Other than leaf problems, one of the most common issues gardeners have with tomato plants is a lack of tomatoes. Many of us who have grown lush bushy tomato plants have stared at them wondering, why won’t my tomato plants produce tomatoes?

So let’s talk about reasons why a tomato plant just won’t flower and fruit and what you can do to fix it.

Why Tomato Plants Make Flowers But Don’t Produce Fruit

First off, tomato gardeners have to have patience. After you plant your tomatoes in the ground, it will typically be a couple of months before you’ll be harvesting fruit. Every variety of tomato has a different time to fruiting which can be 90 days or more.

But how long before a tomato plant flowers? Tomato plants usually flower pretty quickly after planting, but those first flowers may not set a lot of fruit early in the season. This can be normal and should improve as the weather warms up. Can tomatoes flower too early? Only in the sense that low nighttime temperatures can affect their pollination.

Tomato flowers are complete flowers which means they have both a male part and a female part. This is what makes them self-pollinating, so you do not need pollinators to make tomatoes from flowers. But many environmental conditions, like relative humidity, can cause problems with the flower’s ability to self-pollinate.

A tomato will grow from the female part of the flower, and takes several weeks to ripen – depending on the variety. It’s really hard to be patient waiting for the fruit to ripen on your plant, but the first thing to do is to search your variety so you know the typical time to fruit for your particular tomato variety.

If your plant is giving lots of flowers but not producing tomatoes, then it’s time to consider one of these reasons for poor production of your tomato plants.

Extreme temperatures cause lack of fruit setting

A tomato plant will grow in a wide range of conditions, but temps on the extreme side can impact the number and quality of fruit your plant makes. If your nighttime temperatures are dropping into the 50s or daytime temperatures are in the 100s, then you’ll have issues with flowers being able to self-pollinate.

You may even see the flowers falling off the plant (aka blossom drop) without setting any fruit. Extremes in humidity will have a similar effect causing pollen to be too sticky or not sticky enough to fertilize the pistil. If temperature and humidity are affecting your tomato fruit set, you might just have to wait for the weather to become more cooperative. 

We usually plant tomatoes a week after our last frost date, but it’s still going to be too cold to expect a lot of fruit just yet. You may even want to place cold frames and frost protection over your plants in the first couple of weeks. If you know your area gets hot spells in the summer, plant your tomatoes where they will receive some afternoon shade or try growing under a shade cloth. In areas where there are no frost dates, you may have better luck planting your tomatoes in the fall as the hot weather is too much for tomato plants.

Other environmental causes for lack of flowers on your tomato plant include storms and strong winds that displace small blooms, fungal diseases present in the soil, and pest stress.

Water stress can cause blossom drop

One thing my husband used to say about gardening is to make sure I kept my watering in the Goldilocks zone…not too much and not too little but just right.

If your plants are having periods of drought and flooding, they’ll often respond by dropping their flowers. It’s best to water tomato plants evenly and regularly. Drastic changes in their watering schedule can lead to tomato fruit problems.

When possible, install drip irrigation at the base of your plants and soak the soil only when necessary. Depending on your environment, you may need to water every day or only once a week. Knowing how much to water your tomato plants is really a practice in observing your garden and getting to know the specific conditions that affect your plants.

Signs that your plant needs to be watered include dry soil (obviously), curling of leaves, sagging stems, and suckers that flop or fall over.

Pruning will help improve flowering and fruit set

Note that pruning is not recommended for determinate plants. Learn more.

Left to their own devices, indeterminate tomato plants can become enormous sprawling vines. Some gardeners prefer to grow their plants this way and have great results. But in my experience, letting them bush out leads to fewer and smaller fruit. Think about it as if you are a tomato plant, what is your purpose in life? It’s to reproduce by making tomatoes.

So when life is good and there’s plenty of space and nutrients to grow, then the tomato has no motivation to make fruit. It can continue to vine out and take up as much space as it needs. But if there’s any indication to the plant that it won’t be able to grow, then it will shift gears and start making more fruit. So I like to prune my indeterminate plants down to one or two vines.

This not only encourages it to put more effort into fruiting, but it removes some of the bulk of the plant and allows me to watch for issues like pests or disease.

Check your fertilizer for excess nitrogen

If you’re unfamiliar with the basic nutrition needs of plants, here is a great explanation and guide to using fertilizer. But in short, nitrogen encourages leaves to grow and phosphorous encourages fruit set. So if you’re using a fertilizer that has too high nitrogen concentration or lacks a full spectrum of nutrients, then your plants may not be setting as much fruit as you’d like.

I always prefer to use organic fertilizer because it’s much easier to get the dosing right. Synthetic fertilizers are often high in nitrogen which can lead to burning leaves and blossom end rot. But even if used appropriately, they can cause a low fruit set because there is too much nitrogen in relation to potassium.

Look for an organic fertilizer that has equal amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous (5-5-5) or has less nitrogen and more phosphorous (2-6-4). For a more detailed explanation of what those numbers mean, read this article.

Monitor for signs of pests and/or disease

There are many fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases that can affect tomato plants. Most often these are present in the soil in your area, and they are very hard to eradicate. The best thing to do is to inspect your tomato garden several times a week if not daily. Signs of infection that can stifle tomato production include wilting, stunted growth, spotted, yellow, or misshapen leaves.

It’s frustrating to find disease in your plants, but there are only two options once a plant is infected. Let it grow or pull it out. By the time you see infection, there’s not much you can do about it. Except in the case of lack of water, always pull out wilted tomato plants and get rid of them asap. Some forms of wilt will spread quickly if not removed, and sometimes even then it’s not enough.

For most diseases/infections, your plants will either tolerate the disease and grow through it or they’ll succumb to the stress and die. Any treatment you apply is really to prevent spread of the disease to other plants, although this is often an effort in futility. Tomato varieties often list what we call a disease-resistance package, and it’s recommended to choose plant varieties with resistance to diseases common in your area.

Heavy infestations of pests like aphids or spider mites can put additional stress on a tomato plant that can have an impact on fruit set. How you decide to implement pest control on your plants is a personal decision. On our farm, we like to use organic treatments like diatomaceous earth, spinosad, and Bt. If it gets really bad, we will use Pyganic but this is a very broad spectrum organic pesticide that we use only sparingly.

Should I remove flowers from tomato plants?

Generally, no you do not want to remove flowers unless you are trying to decrease the number of tomatoes you’ll get.

I’m sure there are some people who do this in certain circumstances, like early in the growing season. Why let the plant waste energy on flowers when it’s too cold to set fruit? I don’t know how much difference it would make in future fruit set, but I could understand the reasoning. Likewise, I know some people limit the number of fruit on a plant to encourage the fruit that does set to be larger/healthier. However, this is not something we do or recommend doing for tomatoes.

That’s why a tomato plant flowers but no fruit

With the exception of weather and disease, it is possible you can redirect your plant’s growth to encourage more fruit set with the above tips. If you’re new to gardening, then running through this list will help you learn to observe and respond to your plant as needed. Experience is really the biggest route to success with growing tomatoes, so even if you didn’t get a great crop this year, try again next year and the year after that. You’ll get better and better at it and enjoy it the whole time. Happy Gardening!

The post Reasons Your Tomato Plant Flowers But Has No Tomatoes appeared first on You Should Grow.

