This sounds like Blossom End Rot (BER) to me. This can make the blossom-end of the fruit to get a scab on it, and become discolored or watery.

BER is caused by not enough calcium as the plants are setting fruit, but what exactly that means can be a different story. Your soil could really be deficient in calcium, in which case you could add lime, or another calcium source. The other possibility is that there's enough calcium present, but something else about the soil (pH, too much or too little of other nutrients, etc.) is keeping your plants from using the calcium properly. Uneven watering is often a major culprit.

This is a problem that often corrects itself as the season wears on -- so the first flush of fruits might have have this problem, but later ones won't.

It's my understanding that Romas are particularly susceptible to this problem, and my Roma plants definitely had it last year.

Ditto the blossom end rot.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blossom end rot

Our own FAQ has a write up about blossom end rot.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/tomato/

Here is a link that might be useful: BER in Tomato FAQ

I think Romas are more likely to develope BER. Two seasons ago I grew Romas and most of the fruit had BER compared to the Early Girl growing right next to it.

Larrick

Yes just wanted to chime in: You may be doing nothing wrong. Some varieties (Roma esp.) are especially prone to BER. If you've planted other varieties and they're okay, then this is most likely the case.

Next year, you might want to try something like Amish Paste or another 'good for sauce' type of tomato which is less susceptible.

Ditto the BER and Romas....I have heard from others that Roma-type tomatoes are the most susceptible to BER. Luckily I haven't had problems yet with BER and paste tomatoes. I'm growing one paste type this year (Black Plum) and I'll see how it goes. I'm usually careful about watering so BER isn't a huge problem for me.

I hadn't had a garden in years, but decided to try my hand at containers last year. I grew 6 romas. I, too, noticed what started out as soggy, whitish bottoms that would eventually turn black. MA had a lot of rain and not much heat, so the containers weren't draining fast enough for the soil to dry out. After research, discovered it was BER. However, I discovered a REALLY SIMPLE SOLUTION that I couldn't find anywhere else. Once you see the fruit starting to grow from the blossom, lightly run your hand under the blossom to knock it off. I think what was happening was that the blossom was holding in moisture, which in turn was rotting the fruit. Worked like a charm! Ate and froze more Romas than I knew what to do with! Each plant grew almost 5" tall! Hope this helps!

However, I discovered a REALLY SIMPLE SOLUTION that I couldn't find anywhere else. Once you see the fruit starting to grow from the blossom, lightly run your hand under the blossom to knock it off. I think what was happening was that the blossom was holding in moisture, which in turn was rotting the fruit. Worked like a charm! Ate and froze more Romas than I knew what to do with! Each plant grew almost 5" tall! Hope this helps!

*****

How do you know it worked when you don't know which blossoms will lead to fruits with BER? (smile)

I've never seen all fruits on a plant have BER and I've grown thousands upon thousands of plants through the years.

How about next time doing a control and "dewetting" all the blossoms on your Romas on one plant and with the same Roma plant next to it don't do that and see what happens.

I know what you said you saw happen, but I can't see how a wet blossom could lead to BER on a fruit from that blossom knowing what we know about BER.

It was a very wet and cool season in MA last year, just as it was here in NYS and I'm not that far from you if you're in the western part of MA and wet and cool soils are a stress factor that can lead to BER, but I have my doubts that it's wet blossoms alone that can do it. ( smile)

Carolyn

Adding lime to the soil helps to prevent BER.

Posted by Carolyn above:

The only time when Ca++ is a problem is if soils have none, which is very rare, or if soils are very acidic which binds up the Ca++ and it can't be absorbed through the roots which is also rather rare.

Posted by Kndm:

Adding lime to the soil helps to prevent BER.

*****

it can help only if the soil has NO Ca++ which is rare indeed. If preventing BER by just adding lime/eggshells to the soil could prevent it the commercial folks who have problems with BER of tomatoes, peppers, squash, cabbage, and on and on, would be able to save megamillion dollars a year.

Yes, it used to be said that addition of Ca++ could help prevent BER but there's been a lot of research done in the last 20 years or so that has shown that it's not Ca++ alone that's involved, rather, it's the many stresses to plants that can induce it as I wrote above. ( smile)

Carolyn

Can the top of the tomato be eaten if the bottom is removed?

Bobbie

"Can the top of the tomato be eaten if the bottom is removed?"

It is edible but it has a very "off" flavor. Some say it's just a bit strange, some say it's downright spit-yucky.

Dave

Thanks Dave. Guess I will be planting something else next year.

"Guess I will be planting something else next year."

Do you mean that you will be planting something other than tomatoes or do you mean you will be planting a different variety?

Rodney

Yeah if you mean another variety then fine. Romas aren't very good tomatoes anyway, even when perfect. But there sure is no reason to give on growing tomatoes.

Dave

No, not giving up on tomatoes. This is my second year planting cherry tomatoes and they are doing fine. I meant I will fine another variety to plant instead of Roma. I do enjoy Roma tomatoes in salads and thhat was my reason for wanting to grow them.

Bobbie

The last time I planted Roma and San Marzano I think it was in 2009. Both had lots of BER early on and I kept practicing my pitching. :-)

Also, Roma and SM are for canning and making sauce and IMO they are not some of the good tasting tomatoes. I do some canning at the peak of harvest with whatever I have plenty of them, all colors, all size and shapes.

Sey

digdirt2 and Sey

What tasty tomato would you suggest that can be grown in containers with relative ease? Will not be canning or saucing; for immediate consumption only.

Of the thousands of tomato varieties available it is impossible to recommend just one. But for fresh eating then you do not want any of the paste types, you want a slicing variety - aka beefsteak type. Still thousands of those. If you are buying your transplants then your choices will be limited to whatever is available locally.

As for growing in a container then it all depends on the size of your container. Indeterminates require BIG containers 15 gallons up for best result, determinates can be grown in 7-10 gallons, dwarf types in 5 gallons. So start with determining the size of the container you have to use.

Dave

Thanks for the info, Dave. I'll get my research done before planting time next year.

Agree with everything Dave wrote.

Myself would only grow Determinants in containers. Or maybe compact indeterminants.

Lets take some recommendations here:

SILETZ: determinant

Cherokee Purple: (indet). Not very compact but not very vigorous either.

Sey

Thanks Sey.

That's going to be the problem unless he is growing from seed. You won't find Siletz as a local transplant and probably not Cherokee Purple either. So I could list off 50+ varieties but the odds of finding them as transplants are slim. Even the Bonnie plants selections are regional.

Dave