A tomato consists of 95 percent water.
Tomato plants thrive in home gardens and grow throughout the country during the summer season. These hungry, thirsty plants require adequate soil, nutrition, water and support for fruit production, but they produce several harvests in a given season. Soft, mushy tomatoes indicate several possible --- and fixable --- problems.
Season
Tomatoes grow only from spring to fall, and fail at the first frost. Fruit stops ripening at temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit and goes to rot instead. Pick all tomatoes before the first fall frost and take them indoors to ripen in the kitchen. Leave the stems on green tomatoes for better indoor ripening.
Site and Support
Tomatoes need bright sun, air circulation, drainage and support for fruit ripening. Fruit without these conditions fails and rots instead of ripening. Keep tomatoes in sites with full sun, quick drainage and adequate airflow, and use stakes to tie up the vines. Tomatoes rot when they sit on the ground.
Soil for Drainage
Tomatoes need good drainage in both site and soil, and experience root and fruit rot in standing water. Plant tomatoes in quick-draining sites, and amend soil with organic compost at planting. Deep amendments encourage better drainage and aeration for healthier growth. Healthier growth produces better, sturdier tomatoes.
Harvest
Tomatoes grow larger and sweeter with time on the vine, but they still require timely harvests. The fruit rots on the plant when left too long. Harvest tomatoes when they reach mature color and size, and when ripe. Press your thumb gently into the fruit; a slight indentation indicates ripeness and harvest time. Don't leave the tomatoes on the vine past their ripening, as this leads to rotting.
Problems
Tomatoes can contract soil-borne diseases that cause rot and softening on the vine. Anthracnose, black mold, canker, cloudy spot, spotted wilt, blossom end rot and early blight all attack ripe tomatoes and damage the fruit. Treat tomatoes with fungicides, consistent watering or supplements, depending on the disease, and prune off all diseased fruits or foliage.
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