While it’s true that tomatoes are sun-loving plants that are tolerant of high temps, they do behave differently during the hottest summer months.

It’s not only the daytime temperatures that affect tomato plants. Just like they won’t produce as well in early spring when nighttime temps drop too low, they are also affected by nighttime temps that remain in the upper 70s and higher.

What happens to tomato plants when it’s really hot?

There are a few things that happen to your tomato plants when the weather gets really hot and humid, and you’ll have to adjust your strategy and expectations during these super hot months.

1. Decreased fruit production

During super hot days, tomato plants will not be making as much fruit as usual. Even your super productive varieties don’t produce quite as well when it gets in the upper 90s to 100s.

What you’ll see is your tomato plants will drop flowers, and this is because growing fruit takes a lot of energy and water. When it gets stressed by heat, the plant starts to conserve energy just to stay alive.

Humidity also makes the pollen sticky so it can’t pollinate the stamen, so even flowers that bloom won’t get good pollination. This could account for some weird looking tomatoes and less fruit overall.

2. Damage to ripening fruit

Fruit that is still ripening on the vine will mostly be okay, but if the sun is brutally beating down on them, you can end up with sunburned fruit.

Sunburned tomatoes will have a white to brown papery patch on their skin. Unfortunately, there’s no treatment or undoing of the sunburn so these tomatoes will have to be tossed into the compost pile.

Not only are they prone to sun damage, but the heat can slow ripening. So during the summer, we suggest you pick your fruit as soon as they start to turn color.

3. Slowed growth, increased water needs

Once the plants are in preservation mode, they slow down their growth a good bit. On one hand, this means less work for you but it also means you’re not going to get much more fruit.

You’ll also notice even healthy tomato plants develop curled leaves. Curling the leaves decreases surface area facing the sun, and is a sigh that your tomato plant is under heat and water stress.

Whatever watering schedule you had for your plants, hot days require you to double it…up to twice a day if necessary. This is also not a good time to be adding fertilizer to your tomato garden. Too much nitrogen can stress your plants even more and lead to problems like blossom end rot.

What can you do about it?

Good planning at the time of planting is one of the best ways to combat summer heat stress for your tomatoes. Understanding how the sun rises and sets over your garden is one of the best ways to help your tomato plants.

While tomatoes do need a good 6-8 hours of sun, in general, morning sun is gentler than afternoon sun. Choosing a location that gets some afternoon shade will help your tomato plants be more productive for longer.

Use shade cloth

If you don’t have any natural shade for your garden, you might consider hanging some shade cloth over your tomato plants. Although it seems counterintuitive (since tomatoes need full sun), we’ve had great success growing tomatoes under 50% shade cloth for the entire season.

Plant heat-tolerant tomatoes

Is it worth keeping them alive?

Depending on when your first frost date occurs and the type of tomato that you’re growing, it may not even make sense to try to keep your plants alive through August.

Certain varieties, like Brandywine, that take a long time to make fruit may not get another set of ripe fruit, but then again there’s always fried green tomatoes.

How are your tomatoes faring in the summer heat?

Share your experience in the comments below!

The post How The Summer Heat Affects Your Tomato Plants appeared first on You Should Grow.

There are other benefits to saving tomato seeds like:

• being able to save seed from the healthiest, most vigorous plants and earliest ripening fruit
• knowing your seeds are free of disease and chemicals
• curating a collection of seeds from your favorite varieties

How to save tomato seeds

I used to think that the process for saving tomato seeds was complicated, but it’s actually a lot easier than I thought. And don’t worry. If you don’t want to go through the process of fermenting, I’m going to show you a quick and simple trick that skips that whole step.

3 ways to save tomato seeds.

First I’ll talk about fermenting the seeds because that’s the ideal method.

Fermenting is the preferred method for saving tomato seeds.

The fermenting process removes substances within the tomato gel that inhibit germination and can decrease the chances of passing on any bacterial or fungal disease to the next generation.

It takes about a week, but going through the steps to ferment tomato seeds, makes sure you’re saving the healthiest, highest quality tomato seeds.

Benefits of fermenting tomato seeds:

• higher germination rates
• last longer in storage
• cleaner and prettier seeds

How to save tomato seeds by fermenting

Step 1: Remove the seeds from your tomato

Slice the tomato along the bottom to expose the seed cavities.

Squeeze the seeds into a cup. Any cup will do. You can mix tomato seeds out of fruit from the same variety, but use a different cup for each different type of tomato.

Plastic cups are convenient because you can write the variety name right on them, and they can be washed and reused.

Step 2: Let the seeds ferment

If the tomato wasn’t particularly juicy, add a little water to the seeds and juice in the cup. You need just enough liquid to cover the seeds and meat in the cup.

Cover them with a towel, and set them where you can keep an eye on them so they don’t dry out.

Let them ferment for 3 to 7 days. They may get a little mold growing on the top. That’s okay.

Step 3: Rinse and let dry

When they’re done fermenting, rinse the tomato seeds by adding more water and stirring. Then carefully pour off the mold and excess water. Repeat until the water is clear and the seeds are free of debris.

When they’re clean, lay them out to dry on a paper towel. Give them a full week to dry out before you store them to prevent mold growth during storage.

Gather the seeds into a labeled envelope and keep them in a cool dry place.

How to save tomato seeds without fermenting

Saving tomato seeds without fermenting is absolutely doable, and if you’re short on time this is the way to go. All you have to do is slice open your tomato and squeeze out the seeds while you smear them across a paper towel.

Let them dry on the paper towel for a week or so. Once they’re completely dry, you can simply fold up the paper towel and place it in a bag or envelope.

The only negatives we have observed about saving seeds this way is that sometimes the seeds are slow to germinate, and if you leave any bits of paper towel on when you germinate them you can get some mold growth.

The third way to save tomato seeds

Just leave a few tomatoes to rot in your garden, and the fermentation process will occur naturally outdoors. You totally skip the step of harvesting tomato seeds, but in the spring, you’ll still have some tomato plants sprouting.

You won’t have control over when they come up or be able to plant them deep for good root structure. And there’s always a chance they’ll pop up too early and get killed by frost.

So it’s not the best way of preserving tomato seeds for planting. And I don’t recommend relying on this method of saving tomato seeds, but it does work.

We had a cherry tomato plant pop up in a crack in the concrete next to our porch. We used the porch railings to tie it up all summer and it made for convenient snacking.

Issues with fermenting tomato seeds

Since the seeds need to ferment for about a week, they will start to grow some mold and may even get a little smelly. And if you’re saving seed from a lot of tomatoes, they can take up a lot of space.

If it starts to bother you and it’s been more than 3 days, just go ahead and process them.

The worst thing, honestly, is if your tomatoes start to attract flies. Tiny fruit flies will go nutty for fermenting tomato seeds, and they can be really annoying if they get inside your house.

Make a homemade trap by mixing some raw ACV with a drop of dish soap and a drop of syrup in a little jar or cup and set it next to your fermenting tomato seeds. It helps trap any little flies that might come around.

These ready-made fly traps also work really well when placed among the cups of fermenting seeds. It lasts a long time, and the package comes with 6 refillable traps.

How many tomatoes should you save for seed?

