Topic: what's wrong with this tomato ?

[macmac]

I've had a couple like this and I've never seen it before ?
I'm sure someone will know.

[saddad]

Bleah  :-\

[goodlife]

..its black inside.. ;)

That tomato looks fully ripe..I wonder if the seeds have started to germinate inside and then gone off.

[davyw1]

It be Blossom End Rot believe it or not, You don't always get it on the underside.

[small]

I get that in Roma occasionally, I just cut those bits out since I don't eat the seeds anyway. They are a bit prone to BER for me so I agree with Davyw.

[dtw]

One good reason to chop tomatoes before eating them.  ;D

[macmac]

thanks folks ,the tom tasted good minus the black bits.
My only concern is we give loads away  :-[

[earlybirds]

hi it is caused by irregular watering i tink, we all do it , ps how are you .

[no-lottie]

It's not Blossom End Rot.

As the name of the disease implies, symptoms appear only at the blossom end of the fruit.

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Tomato_BlossRt.htm

[davyw1]

It's not Blossom End Rot.

As the name of the disease implies, symptoms appear only at the blossom end of the fruit.

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Tomato_BlossRt.htm

I hate being technical cos i am not bright enough.

If you want to be specific it is actually a decease called Blackheart, the tomato starts to rot on the inside just as in the picture. So what causes this to happen

It results from low calcium levels or high amounts of competitive cations in the soil, drought stress, or excessive soil moisture fluctuations which reduce uptake and movement of calcium into the plant, or rapid, vegetative growth due to excessive nitrogen fertilization.

I think that means irregular watering......and what causes Blossom End Rot

[no-lottie]

Yes, I'm familiar with what causes Blossom End Rot.

[Twoflower]

 
   So it needs a drink of milk ;D

[macmac]

   So it needs a drink of milk ;D

;D
thanks davyw1

[no-lottie]

I hate being technical cos i am not bright enough.

I think that means irregular watering......and what causes Blossom End Rot

A possible cause, but not always. I think what you wrote is a better example.

[zigzig]

Just fry it and serve with bacon for breakfast. Scoop out the black bits

[no-lottie]

Maybe Davyw1 can give us some more info on Blackheart Disease in tomatoes, so if we get it we can treat it.

[davyw1]

Maybe Davyw1 can give us some more info on Blackheart Disease in tomatoes, so if we get it we can treat it.

This is the cause of Blackheart
It results from low calcium levels or high amounts of competitive cations in the soil, drought stress, or excessive soil moisture fluctuations which reduce uptake and movement of calcium into the plant, or rapid, vegetative growth due to excessive nitrogen fertilization.
It is also the cause of Blossom End Rot and how on earth could anyone treat Blackheart if you dont know its there till you cut a tomato open, just like BER you wont get it on all the crop.

You are the tomato grower and Hoticulture Studant i would have thought you may have been more informative and tell me how to treat it.

Have a nice day

Davy

[no-lottie]

Davy - I haven't had BER for many years here, which I put down to how I water my plants. Now if I ever did get it I would first check the pH of my soil, aiming for 6.5, then I would dose the effected plants with Calcium Nitrate (soluble) in a watering can. The dose can be found online easily enough.

[davyw1]

Davy - I haven't had BER for many years here, which I put down to how I water my plants. Now if I ever did get it I would first check the pH of my soil, aiming for 6.5, then I would dose the effected plants with Calcium Nitrate (soluble) in a watering can. The dose can be found online easily enough.

I should think all who grow tomatoes know what to do if they get BER you asked

Maybe Davyw1 can give us some more info on Blackheart Disease in tomatoes, so if we get it we can treat it.

To which you got my reply

and how on earth could anyone treat Blackheart if you don't know its there till you cut a tomato open, just like BER you wont get it on all the crop.

All i can say is i dint know how to cure something i cannot see but if i did find a tomato with Blackheart then i would treat it as if i had blossom End Rot

Tell me how you would treat Blackheart

[Jeannine]

Blackheart is an environmental disease of celery and potatoes. In celery it is caused by calcium levels in the plant that are low in relation to the potassium levels.In potatoes it is caused by insufficient oxygen in the centre of the tuber that results when soil is waterlogged or temps are too high,it also occurs in storage if ventilation is poor or tubers are stored for a long time near freezing.

Blossom End Rot again  is an environmental disease often caused by improper watering or a calcium deficiency when fruit is forming.It can be caused by several other factors as well,. It most often occurs when plants have been grown under favourable conditions in the early part of the season and are then subjected to periods of drought while the fruit is in the early stages of developmen. Under these circumstances the cells at the end of the blossom fail to receive sufficient water to grow, BER can also occur after a period of heavy rain because many small rootlets die off from lack of aeration in the soil.Overdoses of nitrogen hinder the uptake of calcium which aggravates the problem,it can also be caused by excessive root pruning which results from heavy cultivation too near plants.

It also occurs in squash and peppers.

To sum up
Lack of water at a critical time
Too much water
Root damage
Calcium deficiency

The calcium deficiency is usually not the cause, it is the plants inability to absorb the calcium usually.
Check your PH to rule out calcium deficiency..should be between 6 and 7,if below 6 correct with limestone which contains calcium. Don;t add if not needed it will not help. Bear in mind it is not the whole plant that is calcium deficient if BER shows up on a fruit so feeding with calcium will not help if the soil is OK.

Symptoms are..sunken dry,brown to leathery spots that always develop near the blossom end of the fruit.

Treatment.. avoid adding surplus nitrogen , water consistently all through the season, cultivate the soil as little as possible if plants are in the ground during dry weather to avoid further soil drying out. Test for ph and adjust only if needed.

Plum tomatoes are more susceptible to BER and it is usually only on the first fruits of the season, then clears itself up.

If there was no external sign of damage your tomato does not have BER either.


 For anyone who suspects they may have BER ,check your tomatoes on the vine for any sign of black at the blossom end, it can show up in the green stage or when the fruit is ripening, it hastens ripening by the way.


XX Jeannine