subject: Weather Related Tomato Growing Problems To Be Aware Of [print this page] Harvesting your very fresh tomatoes can be a very fulfilling experience as they are big producers if they do not have any weather growing problems.
Weather related problems cause many of the growth problems a gardener faces.
Weather related problems:
Sunscald: Sunscald will be seen as shiny white or yellow areas on the side of the tomato that is facing the sun. As if that is not enough the area dries out and collapses which then allows organisms to invade the fruit causing it to rot.
To prevent sunscald the plants do need to have good leaf coverage protecting the ripening fruit. Tomato plants need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day, but the sun can ruin the tomato fruit if in direct sunlight for long periods of time.
When pruning the tomato plant give consideration to shade for the tomatoes. Some growers have found that using cages as support gives the tomatoes optimal shade.
Blossom Drop: This is when the tomato blossoms appear but do not form fruit, but instead drop off the vine. Most often the cause is fluctuating temperatures or more appropriately when the temperatures drop below 55 degrees or heat up above 75 degrees. But also dry conditions or insufficient watering can be the cause of blossom drop. Keeping the plants well watered will solve the insufficient water problem, but the temperature problem is harder to control. Once the temperatures do settle down again the blossoms will set.
Catface Tomatoes: This problem occurs during the flowering stage when there is cool weather. Catfacing develops when the fruits form odd shapes and develop deep crevices. The bottom end of the tomato develops brown scars and there are usually brown scars surrounding the crevice areas.
Watering tomatoes is a task that needs to be done with care and be consistent.
Rainfall: the problem of cracked tomatoes occurs after there has been a very heavy rainfall following a dry period. The excessive rain encourages rapid growth with the flesh plumping up but the skin has not managed to keep up.
High temperatures: temperatures over 90 degrees as well as the direct sunlight can also cause tomatoes to crack. Cracked tomatoes are them susceptible to rotting so they do need to be taken off the vine immediately.
There are crack resistant varieties and it would be helpful to grow these if cracked tomatoes are a continuing problem in the area where you live.
Needless to say you can see that the amount of water a tomato plants gets is a very critical part of successful tomato growing. You will find that mulching is a great way to keep the soil moist and regular watering will stop the ground drying out but of course if it has been raining then the amount of rain the tomatoes plants receive needs to be observed. Tomatoes like moist warm soil and dont like to have wet feet either so it is a matter of finding the right balance.
