What did you do in the garden today?

[Sally PB]

Ok, I just looked it up. It's weather related.
"Catfacing is a tomato disorder that causes fruits to develop puckered surfaces and distorted shapes. Bands of tan-colored scar tissue may also run across the blossom end of the fruit.

The disorder occurs when weather conditions interfere with proper pollination and fruit development. Cold weather (below 50°F) and hot weather (above 85°F) can both cause catfacing. Dramatic fluctuations in soil moisture can also cause tomatoes to develop cracks in the stem end of the fruit. These cracks may be radial or concentric; rot may set in at the cracks, or the cracks may heal over with corky, brown tissue. Heirloom tomato varieties, especially those that produce very large fruit, are particular susceptible to catfacing and growth cracks."

Italics mine. And we've definitely had both.

Well, humph.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Ok, I just looked it up. It's weather related.
"Catfacing is a tomato disorder that causes fruits to develop puckered surfaces and distorted shapes. Bands of tan-colored scar tissue may also run across the blossom end of the fruit.

The disorder occurs when weather conditions interfere with proper pollination and fruit development. Cold weather (below 50°F) and hot weather (above 85°F) can both cause catfacing. Dramatic fluctuations in soil moisture can also cause tomatoes to develop cracks in the stem end of the fruit. These cracks may be radial or concentric; rot may set in at the cracks, or the cracks may heal over with corky, brown tissue. Heirloom tomato varieties, especially those that produce very large fruit, are particular susceptible to catfacing and growth cracks."

Italics mine. And we've definitely had both.

Well, humph.

Yeah I wonder if a shade cloth might have prevented a lot of the stuff like that ive had this year. My 2nd year growing beefsteak and totally different this year compared to last year! Last year's was a jungle and they all merged into GIANT maters! I'd have like 5 or 6 that morphed into 1.. really weird looking!
This year all small and catfaced!

 

[esturtz27]

Yeah I wonder if a shade cloth might have prevented a lot of the stuff like that ive had this year. My 2nd year growing beefsteak and totally different this year compared to last year! Last year's was a jungle and they all merged into GIANT maters! I'd have like 5 or 6 that morphed into 1.. really weird looking!
This year all small and catfaced!

I have some tomatoes in pots(big big) and some in the garden. If I had just brought my masters up onto the porch I probably would have at least had one ...shade cloth would've helped the plants in the garden. Yet I'm not sure because we've been so so humid that I've been fighting dusty mildew as much as dry plants. It's just a mess for tomatoes

 

[esturtz27]

It's 74 degrees humid but looks like it's going to rain soon. Checking the weather looks like it might rain the rest of the day after 9am. I got some cucumbers! Since the mouse is gone now. Looks like I'll have 5 good sized butternuts, three Hubbards and some cute fairytales (dunno if those are tasty). Rosie and Rodney my roos were making insane noise this morning and all the girls were huddled under the porch. It was just after day break but there on the fence sat the biggest owl I've ever seen! It flew off just as I got to coop. Massive!

Question for you gardening folk...Do you think having a garden is going to become necessary? I probably should stay away from the news but the "predicted" famine for 2023 sounded like they didn't expect anyone to garden .

 

[TJAnonymous]

Ok, I just looked it up. It's weather related.
"Catfacing is a tomato disorder that causes fruits to develop puckered surfaces and distorted shapes. Bands of tan-colored scar tissue may also run across the blossom end of the fruit.

The disorder occurs when weather conditions interfere with proper pollination and fruit development. Cold weather (below 50°F) and hot weather (above 85°F) can both cause catfacing. Dramatic fluctuations in soil moisture can also cause tomatoes to develop cracks in the stem end of the fruit. These cracks may be radial or concentric; rot may set in at the cracks, or the cracks may heal over with corky, brown tissue. Heirloom tomato varieties, especially those that produce very large fruit, are particular susceptible to catfacing and growth cracks."

Italics mine. And we've definitely had both.

Well, humph.

Nearly all of the Prairie Fire I grew had this problem. I can count on 1 hand how many I've gotten to eat. The rest were all ugly and damaged despite my watering. I did put up a shade cloth but too late, I think.

 

[WthrLady]

New birds arrived today. They're in the workshop in their own cage to settle down for a few days. The royal princess in her own suite in is line of sight of them and hasn't shut up since I put them in there. I suspect she's lecturing them on ranch life.

Walked the garden, there's a few red/orange tomatoes out there, but I had chicken hands, so they can wait until the evening. Turned the irrigation on for them for an hour. That should hold them until Friday morning.

