TROUBLESHOOT YOUR TOMATOES

DON'T LET TOMATO PROBLEMS RUIN YOUR HARVEST! LEARN WHAT'S CAUSING THESE COMMON ISSUES AND HOW TO FIX THEM.

- Marisa Reyes

Tomatoes are some of the most rewarding crops to grow—but they can also be one of the most frustrating. One day, they’re thriving, and the next, their leaves are curling, fruit is cracking or mysterious spots appear. Pests, diseases, nutrient imbalances and even the weather can wreak havoc on your plants, leaving you wondering what went wrong.

Fortunately, most tomato troubles have a solution. With a little know-how, you can diagnose the problem, get your plants back on track and enjoy the delicious harvest you've worked so hard for. Let’s dig into some of the most common tomato problems and how to fix them.

Every year, Marisa battles squirrels for her tomatoes — but covering them with mesh cloth at night has finally let her enjoy her harvest (and sleep a little easier).

Flower fusion, or a "megabloom," happens when multiple flowers fuse together. This leads to misshapen fruit.

CATFACING

Have you ever picked a tomato only to find the bottom of the fruit puckered, misshapen or covered in deep scars? That's catfacing, a physiological disorder that causes irregular, deformed fruit, often with rough, sunken areas near the blossom end.

WHAT CAUSES IT

Catfacing happens when flowers don't develop properly and instead fuse together, as in the photo above. This is often caused by nighttime temperatures below 50 degrees F after transplanting, even if daytime temperatures are as warm as 80 degrees F. Other factors, such as high nitrogen levels in the soil, aggressive pruning or thrips damage, can also increase the risk.

HOW TO SOLVE IT