Farm Horizons
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Aug. 8, 2016
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Page 18
Catface on tomatoes
Have you seen very large cracks and
the problem by choosing resistant varidisfigured tomatoes?
eties, such as ‘Homestead’ and ‘Monte
Christine
This is probably tomato catface, which
Carlo.’
Schlueter
is a physiological problem. Catface is a
If your favorite varieties are suscepMcLeod County
Master Gardener
condition involving malformation and
tible but you’d still like to grow them, eiscarring of fruits, particularly at the blosther protect your transplants with cloches
som end.
in cold weather or wait until day and eveAffected fruit are often somewhat flat
ning temperatures are consistently warm
with a corky brown scar covering the base of the fruit. to plant them. A thic