The number of seeds per tomato varies a lot depending on the variety. But it’s a good guess that you can get at least 20 seeds from one tomato. So a home gardener usually only needs to save seed from one tomato of each variety.

However, you can save as many as you want and share your bounty with good friends!

Storing tomato seeds

Tomato seeds will store for several years if kept dry and cool.

Once they’re completely dry, you can save them in paper envelopes, plastic baggies, empty prescription bottles, or small jars. Store them in their container in the refrigerator or a cool, dark place.

You can expect them to germinate pretty well the first 3 years after they’re saved. After that, the germination rate will start to decline, but they’re still worth a trying to grow even up to 8 years in storage.

Here’s a pretty cool thread on Tomatoville about starting tomato seeds that are over 40 years old!

Will you be saving tomato seeds this year?

When you’re ready to plant your tomato seeds, make sure you read our guide to starting tomato seeds indoors.

The post How To Save Tomato Seeds: It’s Easier Than You Think appeared first on You Should Grow.

What I love about frittatas is that they’re basically a quiche without the crust. This makes them a great breakfast option for gluten-free or ketogenic diets.

Personally, I like to let the tomatoes shine in this recipe, but you could also add some crumbled bacon or pancetta for a crispy salty crunch.

If you are not a fan of frittatas, then I’d venture to guess that you’ve never had a good one. A good frittata is light and delicious with a soft, creamy mouthfeel that is ultra satisfying.

The trick to fabulous frittatas

When it comes to making frittatas (and quiches too), the key is in the egg to dairy ratio. You just can’t get a smooth creamy frittata without it, and skim milk is not going to cut it.

Whole milk or cream blended with eggs makes for a smooth, silky texture and extremely satisfying dish.

You also must not overbake a frittata. You want it to be a little bit jiggly in the center when you pull it out of the oven. It will continue to cook in the hot dish or pan, so if you wait too long to pull it out, you can easily overcook it.

This is especially true if you’re cooking your frittata in a cast iron pan.

Choose heirloom tomatoes for this frittata dish

The quality of the tomatoes you choose in this recipe will make a big difference. A lot of tomatoes at the grocery store are watery and bland. That’s not going to be any good in any recipe.

Of course, I think you should grow your own, but the farmer’s market is a great alternative for anyone who can’t grow tomatoes. Choose some red, purple, and green tomatoes in various shapes and sizes.

Since we’ll be adding sliced tomatoes to our egg mixture. It’s important to remove as much of the tomato juices as you can before putting them in your dish.

The juices will water down your egg mixture sacrificing the smooth creamy texture, so we’ll slice our tomatoes and lay them out in a single layer on some paper towels and let them drain for a few minutes.

I love the flavor combo of tomatoes with mozzarella and basil, but you could change up the herbs or cheese to your liking if you wish.

Super easy frittata recipe: just prep and bake!

I’m all about easy meals, and they really don’t get any easier than this yummy heirloom tomato and basil frittata. Just make sure to use full fat cream or milk and don’t let it bake too long in the oven.

For sides, you can serve each slice with a spicy arugula salad and home fried sweet potatoes for a satisfying meal any time of day.

This dish just screams summer with garden fresh heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. I think it’s the variety of tomato shapes and colors that makes this dish so stunning.

It’s shockingly easy to put together, too.

Have you tried our heirloom tomato and basil frittata?

Let us know in the comments below!

The post Heirloom Tomato and Basil Frittata (Gluten Free + Keto Friendly) appeared first on You Should Grow.

Tomato hornworms can strip a plant down to its bones overnight with their voracious appetites. It’s easy not to notice them too because their green flesh and stripes blend in perfectly with your healthy tomato plants.

In this post, we’ll be talking about what hornworms really are and when you need to take action to protect your plants.

What is a tomato hornworm?

Although we call them worms, tomato hornworms are actually caterpillars of the five-spotted hawk moth (Manduca quinquemaculata). And while the tomato hornworm is quite a pest in tomato gardens, the moth is a pretty cool creature also referred to as a sphinx moth or hummingbird moth.

Tomato hornworm moths are large, furry, brown to grey colored moths with a wingspan up to 8 inches! The moths tend to be active in the early evening feeding on nectar of several fragrant flowers.

Their flight is similar to hummingbirds with their wings flapping quite rapidly as they dance from flower to flower. They also have an impressively long proboscis which makes them uniquely suited to feeding on trumpet-shaped flowers like honeysuckle.

For this reason, hawk moths have an important role as pollinators to flowers whose conformation makes it difficult for other pollinators to access.

Identifying tomato hornworms

There’s no confusing this green hornworm once you’ve seen one. Their green color matches tomato leaves exactly, and their light striping helps them blend right in. They have a horn that sticks up off their rear end, and a stubby green face with pointy claws for shoving food into their little mouths.

Besides the worms themselves, they leave behind some tell-tale evidence of their presence. Bare stems on your tomato plant and clusters of brown hornworm poop on the remaining leaves are clear signs that you’ve got hornworms.

They’ll also munch on your green fruit, so you should be checking for hornworms if you find un-ripe tomatoes with chewed out portions.

The smallest hornworm I’ve ever seen was about an inch long, but within a few weeks, they’ll grow to about a quarter inch wide and up to 5 inches long. As they grow in size, so does their appetite which explains how they can do so much damage.

Like the adult moth, these caterpillars are most active at night so it’s not uncommon to go out to visit your garden and find entire plants devoured overnight.

Tomato hornworm vs tobacco hornworm

To this point, I’ve been saying tomato hornworm, but in actuality what a lot of gardeners find on their tomato plants is technically a tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta).

They’re easy to distinguish by their striping and color of their horn.

Tomato hornworms are more common in the north and have yellowish v-shaped stripes and a black horn. Tobacco hornworms are more prevalent in the south and have white diagonal striping and a red horn.

But it doesn’t matter whether it’s technically a tomato hornworm or a tobacco hornworm because they both cause the same amount of damage and should be controlled in the same way.

And, if you ask me, a hornworm eating your tomato plants is a tomato hornworm.

Tomato hornworm life cycle

Tomato hornworms are found across the United States and in parts of Mexico and Canada. In late spring and summer, fully grown hornworms burrow into the soil around your tomato plants where they pupate and overwinter in the soil around the base of your plants.

In the spring, hawk moths emerge from the pupa and mate. They lay their small, translucent green eggs on the undersides of leaves of tomato plants and other hosts. They tend to lay at the base of the leaves on the lowest portion of the plant.

If inadequate numbers of tomatoes are available, the moths will also lay on tobacco, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant.

After a few days, the eggs hatch releasing small caterpillars who immediately begin munching on the leaves of your tomato plants. Within about 30 days, the caterpillar has finished growing at which point it will bury itself in the soil around the base of your plant to pupate.

If the weather doesn’t turn cold, the pupa will emerge as a new generation of moths within two weeks. So it’s easily possible that you’ll have two rounds of hornworms in one season if you leave them to their own devices.

Tomato hornworm control

Hand picking

When you find a hornworm caterpillar, the best thing you can do is pick it off your plant and step on it or feed it to your chickens. Hornworms can’t hurt you but they’re little legs are super grippy and can pinch a little.

If you find one hornworm, there are sure to be others so make sure to check your whole plant for more hornworms. And come back every day to check again.

