Tomato Diagnosis, Please (or, Hungarian Heart Disease)

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Garden experts, can you tell me what's wrong with our Hungarian Heart tomatoes? The plants are somewhat yellowish, and have produced loads of flowers, but very few fruits.

And today, I noticed that the tomatoes have black patches on them. The fruit is firm, but as this is supposed to be a red tomato, I realize that something is wrong.

We've read a little bit about tomato diseases, but can't figure this out.

Comments

Grumpy Grinch said…
Looks like tomato blight to me.

Grumpy
Lisa said…
I was sent a link to Cornell's website for tomato diseases. Closest match seems to be Early Blight.

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/DiagnosticKeys/TomFrt/TomFrtKey.html#Early

It's all very confusing.
Stefaneener said…
Poor you. I hope it isn't blight -- I've never seen anything like that here, but that means not much, as you know.
Lisa said…
I can't decide if I should rip out the plant.

If it were blossom end rot (which we also have on some of the Green Sausages) all we would have to do is be more consistent in our watering.

But other diseases are more contagious.
Anonymous said…
that is definitely not blossom end rot. B.E.R. starts right at the belly button of the fruit, and it wouldn't spread up the sides so irregularly - it is pretty even from the blossom drop site up the fruit. if you do have blossom end rot, you would need to amend with calcium - pulverized egg shells, crushed tums, anything like that- and water more regularly. i'm sure you have checked out diagnostic tools like this and this. without photos of the leaves and stems, someone couldn't diagnose for sure via internet. i'd probably remove the plant to save the rest of my plants. you could take in samples to your master gardener clinic at your county extension office if you want to be certain of the diagnosis. i
Meredith said…
Unfortunately, Lisa, the photo is not showing up for me -- but if you've already diagnosed it as Early Blight, you have my condolences. :(
Lisa said…
Here's a link to the photo of our sad baby tomatoes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisascenic/4824914496/
MommaWriter said…
Have you cut these open, Lisa? I'd be curious to see what they look like inside. Maybe they're not really red tomatoes after all?? My tomatoes are doing *horribly* this year. The fruit looks O.K., but I think I've got some early blight and maybe some verticillium wilt as well. I'm coming to the realization that maybe I ought to just plant tomatoes in containers for the next few years. So sad! : ( I even went to a tomato growing clinic this year, so I'm especially bummed that the results have been so poor.

Stacey
Kate said…
I have a hungarian heart tomato plant that is huge, lots of blossoms, but not a single tomato! It's along with other tomato plants that are doing well...any ideas?
Karen Anne said…
It's not blossom end rot.

I have never seen anything like this in years of growing tomatoes. There are black tomatoes, but I have not seen ones that black. I was speculating about seeds from a cross, if the tomato is otherwise okay (firm, etc.)

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