The Imperfect Tomato

Catfacing – Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Catfacing – Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

We love mutants, and get excited every time we find one in Tomato Town. As it turns out, some of the mutations have names. Thanks to Tomato Man James Worley for introducing the term ‘catfacing’ to us in the comments.

Catfacing on a Black Krim

Catfacing on a Black Krim

Catfacing is caused by blossoms being exposed to cold temperatures about two weeks before they open. This results in incomplete pollination, which causes the deformities that we love here in Tomato Town! Catfacing causes folding of the tomato at the blossom end, and the cavities can become quite deep. It doesn’t affect the taste of the tomato.

A herbicide 2, 4-D, contained in popular weed killing products, can also cause catfacing. We don’t use any chemicals in Tomato Town, save for a shot of miracle grow early in the season, so we’ll blame the cooler weather this spring for our ‘mutant tomatoes’. The herbicide 2, 4-D was used in Agent Orange, which is all the more reason to seriously rethink using any commercial weed killers on your lawn. There are organic alternatives.

Leave a Reply