Ugly Tomatoes Aren’t Always Rotten – Broomfield Enterprise

Have I mentioned it’s been a terrible year for tomatoes at my house?

Yes, I believe I have, probably more than once. The temperatures were quite cold at the beginning of the growing season, then it got brutally hot. As most gardeners know, tomatoes will not set fruit in the heat.

Now, two months into the growing season, my hopes for an abundance of home-grown tomatoes seem slim. I can almost see the weather patterns by looking at the tomato plants. Lots of early fruit set, followed by a foot or two of leaf. Then another round of fruit set, followed by more leaf.

And if that wasn’t enough, we recently had a hail storm. I replaced two tomato plants. They are growing, but there are no flowers on them. And what a lucky coincidence, there was a huge hornworm that ate the leaves of one of the plants.

We were able to harvest a handful of tomatoes recently; however, most had severe vertical cracks. Tomatoes can also develop concentric cracks. Both are likely due to fluctuating moisture levels in the soil. (bit.ly/4dgeFjJ)

It is now clear to me that my tomatoes are not going to be perfect this year. Let’s look at some common tomato problems that usually fall into the cosmetic category.

Zippering is the ultimate Frankenfruit in the tomato world, as far as I’m concerned, because it looks like it’s undergone major surgery. It usually happens in cooler temperatures, when flower parts stick to young fruits.

The scabby, hard, discolored spot on the bottom of a tomato is likely blossom end rot. It happens when calcium can’t reach the tomato when it first starts to develop. This doesn’t necessarily mean your soil is calcium deficient. It’s hard for “plants to move calcium, especially when water is scarce.” (bit.ly/3WDdsxb)

Then there is something called yellow shoulders and internal white tissue. This often occurs in high temperatures and direct sunlight on the developing fruit.

Are ugly tomatoes edible? It depends. The University of Minnesota Extension reports that “cracks in tomato fruit can provide an entry point for fungi that cause the fruit to abort, but the fruit is generally still edible.” (bit.ly/3WDdsxb)

In my house, we cut off the offending part of the tomato and inspect the inside. If anything is wrong, depending on the severity of the problem, we banish it to the compost pile or the salsa pot to cook. Remember, when in doubt, throw it out.

Arianna Kelley Rawlsky has a Masters in Horticulture and founded Bringing People and Plants Together, an organization dedicated to bringing horticultural education and therapy to the community. For more information: [email protected] or follow us on Facebook.

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