GARDENING: Sun protection is needed for tomatoes, too – Odessa American

Floyd is a horticulturist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service. He can be reached at 498-4071 in Ector County or 686-4700 in Midland County or by email at Jeff.Floyd@ag.tamu.edu

Floyd is an Agri-Life Extension agent for Ector and Midland counties. To learn more, call the Ector County Extension office at 432-498-4072, or the Midland County Extension office at 432-686-4700, or email jeff.floyd@ag.tamu.edu.

Posted: Sunday, June 25, 2017 3:00 am

GARDENING: Sun protection is needed for tomatoes, too By Jeff Floyd Odessa American

It is easy enough for gardeners to apply sunscreen when working outdoors, but tomatoes arent able to do that. Excessive exposure to the intense West Texas sunlight may burn tomato fruit.

Sunscald injury is caused by the destruction of cells just beneath the skin of the fruit by intense sunlight exposure. The injury often first appears as a sunken discolored oval spot that eventually turns brown and spreads. It usually appears on a South or west facing side of the fruit where the most intense sun exposure occurs between 3 and 5 p.m. However, sunscald can show up on any area of the fruit that is unprotected from sunlight for an extended period of time.

A thick canopy of healthy green leaves shields the fruit from direct exposure and allows tomatoes to mature on the vine safely. Any change that reduces the foliage on a vine may have a negative impact on productivity. Early blight, a fungal disease that occurs in the spring or early summer, can be slowed by the removal of infected leaves. Fortunately, if caught in time, the removal of only the lower leaves is necessary to slow the disease long enough for the fruit to mature. However, when an excessive amount of foliage must be pruned out, there is an increased risk fruit exposure to strong sunlight.

Tomatoes should be grown in heavy duty cages that are at least two feet wide and five feet tall. Improperly staked or caged tomatoes often flop over as a result of becoming top-heavy, potentially causing their stems to break and allowing fruit to suddenly become exposed to sunlight. Caged tomatoes should be checked daily and any stems that are weaving out of the cage should be tucked back in before they grow too large.

To learn more about having a successful tomato harvest this year, contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office at 498-4071 or email jeff.floyd@ag.tamu.edu.

Posted in Gardening on Sunday, June 25, 2017 3:00 am. | Tags: Texas A&m Agrilife Extension Office, Jeff Floyd, Pecans, Pruning, Prune, Soft Landscape Materials, Landscape, Gardening, Gardener, Food, Integra, Repeat Applications, West Texas

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GARDENING: Sun protection is needed for tomatoes, too - Odessa American