The cause is too much water too fast. Water the plants slowly, rather than flood them. Some large-fruited varieties will crack no matter what you do. Cracking
Tomato hornworm
Years ago, you’d walk out to your garden, and find leafless
stems and small black droppings on your tomato plants. Eventually, you’d discover the culprit: a fat, mostly green caterpillar. I haven’t seen any in years, but on the occasions I do get them, I leave them alone. Of course, you can pick them off the plants.
Caused by incomplete pollination, most likely from planting too early, this also appears on the bottom of the tomato and looks like a scary cat face. Once the weather warms, catfacing disappears. Catfacing
Pat Rubin info@californiabountiful.com
Tips for success
Soil: Give them soil with good drainage. Add plenty of compost. Staking: To make it easier to harvest and keep the garden tidy, I have 8-foot-tall cages around each plant. Some people use fencing or string. Watering: A dozen gardeners will give you a dozen different answers when it comes to watering. Many say a gallon of water a week is plenty. My tomatoes get watered every day with a mist watering system that runs for 45 minutes. If plants wilt a bit during the heat of the day, but perk back up in the evening, they’re getting enough water. As plants grow, you can water less often but for longer periods.
Hybrid vs. heirloom: Heirloom tomatoes are often less productive than hybirds, but may beat them in the flavor category. On the downside, they can be susceptible to disease. Look at the tag. (See section on viruses and blights in the main story for details.) Planting: Tomatoes can produce roots along their stems, so plant seedlings up to their top leaves. Either dig a hole deep enough to do this or plant them in a trench. If possible, avoid planting where peppers, potatoes or eggplant were grown the year before, because these crops are susceptible to the same diseases as tomatoes. If you can’t, more compost is the answer. Plenty of sun: Tomatoes thrive on 10 to 12 hours of sunlight daily.
Powered by FlippingBook