In many instances, hand picking is an adequate method of controlling damage from hornworm problems. They’re not nearly as prolific as the armyworms in our garden, but if left unaddressed they can definitely ruin your tomato crop.

Plants that repel tomato hornworm

Companion planting with flowers to repel hornworms is worth a try. The flowers not only add color and beauty to your garden, but their odor can deter hornworm activity and attract insects that parasitize the hornworm.

Try planting borage, basil, marigolds, alyssum, or wildflowers with your tomato plants.

While planting flowers won’t completely prevent hornworms from munching on your tomato leaves, you will be attracting insects that prey on the hornworm eggs and larvae like ladybugs, lacewings, and predatory or parasitic wasp species.

If you find a hornworm with white eggs along its back, make sure to leave that one alone. The white eggs are actually wasp larvae that are feeding on the hornworm. Their presence indicates that you have a healthy insect population and the affected hornworm will die before it can damage your plants too much.

Organic pesticide options

Bt spray

One of the best options for hornworm control is the application of Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacteria that causes death in leaf-eating caterpillars. It’s one of the safest organic pesticides because it is completely safe to use around other insects. Only leaf-eating caterpillars are affected by the Bt.

To use Bt effectively you must be sure dilute it properly. Overly concentrated solutions can harm the leaves and fruit on your plants.

Because it is deactivated by sunlight and hornworms feed at night, it’s best to apply Bt in the evening. You’ll need to reapply Bt every 7-10 days starting in May or June.

Spinosad

Another organic option that works well for hornworms is the naturally derived pesticide spinosad. Spinosad is a natural substance made by bacteria that live in the soil.

It affects insects that eat or touch it by disrupting their nervous system leading to death in one to two days. Like Bt, Spinosad should be applied in the evening (sunlight affects is effectiveness) and reapplied every 7-10 days.

If you are having a lot of trouble with hornworms and other caterpillars, you might consider alternating Bt and spinosad treatments during the months that caterpillars are most active.

Be careful using spinosad around pollinators and other beneficial insects. If sprayed directly on them, it can affect them too. However, they should be safe to visit your plants after the product has dried.

Tomato hornworms as pets

Another option for dealing with hornworms is to keep one as a pet. This could be a great learning opportunity for your kids! They’re quite interesting little creatures to watch and the metamorphosis from caterpillar to hummingbird moth is pretty cool.

Here is a great resource for teaching about life cycles using the tomato hornworm.

Have you seen tomato hornworms in your garden?

Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

The post Get Rid Of Tomato Hornworms (Without Toxic Chemicals) appeared first on You Should Grow.

At some point, whether you’re growing winter squash or my favorite, crookneck summer squash, you’re sure to encounter one of these common squash plant pests or diseases.

In this post, we’ll be talking about the most common pests that plague squash, and we’ll discuss a few diseases that can affect your squash plants and fruit.

Cucurbits

Although I’m talking about controlling squash problems in this post, you’ll also find the same pests and diseases on your cucumbers and watermelon plants.

That’s because all of these fruits and veggies are in the cucurbit family, so if you see similar problems on other plants in your garden you can apply the same control and treatment protocols to them as well.

Squash bugs and cucumber beetles

Like other squash varieties, crookneck squash will most likely be plagued with squash bugs. One of my least favorite creatures on the planet, squash bugs can quickly take over your squash plant affect fruit set and quality.

They feed on your plants by piercing the leaves and stem with their mouthparts causing wilting even when well watered.

Look on the undersides of squash plant leaves for neat little rows of the red-orange colored squash bug eggs. You’ll also see the nyphs and adults crawling on the leaves, stem, and fruit of the plant.

Cucumber beetles are smaller than squash bugs. They are yellow and black with either stripes or spots like a lady bug. These pests are vectors for many of the diseases we will talk about so controlling pests is the best way to prevent fatal infections in your plants.

Controlling squash bugs without using pesticides is the most difficult aspect of growing crookneck squash. But if you stay ahead of them with the following techniques, you’ll still have plenty of sweet squash fruit this summer.

Leaf footed bugs

Leaf footed bugs will also feed on squash plants. They are just about as bad as squash bugs, or maybe worse because they seem to feed on all sorts of veggies.

Controlling leaf-footed bugs is no different from squash bug control. Row covers, companion planting, catch crops, and diligent use of organic insecticidal soaps can help minimize damage from these nasty pests.

Organic pest control options for squash plants

Row covers

Row covers are a great way to prevent infestation with squash bugs, but you’ll need to cover your plants as soon as you put them out. Plus you’ll be hand pollinating your flowers as the covers prevent good bugs from getting in as well.

Diatomaceous earth

Dusting the base and leaves of your plants with diatomaceous earth is helpful to cut down on the numbers of squash bugs. But it will only affect the young nymphs and must be reapplied if it gets wet.

Be careful NOT to get any diatomaceous earth inside your squash flowers as this can injure and kill beneficial pollinators.

Insecticidal soaps

Insecticidal soaps can be effective if applied correctly and often. To get the most benefit, spray as it cools down in the evening. This is when squash bugs are the most active and pollinators are less active.

Insecticidal soaps need to coat the squash bugs in order to be effective. During the day, the bugs hide in the debris under the plant so spraying during this time is not the best use of your time.

Don’t spray the top of your plant, make sure you’re coating the undersides of leaves and around the base of the plant.

Hand picking

Hand picking and squishing the squash bug eggs is one of the best ways to control squash bug numbers. Scrape, squish, or remove the seeds with duct tape when you find them.

Stomp, smush, or drown adults as you catch them. But be aware that they stink to high heaven when killed. It’s a truly unpleasant smell, but one of victory!

Companion planting

It can be beneficial to plant certain flowers and veggies with your squash plants to encourage beneficial insects and possibly repel pests. Flowers like nasturtium and marigold are said to repel squash bugs and beetles.

I’ve also read that radishes grown with your squash can help minimize infestations. Radishes are super easy to grow, so I don’t see any reason not to give it a try!

Catch crops

Catch crops are another way of distracting and discouraging squash bugs on your squash plants. The variety Blue Hubbard is known to be among the squash bugs most favorite types of squash.

Set out a few Blue Hubbard plants along the perimeter of your garden and let them grow for a couple of weeks before setting out your crookneck squash plants. Don’t kill the squash bugs on the Blue Hubbards, but allow them to grow through the life cycle.

Hopefully, these sacrificial plants will take on most of the pest problem, leaving your tastier crookneck squash less affected.

Get rid of their winter habitat

At the end of the season, pull up your squash plants and all the mulch and debris under them and burn it. Have a beer as you watch it burn and celebrate the fact that you’re minimizing your squash bug problem for next year.

Squash Vine borers

The squash vine borer is another pest that can kill young squash plants. These caterpillars live in the soil and bore into the stalk of your squash plants causing it to wilt and die.

To prevent squash vine borers, you can wrap the stem of your young plants with aluminum foil, plastic cups, or other type of barrier to prevent access to the base of your plant.

If you’re too late and the borer is already inside your squash plant, you can try a few different techniques to kill it.

1. Cut into the stem about an inch above the boring hole and remove the pest
2. Stab into the stem about an inch above the boring hole with a needle to attempt to kill the pest
3. Inject Bt about an inch above the boring hole to kill it or at least slow it down

Other pests of squash

Squash plants will sometimes become infested spider mites and melon aphids. Both of these are quite small little pests that can cause a lot of damage if allowed to multiply and infest your plants.

