Indiana Gardeners: Here’s How To Keep Your Tomatoes From Catfacing

Do you have a green thumb but still sometimes struggle to maintain certain plants or vegetables in your garden? Tomatoes are such a mainstay in anyone's veggie garden but sometimes they can be a bit tricky to get to thrive. Here are some tips and tricks on how to prevent "catfacing" of your favorite produce item this growing season. 

What is catfacing

It's a term I must admit, I hadn't heard before. So, what exactly is it? Catfacing is described as being a tomato that is irregularly shaped with brown scarring occurring around the blossom end. This is not to be confused with blossom end rot are they are very different things. In most severe cases the fruit appears to have grown inside out, with the seeded cavity being on the outside of the fruit's body. While it does make for an unsightly tomato, it does not render the fruit completely inedible. A person can cut away the afflicted parts of the tomato and still consume the rest. 

What is the cause of "Catfacing"?

Catfacing is caused by cool temperatures during pollination and early growth stages. Some tomato variations are more prone to this issue than others. Heirloom tomatoes are one of the highest prone tomato varieties to catfacing. 

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How to prevent Catfacing

One of the best ways to prevent this from happening in your garden is by delaying your planting times. Waiting a bit later in the spring planting season can help bypass any late-in-the-year frosts, freezes, or overnight temperature drops. Plant tomato varieties are less susceptible to this issue, by using something to protect the plants from extreme temperature shifts.