Why do tomatoes grow with white streaks inside? Why does a tomato that is red on the outside have a tough, pale, tasteless core? Is it possible to eat tomatoes with coarse fibers inside? Today we’ll try to figure out the reasons for this annoying but common phenomenon.
There are only five reasons. And not all of them can be eliminated by a gardener. And yet, let's not forget that knowledge is power. Moreover, white veins are not necessarily evil. In a certain situation, this kind of “wiry” tomato can outplay its fleshy, tender brother.
So, here are all 5 reasons why white fibers and cores appear inside tomatoes:
The first reason: unripe fruits
Corny, yes.
But the fact remains: we often pick fruits from the bush (and even buy them in the store) that simply haven’t had time to ripen. And then we start grumbling and speaking unkindly about genetic engineering. If you find a tomato that is white inside, you can first try “ripening.” Place tomatoes next to apples (can be with bananas, pears or ripe tomatoes), and the fruits that have not ripened on the bush will very soon reach the desired condition. Picked fruits and vegetables (especially apples) release ethylene into the environment. This substance is called the “ripeness hormone.” Thanks to its action, the apples themselves ripen and accelerate the ripening process of nearby fruits.
What to do to prevent this from happening
If the problem is related to physiological characteristics, it can be easily eliminated by taking the following measures:
- adjust agricultural technology in the beds, especially normalizing the watering regime;
- limit fertilizing of bushes with nitrogen;
- choose complex fertilizers with a high potassium content;
- having confirmed the deficiency of minerals, potassium nitrite or monophosphate is added to the soil; chemicals can be replaced with a folk remedy - infusion of ash (6 cups of powder per bucket of water);
- ash can simply be sprinkled on the beds next to the bushes;
- If tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse, then it is reasonable to whitewash the glass roof of the building.
Having discovered signs of a viral disease, the problem will have to be solved radically. Phytoplasmosis cannot be cured, so all diseased plants are removed from the garden and burned outside the site.
The second reason: varietal characteristics
However, it is quite possible to find hard white fibers in ripe tomatoes.
One of the reasons for this phenomenon may be the characteristics of the variety or hybrid. Seed producers keep up with the times and market demands. And the market needs hard, transportable, shelf-stable fruits. The veins inside help the tomato maintain its shape for a long time and its appearance attractive to the buyer. It is quite difficult to understand in advance, even when purchasing seeds, whether there will be a “rigid frame” inside the fruit. The manufacturer will not openly indicate on the packaging that the tomato grows with white veins inside. However, it is worth paying close attention to those varieties and hybrids that are positioned as super-stable, with a long shelf life and excellent transportability.
Is it worth planting such varieties? This is up to us, gardeners, to decide. One prefers fleshy tomatoes, another definitely needs sourness in taste, and the third, perhaps, is going to store his tomatoes until the new year and white veins only benefit him.
Fusarium
This fungal disease can greatly harm tomatoes. If you do not notice the appearance of fusarium, it will gradually affect all tissues of the plant, which will lead to rotting and death of the entire bush.
The main signs of fusarium are yellowed and curled leaves, as well as discolored veins through which the plant sap flows.
When the first signs of the disease appear, treat the infected bush with Trichodermin. This biological agent does not harm fruits; it can also be used as a preventive measure.
Third reason: hot weather or sudden temperature changes
Weather anomalies can provide tomatoes with a white center.
And above all - the heat. It would seem that heat-loving tomatoes should only make us happy in hot weather, but that’s not the case. The optimal temperature for the growth and development of tomatoes is +22-28°C during the day and +15-20°C at night.
When the thermometer rises above +30°C, it becomes more difficult for tomatoes to absorb nutrients (especially potassium) from the soil. If the temperature continues to rise, the tomato pollen becomes sterile and fruits do not form at all. And those that have already formed begin to ripen intensively - the plant needs to produce seeds at any cost. In hot conditions and lack of moisture in tomatoes, the formation of lycopene, the pigment responsible for the red color of the fruit, slows down. Therefore, the middle may well remain white and tasteless.
In this situation, we can (and should) help our tomatoes. We mulch the beds, increase watering, ventilate the greenhouses, spray and shade the plantings, thereby reducing the temperature and increasing air humidity. Then the probability of tomatoes appearing with defects will tend to zero.
