Tomatoes Please Help Calling All Gardeners

Tomatoes Please Help

sparow64 14 years ago

The grape tomatoes are doing sooo good. Got 2 or 3 bowls ful already. Also have Big Boys, Better Boys and Beefseaks planted. 3 plants of each. Get plenty of sun, and we've had an awful lot of rain. (East TN). All of them are just full of green tomatoes and they seem to be growing well. Had my eye on the one that was turning red first for a few days now. Went to pick it when I got home, and the whole bottom of the tomato was molded!!! Didn't look over ripe, either. About 4 plants down, had another tomato just starting to turn red, and it's doing the same thing!! All the green ones seem to be fine!! What can I do? Is it because we've had too much rain? They gardner guy on the local news said that's what is wrong with everyone's rosees (no one has leaves, only stems and a very few buds), and he said to spray them with this antifungal spray.

Is that what's wrong with the tomatoes? When we do water, we water the roots, and not the leaves or the fruit.

Any ideas??? I'd hate to see that happen to all the tomatoes on our 9 plants!!!

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mrtnzangel8 14 years ago said:

I wish I could help...been trying to get a green thumb for at least 4 years now and no matter how excited I am at the beginning of the season I don't always get what I think I am going to. My avatar (and please don't click on it bigger, sent it from my cell phone and it will be fuzzy) is my Tiny Tim mini tomatoes. They have been that size for 2 weeks now. I have 2 pots of them and tons of flower buds coming on top of the plants for more...but just don't get why they are not turning red already!

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mrtnzangel8 14 years ago said:

ok, not fuzzy but not any bigger....lol

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rainbowcookin 14 years ago said:

the only thing i can suggest is to pick them green and put them on an inside window ledge iin the sun till they go red
also plant marigolds and basil plants around the tomatoes, i think that may help
maybe chatting to the plants and loving the earth they grow in....you know, like positive thinking for tomatoes lol
good luck anyway

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mrtnzangel8 14 years ago said:

I guess all I had to do was whine a little bit...went to check just now and they are starting to turn red! Hopefully, a couple more days and I will be able to pick that little bunch in the pic.

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susanmay 14 years ago said:

My gardening book shows something called Blossom End Rot for tomatoes, which it describes as dark patches that appear at the base of developing fruits. These gradually sink and rot. They say the cause is not a diseas but dry soil around the roots that prevents the plant taking up the mineral calcium. It says that regular watering is key to saving the rest of the crop, and that tomatoes in small containers are more vulnerable, as the soil or soil mix will dry out more quickly. It also says that small-fruited tomatoes are less prone to this deficiency.

Here's a link to what blossom end rot looks like:

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/PhotoPages/Tomatoes/Tom_BlossRot/Tom_BlossRot1.htm

Of course, that doesn't make too much sense since you said you are getting a lot of rain.

Another questions would be if you have your tomatoes staked or caged, or if they are growing along the ground? I think if you have them growing along the ground you need to put a bed of straw or something similar under them so they don't rot on the ground. Ours are all caged, and we haven't seen any issues yet, though none are starting to turn red yet (in Minnesota).

Good luck to you, and I hope you can figure it out!!!

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sparow64 14 years ago said:

Someone else suggested blossom end rot, and I thought that might be it until I saw a pic. It's really just plain old mold. My boss does a big garden and she told me to get this spray at wal-mart, that's like $2. Said one time should fix it. I forgot the name, hoping I'll know it when I see it! lol We have them staked, but not caged.

I hope it works...will let everyone know!

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tillia 14 years ago said:

Good Idea for this Group,I started a similar one a few back. Anyway..Tomatoes. Too much rain is as damaging as not enough. It is a crap shoot. Try aerating the soil around the base of the plants when there is too much rain. I just use a metal chopstick to poke in holes and loosen the soil. Remove any damaged fruit as it comes up.

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