Pretty gruesome looking! Looks like that weird stem must be the stem->blossom (just didn't grow straight to the bottom) so it's got to be a kind of blossom rot. The deformity could be due to imperfect pollenation which can cause uneven or lopsided growth. I wouldn't worry too much, I just pitch those kind in the garbage so that no mold or mildew affects the others. You'll probably have plenty others. Just hope it's only a few.
Calcium and Epsom salts are things a lot of people just regularly treat their tomatoes with. As with a lot of gardening, it's hard to say what minerals are needed without an actual soil test so people just guess and often think more is better. (Not always true) And by the time you're getting fruit it's often too late to do much about it anyway.
Clearly not "blossom end rot" but a TYPE of blossom rot, the blossom being involved in the deformity, and is a type of reproductive problem... the problem looks to be along the line along the stem/ovary /pistilate, and the blossom is clearly part of the affected area.
Catfacing is a broad term and it can present with many varied appearances... but it all likely stems from a malformation of the pistilate/blossom or how it developed following pollination of the blossom.
Every deformity like this likely appears a bit different. What is commonly called "blossom end rot" is blackening and rotting at the bottom of an otherwise normal looking tomato. This is clearly not rot, but is a deformation.
I'm in northern Michigan trying to produce lettuce all summer--but of course am having trouble with it bolting before it even matures. I am using heat-tolerant varieties, and have them shaded by window screens. I give them water every day. Most of my other crops do fine, so I don't think it's a problem with the soil, etc.. I do have a bit of a west-facing slope, so afternoons are particularly warm there. But I don't know what more I can do about that. Any other ideas? Thank you.
07-14-21, 04:58 PM