Useful tips
To somehow soften the rough pulp, experienced summer residents suggest using the following recommendations:
- if immaturity is a varietal factor, then the picked tomatoes should be placed next to the ripe fruits; in a few days they will reach the desired stage and become more edible;
- to prevent contamination of the crop with viruses, the bed should be treated with garlic infusion every week; to prepare it, take cut teeth from one head and fill with 5 liters of water; leave for 2-3 days;
- if aphids appear on the bushes, you should release ladybugs into the garden bed (15-20 pieces will be enough); they will quickly destroy the pest;
- in the hot season, when the bushes do not have enough watering, it is recommended to use an air humidification system to reduce its temperature;
- Once a week, up to 5 liters of water should be added to each bush.
If tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse, then you can lower the air temperature to the optimum (+20-25 degrees) by evenly placing open vessels with water in the room.
Fourth reason: lack of potassium or calcium
White streaks may be the result of a deficiency of potassium or calcium, two extremely important nutrients for tomatoes.
This factor is closely related to the previous one - in heat and drought, potassium and calcium are poorly absorbed. Another reason could be unbalanced fertilizer. When tomatoes are overfed with nitrogen, the absorption of other elements slows down. Potassium starvation is characterized not only by hard fibers inside the fetus. You may also notice uneven coloring of the tomatoes, a yellow or dry border along the edge of the leaf, as well as curling of young leaves into a tube.
A lack of calcium leads to blossom end rot (this is when the nose turns black and dries out). In this case, young leaves become covered with yellow spots and look scorched. Old leaves, on the contrary, acquire a dark green color.
Note: A reference chart on tomato nutritional deficiencies can be found HERE. There is a photo there to understand how the lack of one or another element affects the appearance of the tomato.
And in this case, the gardener has the opportunity to correct the situation. Foliar and root feeding with potassium sulfate, potassium monophosphate, calcium nitrate or ordinary wood ash will quickly provide plants with the necessary substances.
Is it possible to eat them?
The fruits affected by the described problem look like real “freaks”. Therefore, it is not surprising that doubt arises whether they are edible. Tomatoes themselves are harmless (except for the green “caps” in which poisonous solanine accumulates).
There is no point in throwing away “ugly” fruits. The red pulp can be used in salads by removing the white hard veins and unripe areas. Some housewives even canned tomatoes for the winter. At the same time, the marinade has a real tomato taste, but the fruits themselves do not have high tasting qualities.
As for tomatoes affected by fungus, they should be taboo. In this case, the spores penetrate even into ripe pulp without showing anything. Once in the human body, they can cause the development of serious diseases (the mildest of them is food poisoning).
Fifth reason: viral phytoplasmosis of tomatoes (stolb)
The most unpleasant cause of coarse light fibers in tomatoes is a viral disease called tomato phytoplasmosis or stolbur.
Unfortunately, there are no antiviral drugs for plants yet. If this infection happens in the garden bed, you will have to pull out the bushes by the roots, burn them and remove the top layer of soil from the garden bed. How to recognize a stolbur? In diseased tomatoes, the stems become thicker and the leaves become smaller. At the same time, the leaves still bend upward and acquire a purple tint. And the flowers lighten (sometimes turn green at the tips) and grow together.
The only protection against phytoplasmosis is prevention. The virus is transmitted by insect pests: aphids, cutworms, cicadas, whiteflies. Or it gets onto tomatoes from weeds. For example, from bindweed, St. John's wort or plantain. So preventive measures come down to pest control and regular weeding.
Standard varieties of tomatoes are much less likely to be affected by stolbur.