My hydroelectric bill is going to be UGLY this month, between the AC running almost non-stop and the watering or irrigation system, phew. Lawns are dried out to brown and will snap off at the ground if you rub it. (Prairie grass - not dead, just holding energy below ground)

Boston cream pie is in the fridge.
New garage doors come tomorrow. I ordered them Oct 1st last year.

 

[Sueby]

Huge tomato @Sally PB!

I've been getting big handfuls of sungolds, DH loves them to snack on. I made a great cucumber, tomato, shallot & avacado salad last night, it was so good. The cukes are slowing, the beetles are taking their toll. Going to sow some lettuce seeds, should be about that time. My blue lake beans aren't producing as well as they usually do. I'm going to guess it's the heat & lack of rain.

I'm packing, going camping this weekend. As soon as DH gets home we need to cull my BLRW, it's time, I can't save her. & when I get home on Sun my Red is going in the small coop herself, everyone is molting so she's feather picking. It annoys me that they all just sit there while she plucks their feathers. It makes no sense to me. Dummies.

 

[Sueby]

I showed this to hubs, he wants it for a BLT lol. One slice is big enough for the whole sandwich!

THAT is why I grow Brandywines, one slice is a whole BLT!

No extra support. In fact, I was sorry I didn't have a knife to cut the stems!

One thing about these that I did notice, though, they aren't way out on a limb, so to speak. They're in clusters, jammed in close. Some of them have weird indentations from the tomato cage or a stem.

Another variety I definitely will grow again is Italian Heirloom. They are almost as big as Hungarian Heart, but a more round shape.

Mortgage Lifter I might do again, but I'm not that impressed. I'm not sure if it's that one, or Wisconsin Chief that is doing all the cat-facing, but that's a "cross off the list" flaw for me. I have several on the table that are BIG, but with all the scarring in the skin, I won't get much out of them.

Hmmm... Off to ask google what causes that to happen. Maybe it's something in my soil? Anyone know?

Yea, as you said, generally here it's because of our cool weather in the beginning of the season, not enough pollination yet. Usually the first tomatoes get it here. Brandywine's are prone to it too so I always get at least a little.

Question for you gardening folk...Do you think having a garden is going to become necessary? I probably should stay away from the news but the "predicted" famine for 2023 sounded like they didn't expect anyone to garden .

Necessary? No. If you have enough money you can buy anything you need!

New birds arrived today. They're in the workshop in their own cage to settle down for a few days. The royal princess in her own suite in is line of sight of them and hasn't shut up since I put them in there. I suspect she's lecturing them on ranch life.

Walked the garden, there's a few red/orange tomatoes out there, but I had chicken hands, so they can wait until the evening. Turned the irrigation on for them for an hour. That should hold them until Friday morning.

My hydroelectric bill is going to be UGLY this month, between the AC running almost non-stop and the watering or irrigation system, phew. Lawns are dried out to brown and will snap off at the ground if you rub it. (Prairie grass - not dead, just holding energy below ground)

Boston cream pie is in the fridge.
New garage doors come tomorrow. I ordered them Oct 1st last year.

PICS PICS PICS!! & also Boston Cream Pie is my most favorite dessert EVER. & my most fave donut. (I'd take pics of the pie too )

 

[WthrLady]

@Sueby Here's Judy and Elroy, welsummer and coronation sussex respectively.

I just made it BCP in a sheet pan. Easier and faster, bake, poke, pour, top, chill. LOL
It's DHs birthday cake. I usually make my great grandmothers cream fudge cake, but he went to a conference in Boston and never did get BCP! So.....

 

[igorsMistress]

No extra support. In fact, I was sorry I didn't have a knife to cut the stems!

One thing about these that I did notice, though, they aren't way out on a limb, so to speak. They're in clusters, jammed in close. Some of them have weird indentations from the tomato cage or a stem.

Another variety I definitely will grow again is Italian Heirloom. They are almost as big as Hungarian Heart, but a more round shape.

Mortgage Lifter I might do again, but I'm not that impressed. I'm not sure if it's that one, or Wisconsin Chief that is doing all the cat-facing, but that's a "cross off the list" flaw for me. I have several on the table that are BIG, but with all the scarring in the skin, I won't get much out of them.

Hmmm... Off to ask google what causes that to happen. Maybe it's something in my soil? Anyone know?

I ordered some Hungarian Heart seed so I can give them a try after the first of the year.