Aphids are little bugs about the size of a sesame seed. They can be white, black, pink, or green in color. They’ll tend to hide on the undersides of leaves and they leave behind a sticky substance we call honeydew.

Spider mites are even smaller than aphids…so small you may not be able to see them. They will cause a stippled look on the leaves of your plants, and you’ll also see a weblike network on the bottom of your leaves.

Options for treatment of these pests include dusting with diatomaceous earth and spraying with spinosad, or if you’re desperate, pyganic.

Powdery mildew of squash plants

If you notice your plants are wilting and have a thin white film growing on the surface of the leaves, then you have powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a fungal infection that can overwhelm and kill your plant by blocking out sunlight.

Powdery mildew shows up in the hot dry periods of summer and will also affect pumpkins and cucumbers. The white powdery growth of the fungus will appear on all parts of the plant, and leaves will begin to turn yellow.

It’s easiest to prevent powdery mildew by not crowding your plants and applying a horticultural oil like neem oil. Neem oil treatments can also help treat mild and early powdery mildew infections.

A 40% solution of cow’s milk and water is a common household treatment for mild or early powdery mildew infections. Drench the leaves of your plant with the solution on a warm sunny day and retreat every 10 days. The concentration of the milkfat is not important as it is the milk proteins that are taking action on the mildew.

Here are some other homemade treatment ideas for powdery mildew.

Downy mildew of squash

Downy mildew is a different fungal disease of squash and other cucurbits that causes a velvety type growth on the undersides of the leaves. It does not have the white appearance that powdery mildew does, but rather has a fluffy, grey-colored growth.

Downy mildew also causes brown and yellow spotting on the leaves that appear similar to mosaic viral infections.

In contrast to powdery mildew, downy mildew prefers a cool, wet environment. However, you can have both types of mildew affecting your plants at the same time.

The best practice for preventing and treating mildew infections is the application of Neem oil every 7-10 days. It’s important to repeat the treatments as they do not have a very long residual effect.

Other diseases of squash

Squash plants can also be affected by bacterial wilt, anthracnose, mosaic virus, and gummy stem blight. Bacterial wilt causes sudden wilting and quickly leads to death of the plant.

Anthracnose and gummy stem blight will cause brown to black spots on the leaves. With gummy stem blight you might notice a gummy film growing on the spots and/or concentric rings making a target type spot on the leaves. Anthracnose causes water soaked spots that eventually fall out in the center leaving holes in the leaves of your plants.

Mosaic virus causes mottled yellow, crinkled leaves and stunted growth of the plant. The fruit can also be affected by this disease.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment for any of these diseases, so best practice is to remove and destroy affected plants. Remove all debris and mulch from the area where the plant was growing.

Your plants become infected with many of these diseases by pests like squash bugs and cucumber beetles. So controlling these pests will go a long way to prevent problems.

Once the disease is introduced into your garden, the disease can remain in the soil for a long time. It’s important to make note of where your plants grew so you can avoid the same location for future plantings.

Blossom end rot of squash

Most gardeners think of blossom end rot as a problem of tomatoes, but it can also affect squash, watermelon, and cucumbers. It is not generally due to a lack of calcium in the soil as is frequently claimed.

Rather, blossom end rot has many causes and the best way to control it is to take care not to stress your plants by keeping them appropriately watered and fertilized.

The post Organic Control Of Squash Pests & Diseases appeared first on You Should Grow.

Their piercing bites can transmit viral disease, and a severe infestation can cause curling, yellow leaves and a loss of production of tomatoes. Aphids don’t just parasitize tomatoes, they can be found on most fruits and vegetables as well as landscaping plants like flowers, shrubs, and trees.

How to get rid of aphids on tomatoes

Fortunately, aphids are not difficult to manage in the vegetable garden and, in this post, we’ll cover several organic and natural ways of controlling aphids.

What do aphids look like?

All species of aphids are tiny, about the size of a sesame seed, and they come in many colors including green, red, white, and black. On sunny days, they’ll find a shady part of the plant to hide under, so you’ll often find aphids on the undersides of leaves, along the stem, and on the flowers.

As they grow, they molt, shedding their skin, and leaving behind little white shells of their former selves. It’s easy to confuse these thin flakey shells for living pests.

You may see only one or two aphids, but in extreme cases, whole leaves and stems can be covered in these tiny bugs. Aphid infestations occur when a flying aphid lands on your tomato plant. It will then lay many eggs which hatch and lay more eggs.

An infestation of hundreds to thousands of aphids can occur within a couple of weeks. The majority of aphids cannot fly, but if the plant becomes too crowded, winged forms of aphids will develop to fly off and find a new host plant.

Symptoms of aphid infestation

Early on, you may not notice any symptoms of aphids, however as they grow and multiply, you may see misshapen, curled, and yellow leaves. As the numbers of aphids grow, you will start to notice your plant doing poorly, failing to thrive, and producing fewer tomatoes. If the aphids have transmitted a viral disease, then you’ll start to see symptoms like yellow spotting, brown leaves, and even death of the plant.

One of the most notable symptoms of aphids is a sticky substance on your leaves and fruit. As the aphids suck sap from your plants, they excrete a sweet sticky substance referred to as ‘honeydew.’ You may notice black sooty mold growth on the leaves and soil around the plant where the honeydew collects.

Aphids and Ants

Ants are particularly fond of the aphids’ sweet honeydew, so you will often see an infestation of ants along with your aphids. Some species of ants are known to protect and even ‘pet’ their aphids to encourage them to hang around and be a continuous source of food for the ant colony.

This is known as farming aphids, and some studies suggest that a chemical excreted from the ants has a sedative effect on aphids causing them to move more slowly and remain on one plant nearest the ant colony.

Organic aphid control

Because of their ability to reproduce rapidly, you should be checking your plants for aphids on a weekly basis. Although they’re small, they’re easy to identify and are commonly found on the undersides of leaves and along the stem. Finding aphids on your tomato plants is not a cause for panic. There are many natural options to control these small soft-bodied insects.

Manual removal

If you notice just a few aphids, they’re easy to smash with your fingers or dislodge with a strong spray of water. This is an effective method for minor infestations, but be aware that strong sprays of water may also dislodge blossoms or baby tomatoes. So you may want to be choosy about when to use this method.

Predatory insects that eat aphids

Aphids are a tasty snack for aphid midges, lacewings, and ladybugs, so if you see any of these bugs nearby you’ll know you have a helping hand in getting rid of these pests. There is also a parasitic wasp native to North America that will lay its eggs inside of a living aphid. As the larvae grow, it consumes the aphid causing it to die.

Aphids that have been parasitized by this wasp become what is known as mummy aphids. They look slightly swollen and turn brown in color. If you see these, make sure not to squish or remove them as they are helping your garden. However, because aphids can reproduce so quickly, predatory insects, while helpful, are rarely enough to effectively control severe infestations.

How to kill aphids

Watch the video to see how we apply diatomaceous earth to get rid of aphids on our tomatoes.

