BER

bigpinks · June 19, 2017

Looks to be making a bad appearance in my garden for the first time in over 40 yrs. I don't know if I just need to lime or what...but it makes me wonder if the unusually cool May when fruit was setting was the culprit? Big disappointment though.

My Foot Smells · June 19, 2017

I got some BER on the bottom cluster on a few. Too much rain in my case, as the next cluster up has none. I think I have only "spot" watered the in ground garden 2x this year.

Maybe too early to jump to conclusions? Or do you have BER on the majority of maters?

Rockporter · June 19, 2017

I'm in the same boat with BER in most of my maters, even the top ones. I have probably tossed about 50% of my Roma's over the season.

pecker88 · June 19, 2017

Same here, BER terrible on Red Rose (indeterminate), not as bad on Bella Rosa (determinate). I have 3 of each plant on a Rain Gutter Grow System (RGGS).

More details:

A float keeps the gutter level full, i.e. the moisture level has been 100% consistent
The RGGS is in inside my climate controlled greenhouse
The plants are inside 4 gal. fabric shopping bags atop the RGGS
All plants are fed weekly with Texas Tomato Food; approx. 1/2 gal. per plant

My RGGS is either flawed or something else?

oakley · June 19, 2017

I'm a bit puzzled and shocked that so many fruits are affected. I know what it looks like
and have a few every year. It was and has been a bit of a puzzle figuring out why...

I seem to get one or two of everything, BER, sun scald, etc, but not half my total
harvest.

I do have years of no fruit on my trees but that is common with late frost and has a
clear explanation.

Can anyone pin-point a difference this year?. Some crops lost is fine, happens every
year, but tomatoes would crush me.

Are you getting any blush on fruit before this sets in? If so i would pull any fruit and let
them ripen on the counter inside...

Sad to hear this.

Rockporter · June 19, 2017

BER starts pretty much right away. I have pulled babies off with BER without any blushing. I've had BER in the top growth and the bottom growth of the plants. All Roma plants. I do pull at blushing too.

Editing to state that all tomatoes are planted in the same mix, same size pots for five of the Roma's and the two cherries I have. I have no BER in the cherry tomatoes. I have two Roma's in my big bed with my Homestead Heritage with the same mix as the containers. The Roma's have BER, not the Homestead Heritage. Makes no sense to me to have so much BER in the Roma's.

So, I am sorry to hear OP's BER problems, because mine are really bad too.

Starlight · June 19, 2017

Last year I had one plant that would get BER on and off. It just didn't like too much water. It just about didn't like water at all.

I forget where the link is here now and my puter to much of a turtle to search for Carolyn's big discussion on BER. After reading here thread post, I learned that it comes from uneven watering and too much water.

This year, so far I have been pitching green tomatoes that have BER. I know it is from the weather. We have had just way to much rain. I grow in containers, they well ventilated and farther spaced out and up off the ground and I still have it going on. I can't think the last time I had to pull out the water hose. Been awhile and our temps were in high 90's then and blossoms started dropping off from heat and humidity.

There only two ways I could stop it here.

1. Top all my plants and put plastic over top of greenhouse area ( it open now since plants too tall) and hand water everyday or

2. Do what I had to do last year with some plants when hurricane season was on, which it is now. I took cheap black plastic bags and wrapped it loosely around top of pot, down the sides and away from the stems. Then when I watered, I just help hose in open area by stem. Now when it rained it was sort of a pain, as I would have to go out and tip the pots all a little bit to remove built up water from rains, but it worked. It saved my plants and they out grew the BER.

I'm scouting twice a day and pulling any tomatoes I see even starting with BER. I do know if this keeps up, it gonna be a lean year for fruits.

I've even thought about taking my hair dryer out and using it on the pots to try and dry the containers out. Especially these heirlooms, they don't seem to like being always with soggy roots.

Rockporter · June 19, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starlight

I forget where the link is here now and my puter to much of a turtle to search for Carolyn's big discussion on BER. After reading here thread post, I learned that it comes from uneven watering and too much water.

