Knowledgebase

Tomato Discoloration #271844

Asked August 21, 2015, 10:55 AM EDT

I am growing "Celebrity" tomato plants in full sun in fertile soil. The foliage is healthy, the plants large, and the fruit plentiful. The problem is the condition of the fruit. I can see a spotty discoloration on the shoulder of the tomato and when I cut into the tomato, this discoloration runs throughout the interior. So instead of getting a uniform "tomato red" color on the inside, I am seeing splotches of yellow and red. The bottom half of the tomato does not seem to be as affected as the top half. How can I correct this issue?

Baltimore County Maryland

Expert Response

The spots of white, pithy tissue directly under the skin of tomatoes are caused by stinkbug feeding. Here are stinkbug controls: http://extension.umd.edu/growit/insects/stink-bugs

However, the white, corky areas in the interior of the tomato may be caused by one or more of the following factors: tomato variety, high temperatures, low potassium levels, and cool, spring weather followed by hot weather.

Both tomato conditions are edible.

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