Prevention
One way to save the harvest is to take all necessary measures in advance. The main prevention is as follows:
- tomatoes are grown in seedlings, observing the rules of drainage;
- choose the right area for the beds - well-lit, with protection from the winds;
- You can’t plant decorative flowers next to tomatoes - they attract aphids;
- the acidity of the soil is taken into account - loams and sandstones with a pH of 6 are needed;
- Crop rotation is important - tomatoes are not planted after nightshades to avoid fungal infections; the best predecessors are legumes, onions and cucumbers, which enrich the soil with the necessary microelements;
- nitrogen is necessary for the beds, but organic matter is added to the soil in the fall, and in spring and summer preference is given to mineral water with a minimum content of this element; during the fruiting period it is better to exclude it completely;
- for sowing seedlings, high-quality seeds are selected, which must undergo special preparation (stratification, disinfection, etc.);
- the specificity of caring for tomatoes is pinching; This is especially true for indeterminate varieties;
- when planting seedlings in beds, the seedlings should not be piled up - be sure to maintain optimal distances between them and the rows;
- in regions with a hot climate, it is better to give preference to low-growing varieties with a short ripening period;
- The prevention of phytoplasmosis includes the fight against aphid colonies - they are the main carriers of the virus;
- the crop is periodically treated with insecticides (but not during the fruiting period);
- for the prevention and control of insects and diseases, the bushes, starting in the second half of July, are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture;
- from mid-August, the stems are pinched and those clusters on which the fruits are not set are removed;
- watering is carried out regularly, without waiting for the soil to dry out, but also without waterlogging it; at the same time, they try to ensure that moisture does not fall on the foliage, but goes directly to the roots; It is recommended to install a drip system on the site;
- Also, periodic loosening of the soil, light hilling, and removal of weeds are carried out.
If white veins in the pulp or uneven ripeness of tomatoes are associated with a varietal feature, you should abandon this type and choose other tomatoes for the next season.
The tomato variety is to blame
There are hybrid varieties of tomatoes, and if they are grown for sale, a gene is often added, with the help of which the tomatoes are stored better and longer. You can find white veins in these tomatoes. They are hard and tasteless; it is thanks to the veins that all the pulp is held inside the tomato.
The veins have practically no taste; they are white and hard, which affects the quality of the tomato. It is impossible to determine externally whether there are white veins inside the vegetable.
At the same time, farmers who grow crops for themselves carefully select tomato seeds, avoiding hybrids with a good shelf life.
Why do tomato leaves spin and what to do? Violations in agricultural technology
Usually, tomato leaves curl into a tube due to improper care. Despite the fact that the crop is not particularly capricious in care, without following agricultural techniques and taking into account the specifics of the varieties, you will not get a harvest.
Moisture deficiency
Tomatoes are not as water-drinking as cucumbers and do not need frequent watering. At the same time, lack of moisture is detrimental to the crop, and if there is not enough water, the leaves of tomatoes curl inward. This allows you to reduce the area of moisture evaporation and prevent the plants from drying out.
Excess moisture
Even novice gardeners know that tomatoes love infrequent, abundant watering. But flooding plants is dangerous, as this leads to curling of the leaves, slow growth, infections, and deterioration in the taste of the fruit.
When there is an excess amount of water in the soil, the leaves on the bushes “raise” their edges to increase the evaporation of moisture. It turns out to be a kind of “boat”, and for the summer resident it is a signal that it is necessary to reconsider the watering schedule.
High temperatures
The culture is thermophilic, so in temperate climates it is grown in greenhouses. It is easier to create comfortable conditions in shelters, not to depend on the weather, but exceeding the air temperature (over +30ºC) leads to severe stress for the bushes.
Tomato leaf blades are curled up, ovaries and flowers are shed. Due to extreme heat, leaves and stems lose turgor and hang lifelessly.
Formation of bushes
Lack of pinching leads to curling of foliage and severe thickening. The bushes become overgrown with numerous side shoots, their shape is lost, and the stems bend under the weight of the leaf mass.
On a note! Those who do not want to deal with the removal of stepchildren are recommended to plant varieties and hybrids that do not require molding.
Something else happens: the summer resident is too zealous in removing excess shoots from the bushes or growing tomatoes irregularly. The plant will react to a removed armful of leaves and shoots by twisting the plates and dropping buds.
Tomato nutritional disorders
During the season, tomatoes need 4-5 feedings. Application rates are strictly dosed, with nitrogen being important at the initial stage, and from the second half of the growing season, priority is given to phosphorus-potassium additives.
An excess of nitrogen fertilizers in the soil leads to “fatification” of plants, active growth of green mass, and curling of leaves into a ring. Bushes (especially low-growing varieties) become curly, produce thick stems and brittle, brittle leaves.
Curliness also occurs with a lack of potassium. In ripening fruits, this causes whitish spots on the skin.
If the leaf blades suddenly darken, acquire a violet-gray tint and bend downwards with their edges, it means that the tomatoes do not have enough phosphorus.
