTW has the Uniform Ripening Gene or not. However, there is significant research that confirms that tomatoes that don't have that gene have better flavor than those that have it. Varieties that have the gene - most commercial varieties and heirlooms that don't show green shoulders - are usually significantly lower in sugars and chloroplasts, resulting in less taste. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/...-kept-on-going http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/...omato-ripening http://frogsleapfarm.blogspot.com/

August 3, 2016	#14
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Ricky, Just about green shoulders and what might cause it or aggravate it. Thanks for your input. Now that the heat has passed, it will be interesting to see if the green shoulders will be less pronounced. Also I will try picking breakers to see if that helps. I don't really mind it, but prefer less of the white pith that comes with the worst of it.

August 3, 2016	#15
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	From what I seen little a green like you show shouldn't lead to white parts inside. The white parts are almost surely caused by potassium deficiency in fruit and usually is associated with poor taste. High heat causes poorer absorption of nutrients for example. Direct contact with sun usually causes some external green shoulders, but they should only extend marginally inside.