When infestations are severe, we always turn to diatomaceous earth (DE) as the first line of defense. This white powder is actually crushed up fossils and is very abrasive to the soft skin of the aphids. When they walk through or are covered with DE, it slices through their skin causing them to dehydrate and die. Some gardeners are opposed to using DE because it is possible that bees and other beneficial insects could be affected.

To minimize that impact, don’t dust your plants when bees are active and be careful not to drench the flowers with powder. DE is safe to use on your food and get on your hands. It’s very easy to wash off and has no residual effects. However, breathing it in can cause damage to your soft lung tissue so be careful not to apply DE in confined spaces. The major downside to using diatomaceous earth is that it is only effective when it’s dry and all insecticidal activity is negated by watering or rain.

Even a heavy morning dew could be enough to impact the effectiveness of DE. Because aphids must come into contact with the DE in order for it to work, it’s easy to miss a few hiding on plant leaves and crevices when you’re dusting your plants.

Aphid sprays

Aphids soft bodies also make them susceptible to most insecticidal sprays. They’ll be controlled by horticultural oils, insecticidal soaps, neem oil, or homemade treatments. To make a homemade aphid spray, mix 1 tbsp vegetable oil and a few drops of dish soap in a quart of water. Eucalyptus oil, lemon oil, lime oil, crushed garlic, or pepper sauce can be added to this mixture to enhance its effect.

Droplets of water/oil on your plant leaves can concentrate heat and sunlight, so spray the leaves of your tomato plants in cooler times of the day to decrease the chance of damaging the leaves. Reapply the spray every 7 days or after it rains. Organic insecticides like pyrethrum can be used, but pyrethrum will kill any and all insects including beneficials, so it should only be used when other methods have failed.

Natural aphid control

Another way to help minimize aphid infestations is to use companion planting techniques. Surround your tomatoes with marigolds, nasturtium, mint, tansy, or cilantro to help keep aphids away from your plants. For companion planting to have an effect, you need to make sure your companions are tucked in quite close and densely with your tomatoes.

Mint is quite nice, but it tends to become invasive. For that reason, you may choose to place your mint in pots which also gives the benefit of raising the mint up higher on your tomato plant where it can be more effective at keeping aphids away. Cilantro and tansy make good companions to repel aphids, and their flowers also attract many other beneficial insects to your garden. Marigolds and nasturtium are great edible flowers.

Other methods of organic aphid control

Aphids are attracted to the yellow color of tomato blooms, so using yellow sticky boards will help catch aphids (and other bugs). But you’ll have to place them carefully so you don’t get your plants, clothes, or hair stuck on there too.

Reflective mulches are also effective to minimize pests. Simply surround the base of your plant with a reflective material like aluminum foil to confuse and repel aphids and other insects. In the heat of the summer, however, you’ll probably need to remove the reflective material so it doesn’t overheat or damage your plants. Row covers are another option for preventing aphid infestations, but row covers can be difficult to manage on large indeterminate tomato plants.

Aphids on tomato plants

When it comes to pest control on tomato plants, focus on the health of your plant. If you notice one or two pests, but the plant seems healthy, you may not need to resort to broad applications of pesticides. Selective use of these organic methods of control should be sufficient to support your plant without adding unnecessary effort or chemicals in your garden.

Predatory insect image sources:

Green lacewing: Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org

Aphids predatory midge:  Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

Aphidius wasp: David Cappaert, Bugwood.org

The post How To Get Rid Of Aphids On Tomatoes appeared first on You Should Grow.

Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable grown by home gardeners. And often, during the peak of the season, a gardener’s kitchen counter will be covered with pounds upon pounds of ripe tomatoes!

What to do with so many tomatoes that are ready to eat?

Tomatoes are surprisingly versatile when it comes to using them in the kitchen. Fresh chopped tomatoes are a tasty addition to any pasta dish or salad.

Roast your tomatoes in the oven with fresh green beans, a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper for a yummy side dish. Or cook them down on the stove top to make a delicious tomato sauce.

Whether preserved or fresh, tomatoes form the base for many soups, sauces, and condiments.

More good news? They’re really easy to preserve in the freezer and can be canned, fermented, and dehydrated. Read on to learn how to preserve tomatoes with each of these methods.

Do not be intimidated by a ton of tomatoes!

Rejoice! Seriously! Because you can do so many things with your garden fresh tomatoes.

When you first bring your tomatoes in from the garden, make sure you store them correctly. You don’t want them to spoil before you can get to using them.

Tips for storing fresh tomatoes

First and foremost, never ever put your fresh tomatoes in the refrigerator. Tomatoes will turn mushy and lose their flavor if kept in the refrigerator.

Keep them stem side down in a single layer at room temperature-we leave ours on the kitchen counter. They should keep in this way for a few days.

You’ll want to keep an eye on them to make sure they’re not getting over ripe or rotten spots. When you’re ready to preserve your tomatoes, you can do so with one of the following techniques.

How to preserve tomatoes in the freezer

The simplest and quickest way to preserve your tomatoes is by simply freezing them. Until recently, I had no idea that you could do this, but it’s a game changer!

I first learned this trick from the folks over at NorthernHomestead.com where they walk you through the process of freezing whole tomatoes.

It’s really the simplest thing to do and takes a lot of the pressure off of you during the busy summer months.

If you have some extra time, how about making some stewed tomatoes for your freezer?

My friend Amy shows you how she goes about making and freezing stewed tomatoes in small batches, and she even tells you how to follow up with canning your stewed tomatoes.

Frozen whole or stewed tomatoes can be used to make fresh tomato sauce or soup whenever you’re ready. Fresh tomato soup in the winter? Yes, please.

You can also freeze your tomato sauce or paste in jars or freezer bags. Just make sure you leave plenty of space for your sauce to expand when it’s frozen.

How to preserve tomatoes by canning

There are many options for canning tomatoes: whole, chopped, sauced, or paste.

Getting your tomatoes prepared for canning completely depends on how you plan to can them and your personal preference.

Most home canners recommend peeling your tomatoes first, but you do not need to do this step.

You can also choose to run your sauce through a food mill, strainer, or blend it all up with an immersion blender (my favorite) or food processor.

There are two easy ways to peel your tomatoes: freeze them first, then peel them when they thaw or blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute then plunge into ice water.

In both cases, the peel slides right off the fruit. Easy peasy.

Personally, I don’t mind the seeds and skins in my sauce. But if you want to remove them before making your sauce, here’s a good tutorial for preparing your tomatoes for canning.

If you remove the seeds before you can, don’t waste them! Follow this guide for saving tomato seeds for next season.

When it comes to canning anything, you can’t beat the information at SimplyCanning.com. Sharon really knows her stuff!

She has a lot of great, free info about canning tomatoes specifically, and I really loved her tip for shortening the time it takes to cook down your sauce.

Some quick tips for canning tomatoes:

Don’t forget to add some lemon juice or citric acid to your jars. Tomatoes are not acidic enough on their own to be safely canned.

Tomatoes are mostly water so don’t be surprised to see the water separate and rise to the top when the jars are in storage.

When canning whole tomatoes, gently press your tomatoes into the jar and make sure the juices fill the space around the tomatoes. A wooden vegetable packer makes this step simple and quick.

Not sure you have what you need to start canning? Check out my list of essential canning supplies.