This link is for Carolyn Male about BER, it's not from here on TV, although I know it exists somewhere because I also read that. It is a physiological problem that is supposed to go away. It can also be caused by uneven water delivery. I water when needed, sometimes daily with this heat we are having here. Mine hasn't seemed to slow down at all and I have tested my mix, it seems to be right where it should be.

Carolyn on BER

http://www.webgrower.com/information/carolyn_ber.html

brownrexx · June 19, 2017

I don't grow any Roma or any paste type tomatoes anymore. They always get BER and it's too much trouble for me. Other tomatoes work just fine for sauce, especially Big Beef and it almost never gets BER.

Gardeneer · June 19, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockporter

I'm in the same boat with BER in most of my maters, even the top ones. I have probably tossed about 50% of my Roma's over the season.

You can blame it on rain, but Roma is prone to BER.
Roma and San Marzano have been the only ones that I have experienced BER with. That was almost a decade ago and have not grown the again : NO BER in my garden.

Most BER cases happen in container growing, where/when there is wide moisture fluctuation. It is not due to the lack of Ca. Carolyn has discussed it in detail many times.

Rockporter · June 19, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

You can blame it on rain, but Roma is prone to BER.
Roma and San Marzano have been the only ones that I have experienced BER with. That was almost a decade ago and have not grown the again : NO BER in my garden.

Most BER cases happen in container growing, where/when there is wide moisture fluctuation. It is not due to the lack of Ca. Carolyn has discussed it in detail many times.

Ok, I never said it had anything to do with Ca.

And I just came in from picking, I have 39 tossed with BER and I get to keep 21 tomatoes.

AlittleSalt · June 19, 2017

BER happens here when we have too much rain. The larger tomatoes get it, but even cherry tomatoes can have BER and concentric ring. I haven't seen catfacing on cherry tomatoes.

gorbelly · June 19, 2017

Yeah, elongated tomatoes are notorious for getting BER. I think there are a few types that aren't as susceptible. Heidi is supposed to be one of them.

Father'sDaughter · June 19, 2017

Most of my BER has shown up when I would go on vacation for two weeks and we would have a rainy spell--too much rain and all my nutrients washed out of my containers.

The past few years right before we left I gave all my plants a heavy top dressing of Tomato Tone and I would come home to healthier plants and a lot less BER. When we're home I can stay on top of things with regular feedings of Texas Tomato Food, and our new Wifi irrigation controller skips watering if we have rain.

Gardeneer · June 20, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Most of my BER has shown up when I would go on vacation for two weeks and we would have a rainy spell--too much rain and all my nutrients washed out of my containers.

The past few years right before we left I gave all my plants a heavy top dressing of Tomato Tone and I would come home to healthier plants and a lot less BER. When we're home I can stay on top of things with regular feedings of Texas Tomato Food, and our new Wifi irrigation controller skips watering if we have rain.

Now I see. You grow in containers. You are Italian American and perhaps grow Roma and San Marzano ??
Double jeopardy

June 19, 2017	#1
bigpinks Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: SC Ohio(proctorville) Posts: 192	BER Looks to be making a bad appearance in my garden for the first time in over 40 yrs. I don't know if I just need to lime or what...but it makes me wonder if the unusually cool May when fruit was setting was the culprit? Big disappointment though.

June 19, 2017	#3
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	I'm in the same boat with BER in most of my maters, even the top ones. I have probably tossed about 50% of my Roma's over the season. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

June 19, 2017	#4
pecker88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 192	Same here, BER terrible on Red Rose (indeterminate), not as bad on Bella Rosa (determinate). I have 3 of each plant on a Rain Gutter Grow System (RGGS). More details: A float keeps the gutter level full, i.e. the moisture level has been 100% consistent The RGGS is in inside my climate controlled greenhouse The plants are inside 4 gal. fabric shopping bags atop the RGGS All plants are fed weekly with Texas Tomato Food; approx. 1/2 gal. per plant My RGGS is either flawed or something else?

