Tomato Warning: Side Splits and Shoulder Cracks

-

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson



just scroll down for the details 😉


Stretch marks on tomatoes are hard to prevent, so go ahead and harvest as soon as you notice them. Photo credit J. Kern.

 

Question: What’s wrong with these tomatoes? We’re seeing marks developing on some fruit in rings. The insides of the larger splits have white fuzz in them, but when the splits are first observed they do not have this fuzz.

-          J. Kern, Artesia, NM, submitted via Extension Agronomist Dr. Robert Flynn

Answer: Tomatoes across the state (and beyond) are exhibiting two main types of splitting: radial side splitting and concentric cracking. Both tend to be up higher on the fruit shoulder. Radial side splitting looks like someone took a knife and started cutting out a vertical wedge, but then got distracted and stopped a quarter inch or so in. Concentric cracking results in circular or semi-circular lines that start out looking like stretch marks that can break open as they broaden. The good news for you is that tomatoes with radial splits get moldy quicker than those with concentric cracks... the bad news is that in the second photo shared by Dr. Flynn, your tomato appears to be possessed!

Dr. Flynn shared this HORRIFYING photo with the caption "FEED ME SEYMOUR." [blech!] Photo credit Robert Flynn.

Phil Lujan (Diagnostician for NMSU’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic) is all too familiar with local tomato diseases. Lujan told me that, so far this summer, the most prevalent tomato diseases he’s seen include tomato spotted wilt virus, curly top virus, and Fusarium wilt (fungus). Overwatering has also caused Pythium root rot—a fungus that was killing plants earlier in the season. Most tomato problems they’ve analyzed this year were attributed to abiotic (non-living) stressors, like sunscald and heat and drought stress. And really that’s the case each year, for all types of plant samples submitted to the Plant Diagnostic Clinic (https://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/plantclinic/).

In response to that top photo of cracking tomatoes in Artesia, Lujan explained, “Skin and fruit cracking is usually due to hot, dry conditions followed by a lot of water, whether it be from heavy irrigation or rain.” Once the inside part is exposed, then secondary fungi or “fuzz” appears.

The cracking isn’t due to under-watering as much as uneven watering. As the fruit develop, they get to a certain point when the skin thickens slightly and the tomato’s size is set. Afterward, heavy irrigation or a nice rain event can cause skin splitting because the fruit expands beyond the fixed size. Interestingly, the same thing happens in pomegranates. I wrote about that two years ago, and you can find it by clicking HERE.

Pomegranates split wide open before they were ripe on this backyard tree in Socorro.

Photo credit V. Gonzales.

Unlike pomegranates that never ripen more after they’ve been picked, tomatoes continue to ripen off the vine, as long as they’re already mature. This is true for bananas, apples, pears, and for avocados as well. In horticultural terms, the difference between a fruit that’s “ripe” versus “mature” is that mature fruits have fully developed, viable seeds, whereas ripeness refers more to personal preference and marketability—color, texture, and flavor. So this means you can, and should, go ahead and harvest tomatoes that are showing early cracking signs so they can finish ripening (and reddening) inside before the mold takes over.


It didn’t take me long to find tomatoes with either radial side splits, concentric cracking, or both.
I’m glad I got to these before the mold took over. Photo credits M. Thompson.

More resources:



Send gardening questions to Southwest Yard and Garden - Attn: Dr. Marisa Thompson at desertblooms@nmsu.edu, or at the NM Desert Blooms Facebook page (@NMDesertBlooms)

Please copy your County Extension Agent (http://aces.nmsu.edu/county/) and indicate your county of residence when you submit your question!

For more gardening information, visit the NMSU Extension Horticulture page at Desert Blooms (http://desertblooms.nmsu.edu/) and the NMSU Horticulture Publications page at http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/.

Marisa Y. Thompson, PhD, is the Extension Horticulture Specialist, in the Department of Extension Plant Sciences at the New Mexico State University Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saving Zinnia Seeds

-
Image
Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Zinnia showing off both disk and ray flowers at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center in Los Lunas. Photo credit M. Thompson     Question: I have a large monarch butterfly garden, and I gathered zinnia seed heads to plant next spring. Zinnia seeds appear to have two distinct morphologies. The ray flower seed is shield-shaped and the disk flower seed is smaller and flatter. Which of the seeds is viable? I have researched and found some who say only the ray seed, some say only the disk seed, and some say both. Please let me know which zinnia seed is most viable and why. -           Tim P., New Mexico Answer: I know exactly what you mean. I’ve had this question before myself. Zinnias were one of my first garden successes when I moved to Las Cruces in 2009. I too gathered the seed heads and I too wondered which part was the true seed that sho...
Read more

Controlling Weedy/Invasive/Polleny Siberian Elm Trees

-
Image
LOOKING FOR IDEAS on   WHAT TO DO WITH  SIBERIAN ELMS AFTER REMOVAL?  I'll keep posting ideas HERE over time. 👍 Southwest Yard & Garden  by guest author Dr. Leslie Beck   &  Dr. Marisa Thompson   Additional Info On This Noxious Weed Below Siberian elm seedlings can have a taproot that’s longer than the above-ground parts. Try to get all or most of the root when you pull them. Photo credit M. Thompson.   Question : What’s the best way to kill Siberian elm seedlings? - Mellene Pablo, Los Lunas Answer: I’m glad you’re asking this question when these weedy, invasive trees are small and relatively easy to control (emphasis on the “ relatively ”). We all know how precious shade is in New Mexico, and we love our trees for providing it, but weedy trees like Russian olive ( Elaeagnus angustifolia ) , tree of heaven ( Ailanthus altissima ) , salt cedar ( Tamarix spp. ) , and the Siberian elm are real problems across the state. Several tr...
Read more

What’s Wrong with MY Tree? PART 2: Oozing Stains on Tree Trunk

-
Image
Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson   The stained, oozing spot is slimeflux (aka bacterial wetwood), and I bet it stinks like strong chemical paint thinner. The bad news is it’s not fixable, but it’s also not causing a problem. Slimeflux is an indicator of an underlying decay issue. Photo credit Joy E. Question: My husband and I just bought a house with a beautiful cottonwood tree in the back yard. We noticed a gooey, rotting section in the crook of the trunk. We certainly don't want to lose this gorgeous tree! Do you know what this is and how we can treat it? Answer: Yes, I know what it is and what caused it. But no, I don’t have easy answers for how to treat it. What you’re seeing is called slimeflux, aka bacterial wetwood. If you were to smell it, you’d never forget it. It smells to me like nail polish remover that’s gone rancid. My uncle, also an arborist, said it smells like gym socks. So basically it smells like what it looks like: gross. There...
Read more