Canning tomatoes recipes

Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce

Tomato Basil Simmer Sauce

How To Make And Can Tomato Sauce

Fall Freezer Tomato Sauce

Tomato Soup

Italian Seasoned Tomatoes

Tomato Jam

How to make salsa (say it like Seinfeld. Salsa!)

Black bean and corn salsa (yum!)

Garden Salsa Recipe

How to preserve your tomatoes by fermenting

Fermenting your harvest is an excellent way to add probiotics to your diet, preserve your produce without the time or mess involved with canning, and doesn’t require any expensive equipment.

The process of fermenting allows the bacteria naturally present on the produce to break down the sugars and starches so that the food is easier to digest and full of healthy, gut friendly bacteria.

To make your own fermented tomatoes, you just need the right set of tools (I have this set that came in the July Homestead Box), some mason jars, and a bit of patience.

Fermented tomato recipes

Easy fermented whole tomatoes

Lacto-fermented salsa

Fermented green tomatoes

How to preserve tomatoes by dehydrating

Dehydrating your vegetable harvest is a great way to add variety to your food storage. Dehydrated foods, when properly stored, will last for several years.

Fully dehydrated (crispy) tomatoes can be stored in a cool dark place in a vacuum sealed bag at room temperature. Before putting into long term storage, check the bags for moisture which can lead to mold.

If they’re not completely dry, keep them in a bag or jar in your freezer until you’re ready to use them.

You may also choose to dip your dried tomatoes in vinegar and store them in a jar of olive oil. Read this article about the safety of storing your tomatoes in oil first.

You can use dehydrated tomatoes as vegetable chips, add them to homemade pizza, grind them into powder, or rehydrate them to add intense flavor to your favorite recipes.

You don’t need expensive equipment to dehydrate your tomato harvest. You can even dehydrate your tomatoes in your oven, but if you plan to dehydrate a lot of food from your garden, you might choose to invest in a dehydrator.

The cost of a dehydrator can run from $40 to $300 or more depending on the type and size you want to purchase.  We have a commercial dehydrator like this one.

Dehydrated tomato recipes

Tomato chip recipe

Make tomato powder from dehydrated tomatoes

How to rehydrate sun dried tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes in the oven

More about preserving tomatoes

The Real Deal Paleo Ketchup

Easy fresh tomato juice

Get the most from your tomato harvest 

Preserving the summer harvest: canning, drying, freezing

The post How To Preserve Tomatoes appeared first on You Should Grow.

Especially when I’m doing hard work like pulling weeds. Pulling weeds is hard work! And a good song playlist can be just the right motivation to keep you going.

My playlist is filled with an extremely varied type of music. I am one of those people that can listen to and enjoy almost any type of music. But buying all my favorite songs would be so expensive!

That’s why I signed up for Amazon music. It’s a subscription service where you can listen to any song you want and make your own online music playlist without having to purchase every song. They also have premade playlists and stations for every music genre.

But I think a good weedin’ song playlist would go something like this:

Weeding is hot and dirty work so you need some music to get you pumped up!

When it comes to finding the weeds in your garden, you’ve got the Eye Of The Tiger. Those weeds don’t know who they’re dealing with. Let them hear you Roar.

You’re The Warrior shooting at the walls of weeds (bang, bang).

Now you are feeling ready to take on those weeds! Pump Up The Jam and get yo booty in the garden.  Walk Like An Egyptian if you want to.

To get after those weeds, you ‘don’t need no money.’ I love Cheap Thrills!

At first, the sun feels nice and you can see you’re making a big difference.

Dance it out with a little bit of Sandra in the sun from Mambo no. 5 and sneak in a Stolen Dance.

When a problem weed comes along, you must Whip it with your Moves Like Jagger.

You see those weeds cruising ’round your garden, and you’re like Forget You (and forget her too).

Now you’ve been out there for a while, and you’re feeling the heat of the Cruel Summer. It’s so hot it feels like you’re Walkin’ On The Sun.

Sure, it’s Gonna Make You Sweat because it’s like a Disco Inferno in your garden!

But you are getting so much work done!

You get knocked down, but you get up again! Keep Tubthumping those weeds and Don’t Stop Believin’ in yourself!

You know what? When you’re done maybe you can have some ‘Cake By The Ocean‘ or an oscillating fan-whichever is closer.

You’ll deserve a nice treat because pulling weeds is basically like going to the gym.

You know how hot your arms are going to look after an entire summer of this workout? Your spouse will look over at you like, Oh You Sexy Thing.

There’s some good motivation! Stay Hooked On A Feeling that you’ll soon be done (for today)!

Once you’re done with the work and your garden looks awesome, you’ll look back and say, I Can See Clearly Now!

Now it’s time to grab a Cold Beverage. Personally, I’m Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer with my hiney in a lawn chair and my Toes in the cool creek water after a hard day’s work.

What is on your song playlist to listen to when you’ve got a lot of work to do?

Give Amazon music a try with a free 30 day trial!

The post Create The Perfect Song Playlist For Pulling Weeds appeared first on You Should Grow.

This article aims to help you identify and address issues that affect the tomato fruit. A companion article covers tomato leaf problems.

Tomatoes are one of the most popular food plants in home gardens. It’s often the first type of vegetable a person tries to grow at home. But often, home growers become frustrated if their tomatoes don’t ripen, have blemishes, or are ruined or stolen by pests.

Common Tomato Problems In The Home Garden

Sometimes there’s nothing that can be done about tomato problems, but sometimes you can prevent them from coming on with a little knowledge about what causes the problem.

Blossom End Rot – Brown or black rotten spots on the bottom

Blossom end rot is one of the most common problems with tomatoes. It is related to calcium uptake within the fruit. It is often recommended to add calcium to your soil at planting or after blossom end rot is noted.

However, we now know that a lack of calcium in the soil is usually not the problem. Read all about blossom end rot and the 2 biggest myths surrounding it. To prevent blossom end rot, plant resistant varieties, mulch around your plants, and don’t give them too much fertilizer.

Cracking Fruit – Split Open Fruit

Another very common tomato problem is cracks in your fruit’s flesh. The cracks may form in circles around the stem or radiate outward from the stem. Radial cracks are very common, often heal on their own, and do not affect the health of the tomato. These types of cracks are more common on larger tomatoes and can be cut off with the stem. The remainder of the tomato is still good for eating.

Circular cracks are often found in cherry tomatoes. Sometimes the tomato will be busted open entirely. These types of cracks are more prone to growing mold than radial cracks.

Cracks are often the result of heavy rainfall or overwatering, but they also appear in periods of rapid growth. Some tomatoes are more prone to cracking than others, but it could happen to any tomato. To help prevent cracking, don’t over-prune your tomato, plant a variety that is less prone to the problem, and apply heavy mulch to help maintain consistent soil moisture.

If you find that most of your tomatoes on a particular plant are cracking, you can try picking them green and letting them ripen indoors. Also watch your weather, and pick your tomatoes before a heavy rain. 

Can you use tomatoes that have split on the vine? If you see a tomato that has split, you should go ahead and pick it. Although it’s perfectly fine to eat a tomato that has cracked, if you see any black mold on the crack, it’s best to toss it into the compost.

Lumpy fruit with raised ring-shaped discolorations

These lesions on tomato are a symptom of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. TSWV is a viral infection transmitted by thrips that can be a problem not just for tomatoes but for many different species of plants. Infected plants are unsalvagable and should be destroyed. Make sure to treat your plants for thrips to prevent further infection.

