Category: Tomatoes - K-State Research and Extension Horticulture Newsletter

Last Tomatoes of the Season

10/2/2017

Cold nights are increasing in frequency now that we are into October. If you have tomatoes, you may have some that are approaching maturity. Leave them on the vine until mature or until a frost is forecast. Tomatoes will ripen off the vine but must have reached a certain phase of maturity called the ‘mature green stage.’ Look for full-sized tomatoes with a white, star-shaped zone on the bottom end of the green fruit.

When harvesting fruit before a frost, separate tomatoes into three groups for storage: those that are mostly red, those that are just starting to turn, and those that are still green. Discard tomatoes with defects such as rots or breaks in the skin. Place the tomatoes on cardboard trays or cartons but use layers of newspaper to separate fruit if stacked. Occasionally a tomato may start to rot and leak juice. The newspaper will keep the juice from contacting nearby or underlying fruit. Store groups of tomatoes at as close to 55 degrees as possible until needed. (Ward Upham)

Bumps on Tomato Stems

7/21/2017

Tomato stems sometimes develop “warts” or “bumps” on the stems close to ground level. Though this looks abnormal, the condition is natural and not harmful. These bumps can eventually give rise to roots (called adventitious roots) if conditions are favorable. This is actually the mechanism the plant uses to form roots when tall, leggy plants are planted in a trench. Some varieties tend to be more prone to this condition than others and stress such as that produced by waterlogged soils also makes a “warty” stem more likely. Growth regulator type herbicides such as 2,4-D can also induce this state. So if you see a warty stem, don’t be concerned. The bumps will not harm the plant in the least. (Ward Upham)

Video of the Week: When to Pick Tomatoes

7/14/2017

Tomatoes Slow to Ripen

7/14/2017

The extremely hot weather we have had recently not only interferes with flower pollination (see July 11 newsletter) but also can affect how quickly fruit matures. The best temperature for tomato growth and fruit development is 85 to 90F. When temperatures exceed 100 degrees, the plant goes into survival mode and concentrates on moving water. Fruit development slows to a crawl. When temperatures moderate, even to the low to mid 90s, the fruit will ripen more quickly.

Tomato color can also be affected by heat. When temperatures rise above 95 degrees F, red pigments don't form properly though the orange and yellow pigments do. This results in orange fruit. This doesn't affect the edibility of the tomato, but often gardeners want that deep red color back.

So, can we do anything to help our tomatoes ripen and have good color during extreme heat? Sure, there is. We can pick tomatoes in the “breaker” stage. Breaker stage tomatoes are those that have started to turn color. At this point, the tomato has cut itself off from the vine and nothing will be gained by keeping it on the plant. If tomatoes are picked at this stage and brought into an air-conditioned house, they will ripen more quickly and develop a good, red color. A temperature of 75 to 85 degrees F will work well. (Ward Upham)

Tomato Cracking

7/14/2017

Tomatoes often have problems with cracking caused by pressure inside the fruit that is more than the skin can handle. Cracks are usually on the upper part of the fruit and can be concentric (in concentric circles around the stem) or radial (radiating from the stem). We don’t know everything about cracking but here is what we do know.

Tomatoes have a root system that is very dense and fibrous and is quite efficient in picking up water. Unfortunately, the root system can become unbalanced with the top of the plant. Early in the season it may be small in relation to the top growth resulting in blossom-end rot during hot dry weather. Later it may be so efficient that it provides too much water when we get rain or irrigate heavily after a dry spell. This quick influx of water can cause the tomato fruit to crack. Therefore, even, consistent watering can help with cracking. Mulching will also help because it moderates moisture levels in the soil. However, you can do everything right and still have problems with cracking in some years.

We have evaluated varieties for cracking during our tomato trials at K-State. It takes several years worth of data to get a good feel for crack-resistant varieties but we have found some real differences. Some varieties crack under about any condition and others are much more resistant. The difference seems to be pliability of skin rather than thickness — the more pliable the skin the more resistance to cracking.

The old variety Jet Star has been the most crack resistant of any we have tested including the newer types. Unfortunately, Jet Star is an indeterminate variety that puts out rampant growth. Newer varieties with more controlled growth are often more attractive to gardeners. Mountain Spring, Mountain Pride, Mountain Fresh, Floralina and Sun Leaper are smaller-vined types that have shown good resistance to cracking. (Ward Upham)

Sunscald on Tomato

7/14/2017

Extreme heat and bright sunlight can sunscald tomato fruit, leaving a light yellow to white sunken spot that resembles a blister. Eventually this area may allow black mold in invade and cause the tomato to rot.

Sunscald most often happens to fruit that is exposed to full sun after losing foliage to disease, hail or tomato hornworms. Exposed fruit may be shaded with cheesecloth to prevent injury. Fruit can also be harvested as the tomato starts to turn color so they can ripen inside. Tomatoes picked at this stage will be just as sweet as those left to ripen on the vine. Remove affected fruit to encourage more fruit set.

Sunburned fruit are rarely usable if the damage is extensive. Tomatoes with little damage can be used if sunscalded areas are cut out. (Ward Upham)

Heat Stops Tomatoes from Setting Fruit

7/7/2017

Temperatures that remain above 75 degrees F at night and day temperatures above 95 degrees F with dry, hot winds will cause poor fruit set on tomatoes. High temperatures interfere with pollen viability and/or cause excessive style growth leading to a lack of pollination.

It usually takes about 3 weeks for tomato flowers to develop into fruit large enough to notice that something is wrong and an additional week before tomatoes are full size and ready to start ripening.