June 19, 2017	#6
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	BER starts pretty much right away. I have pulled babies off with BER without any blushing. I've had BER in the top growth and the bottom growth of the plants. All Roma plants. I do pull at blushing too. Editing to state that all tomatoes are planted in the same mix, same size pots for five of the Roma's and the two cherries I have. I have no BER in the cherry tomatoes. I have two Roma's in my big bed with my Homestead Heritage with the same mix as the containers. The Roma's have BER, not the Homestead Heritage. Makes no sense to me to have so much BER in the Roma's. So, I am sorry to hear OP's BER problems, because mine are really bad too. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~ Last edited by Rockporter; June 19, 2017 at 03:54 PM.

June 19, 2017	#2
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	I got some BER on the bottom cluster on a few. Too much rain in my case, as the next cluster up has none. I think I have only "spot" watered the in ground garden 2x this year. Maybe too early to jump to conclusions? Or do you have BER on the majority of maters?

June 19, 2017	#5
oakley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: NewYork 5a Posts: 2,303	I'm a bit puzzled and shocked that so many fruits are affected. I know what it looks like and have a few every year. It was and has been a bit of a puzzle figuring out why... I seem to get one or two of everything, BER, sun scald, etc, but not half my total harvest. I do have years of no fruit on my trees but that is common with late frost and has a clear explanation. Can anyone pin-point a difference this year?. Some crops lost is fine, happens every year, but tomatoes would crush me. Are you getting any blush on fruit before this sets in? If so i would pull any fruit and let them ripen on the counter inside... Sad to hear this.

June 19, 2017	#7
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Last year I had one plant that would get BER on and off. It just didn't like too much water. It just about didn't like water at all. I forget where the link is here now and my puter to much of a turtle to search for Carolyn's big discussion on BER. After reading here thread post, I learned that it comes from uneven watering and too much water. This year, so far I have been pitching green tomatoes that have BER. I know it is from the weather. We have had just way to much rain. I grow in containers, they well ventilated and farther spaced out and up off the ground and I still have it going on. I can't think the last time I had to pull out the water hose. Been awhile and our temps were in high 90's then and blossoms started dropping off from heat and humidity. There only two ways I could stop it here. 1. Top all my plants and put plastic over top of greenhouse area ( it open now since plants too tall) and hand water everyday or 2. Do what I had to do last year with some plants when hurricane season was on, which it is now. I took cheap black plastic bags and wrapped it loosely around top of pot, down the sides and away from the stems. Then when I watered, I just help hose in open area by stem. Now when it rained it was sort of a pain, as I would have to go out and tip the pots all a little bit to remove built up water from rains, but it worked. It saved my plants and they out grew the BER. I'm scouting twice a day and pulling any tomatoes I see even starting with BER. I do know if this keeps up, it gonna be a lean year for fruits. I've even thought about taking my hair dryer out and using it on the pots to try and dry the containers out. Especially these heirlooms, they don't seem to like being always with soggy roots.

June 19, 2017	#9
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	I don't grow any Roma or any paste type tomatoes anymore. They always get BER and it's too much trouble for me. Other tomatoes work just fine for sauce, especially Big Beef and it almost never gets BER.

June 19, 2017	#12
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	BER happens here when we have too much rain. The larger tomatoes get it, but even cherry tomatoes can have BER and concentric ring. I haven't seen catfacing on cherry tomatoes.

June 19, 2017	#13
gorbelly Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Posts: 1,069	Yeah, elongated tomatoes are notorious for getting BER. I think there are a few types that aren't as susceptible. Heidi is supposed to be one of them.

June 19, 2017	#14
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	Most of my BER has shown up when I would go on vacation for two weeks and we would have a rainy spell--too much rain and all my nutrients washed out of my containers. The past few years right before we left I gave all my plants a heavy top dressing of Tomato Tone and I would come home to healthier plants and a lot less BER. When we're home I can stay on top of things with regular feedings of Texas Tomato Food, and our new Wifi irrigation controller skips watering if we have rain.