Hard brown or gray scarring on the bottom (aka cat facing)

Most gardeners have dealt with one of these tomato problems. Cat facing is the term used for irregular shape and scarring of the blossom end of tomatoes. This is a physiological disorder that can cause significant damage to your fruit causing quite an ugly tomato.

While there is a genetic predisposition to cat facing, we know that it is usually seen in large tomatoes that develop from large blossoms. Damage to the flower, cool temps in the 60s F during flowering, and aggressive pruning can all contribute to cat facing. Heirloom beefsteak tomatoes seem to be prone to catfacing. 

Can you eat scarred tomatoes? Although the scarred bottoms are not very attractive, these tomatoes can still be very tasty. Sometimes the wrinkles and scars can crack and develop rot or mold, but often the remainder of the tomato is fine for eating.

To prevent these tomato problems, choose varieties less prone to the problem, make sure to plant your tomatoes after temps have risen to over 60 degrees F, and don’t over prune your plants.

Zipper like scars on the skin

Similar to cat facing, zippering of tomatoes is a common cosmetic deformation of the surface. Zippering occurs when the flower’s anther becomes stuck to the inside of the fruit as it’s developing. As the fruit continues to grow, thin brown necrotic scars develop along the skin.

This one is easy to spot by its characteristic zipper-like lesions. You might even think your tomato looks like it has stitches. One to several longitudinal scars can form during fruit development. Scars can vary in length and depth with really bad scars causing holes in the fruit. In the worst case, you can even end up with deformed tomatoes.

Causes of tomato zippering include high humidity – which makes the anther sticky – and cool weather – which also affects tomato flower behavior. Additionally, certain tomato varieties and cultivars are more prone to zippering. 

Can you eat a tomato with zippering? The good news is that you can still eat tomatoes with zippering – unless it’s caused cracking and molding. You’ll want to peel the skin off because the zippered skin is not going to taste very good.

Holes in the fruit

Possibly the most infuriating of all tomato problems is finding small holes in your tomatoes. Usually, upon investigation, you will find that the culprit for the damage is a worm, or technically, a caterpillar.

In the image above the caterpillar is kind of blending in with the cracks, and the gray spots are dried Bt…ironically.

Tomato fruit worms are black/brown worms that burrow into green tomatoes and take up residence, munching and living inside your precious tomato. Tomato hornworms will eat the fruit, but don’t burrow into it. Hornworms will also eat your tomato leaves all the way down to the stem.

Worm damage will often cause the tomato to ripen early or in an unusual pattern. It’s very common to pick a beautiful ripe tomato only to find worm damage on the underside which caused it to ripen before all the others.

What is additionally disturbing is that hornworm caterpillars also leave behind large turds on your tomato plant leaves and fruit. Ew! If you see little poos on your plant, go hunting for a caterpillar.

Look all along the stem, under leaves, and inside of fruit to remove and destroy these creatures. Additionally, an application Bt or spinosad insecticide will help kill off most of the beasts.

Read more: The Bugs In My Tomatoes

Birds, rodents, and rabbits may also take bites out of your ripening fruit. Physical barriers around and over your tomatoes will help prevent crop loss.

Portions of the tomato are pale to white

Tomatoes can suffer from sunburns, too. These pale white areas are called sunscald (image). The damage occurs from too much sunlight and will usually begin rotting very quickly. If you live in an area where the summer sun can be harsh and relentless, make sure that you provide some protection from its rays for your tomatoes.

Usually, just allowing the plant’s leaves to shade the fruit is fine but that can be affected by excessive pruning. If you do experience sunscald, just remove the affected portion. The fruit will not ripen evenly, but portions of it are sometimes still edible. To prevent sunscald, don’t over prune your plants or plant in an area where they receive some late afternoon shade.

Large brown rough spots that are firm to the touch

If you find spots like this on your tomato plants, I’m sorry to tell you that you have late blight. Late blight is a fungal infection of tomatoes that often shows up when nights are cool and days are warm.

Late blight also causes brown lesions on tomato leaves often with white fuzzy growth underneath and brown or black lesions on the stems of your plants.

This is one of those tomato problems that will ruin your entire garden. Make sure to carefully bag up and remove all portions of the plant from your garden. Sadly, there is no treatment for late blight once it infects your plants, and it quickly spreads from plant to plant.

If you’ve lost a crop to late blight, you might consider planting resistant varieties like Iron Lady and Matt’s Wild Cherry. Application of organic fungicides may help prevent the disease but will not save infected plants.

Brown craters on ripe fruits

Another frustrating fungal disease of tomatoes called Anthracnose (image) will cause sunken lesions on your fruit and dark water-soaked lesions on the leaves and stem of your plants.

When you see signs of this disease, remove and destroy infected plants. An organic fungicide may be of help for the remaining plants. Do not plant tomatoes in this area for the next 3 years.

Small white or black spots on fruit

These tiny cloudy spots are caused by pests piercing the skin of the tomato for food. Very often these tomato problems are caused by the dreadful stink bug and leaf-footed bugs.

These horrible creatures are prolific if not kept under control. You can try diatomaceous earth to kill the nymphs of these pests, but the adults must be hand picked or, if you’re faced with losing most of your crop to these pests, apply organic pyrethrin pesticide.

Small brown specks on the shoulders

Rain check is a frustrating condition that can ruin the beauty of your tomatoes. The small specks are like tiny scars that may have a rough texture. It is caused by excessive moisture and usually appears on green fruit. We’ve had a big problem with rain check this year since the weather has been so rainy.

To help prevent this condition, don’t over prune your plants to allow some leaf coverage. Although this condition is unsightly, usually these fruits are still edible.

Uneven ripening or yellow shoulders

Yellow shoulder disorder can affect any tomato and appears as yellow areas on the top of the tomato (image) that never ripen. Inside, the yellow portion is hard and inedible. Uneven ripening is often a result of environmental conditions. If the weather has been too cool and rainy, you may find your tomatoes don’t ripen evenly.

Poor quality soil with low organic matter, low phosphorous, or increased pH can also affect ripening.

Fruit that does not ripen

Tomatoes can be fickle little beasts. If the weather is too hot (over 90F), their metabolism slows or halts, and they don’t make the pretty red pigment (lycopene) that signals ripening.

Keep in mind that not all varieties will turn red, so make sure you know what tomato you’re growing. If your red tomatoes are pale or washed out in color, consider picking them at first blush and bringing them indoors to finish ripening.

What if the plant doesn’t set fruit?

No tomatoes on your plant is certainly a problem! If you don’t have any baby tomatoes on your plant, take a close look at the flower clusters. You might notice that the flowers dropped off of the cluster at some point.

Dropping flowers most often occurs because of extreme high temperatures. When day temps are in the 90s and nighttime is over 70, the flowers can have pollination problems. You can also experience trouble with pollination if your plants are over or under fertilized and in very very dry or wet environments.

To ensure the best fruit production, make sure not to plant your tomatoes too late in the season. If you’re already having trouble with fruit set, let the suckers/side shoots grow to increase the number of flowers and odds of growing a tomato.

What other tomato problems have you experienced?

Share your experience in the comments below.

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