Though there are "heat-set" tomatoes such as Florida 91, Sun Leaper and Sun Master that will set fruit at higher temperatures, that difference is normally only 2 to 3 degrees. Cooler temperatures will allow flowers to resume fruit set. (Ward Upham)

Blossom End Rot

6/20/2017

If you have tomatoes with a sunken, brown leathery patch on the bottom of the fruit, you probably have blossom end rot. Though most common on tomatoes, blossom end rot can also affect squash, peppers and watermelons. Not a disease, this condition is caused by a lack of calcium in the developing fruit. It is often assumed that this means there is a corresponding lack of calcium in the soil. This is not necessarily the case, especially in Kansas. Most Kansas
soils are derived from limestone, which is partially made up of calcium. So, what causes blossom end rot?

Actually, there are a number of possible causes, especially on tomatoes. Let's look at some of
them.

Tomato tops often outgrow the root system during cooler spring weather. As long as it is cool,

the root system can keep up. When it turns hot and dry, the plant has a problem, and water --
with the calcium it carries — goes to the leaves and the fruit is bypassed. The plant responds
with new root growth and the condition corrects itself after a couple of weeks.

Heavy fertilization, especially with ammonium forms of nitrogen, can encourage this condition.

Heavy fertilization encourages more top than root growth and the ammonium form of nitrogen
competes with calcium for uptake. If blossom-end rot has been a perpetual problem, try using calcium nitrate (15-0-0) as your fertilizer.

Anything that disturbs roots such as hoeing too deep can encourage blossom-end rot. Mulching

helps because it keeps the soil surface cooler and therefore a better environment for root growth.

Inconsistent watering can be a factor. Keep soil moist but not waterlogged.

Mulching can help by moderating moisture levels over time. You should also avoid damaging roots and watch fertilization. But there are some years you do everything right and the condition shows up due to the weather. In such cases, remember that blossom-end rot is a temporary condition, and plants should come out of it in a couple of weeks. You may want to pick off affected fruit to encourage new fruit formation.

Soils with adequate calcium will not benefit from adding additional calcium. If your soil is
deficient in this nutrient, add 1 pound gypsum per 100 square feet. Gypsum is calcium sulfate
and will not affect pH. Though calcium raises pH, sulfate lowers it and the two cancel each
other out. Even if not needed, gypsum will not hurt anything.

We have also found that spraying plants with calcium doesn't work. The fruit's waxy surface
doesn't allow absorption of the material and calcium does not move from the leaves to the fruit.
Last of all, there are years you can do everything right and still have blossom end rot. As
mentioned above, the condition should correct itself in a couple of weeks. (Ward Upham)

Hornworms on Tomatoes

6/16/2017

Hornworms are the largest larval insect commonly seen in the garden. Though usually seen on tomato, they can also attack eggplant, pepper, and potato.

The larval stage of this insect is a 3 ½- to 4-inch long pale green caterpillar with five pair of prolegs and a horn on the last segment. The two most common hornworms are the tobacco hornworm (seven diagonal white stripes and, most commonly, a red horn) and the tomato hornworm (v-shaped markings with a horn that is often blue or black).

The adult of the tobacco hornworm is the Carolina sphinx moth. The five-spotted hawk moth is the adult of the tomato hornworm. Both moths are stout-bodied, grayish-colored insects with a wing spread of 4 to 5 inches. The larva is the damaging stage and feeds on the leaves and stems of the tomato plant, leaving behind dark green or black droppings.

Though initially quite small with a body about the same size as its horn, these insects pass through four or five larval stages to reach full size in about a month. The coloration of this larva causes it to blend in with its surroundings and is often difficult to see despite its large size. It eventually will burrow into the soil to pupate. There are two generations a year.

This insect is parasitized by a number of insects. One of the most common is a small braconid wasp. Larva that hatch from wasp eggs laid on the hornworm feed on the inside of the hornworm until the wasp is ready to pupate. The cocoons appear as white projections protruding from the hornworm's body. If such projections are seen, leave the infected hornworms in the garden. The wasps will kill the hornworms when they emerge from the cocoons and will seek out other hornworms to parasitize.

Handpicking is an effective control in small gardens. Though large, these larvae are surprisingly difficult to see. Missing foliage is often the first clue that you have an interloper. Bt (Dipel, Thuricide), spinosad (Conserve; Colorado Potato Beetle Beater Conc; Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew, Monterey Garden Insect Spray), cyfluthrin (Bayer Vegetable & Garden Insect Spray) and other insecticides may also be used to control hornworms. (Ward Upham)

Vegetables: Do Not Over-Fertilize Tomatoes

6/13/2017

Though tomatoes need to be fertilized to yield well, too much nitrogen can result in large plants with little to no fruit. Tomatoes should be fertilized before planting and sidedressed with a nitrogen fertilizer three times during the season.

The first sidedressing should go down one to two weeks before the first tomato ripens. The second should be applied two weeks after the first tomato ripens and the third one month after the second. Common sources of nitrogen-only fertilizers include nitrate of soda, urea, and ammonium sulfate. Blood meal is an organic fertilizer that contains primarily, but not exclusively, nitrogen. Use only one of the listed fertilizers and apply at the rate given below.

        Nitrate of soda (16-0-0): Apply 2/3 pound (1.5 cups) fertilizer per 30 feet of row.
        Blood Meal (12-1.5-.6): Apply 14 ounces (1.75 cups) fertilizer per 30 feet of row.
        Urea (46-0-0): Apply 4 ounces (½ cup) fertilizer per 30 feet of row.
        Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-0): Apply 0.5 pounds (1 cup) fertilizer per 30 feet of row.

If you cannot find the above materials, you can use a lawn fertilizer that is about 30 percent nitrogen (nitrogen is the first number in the set of three) and apply it at the rate of 1/3 pound (3/4 cup) per 30 feet of row. Do not use a fertilizer that contains a weed killer or weed preventer. (Ward Upham)