Tomatoes Cracking & Fall Pruning Of Fruit Trees

Question:

Why are my Beefsteak Tomatoes cracking at the stem and down the sides? Also, why have they taken so long to ripen? I planted them in May.

Cat Face is a physiological disease that causes the skin of tomatoes to crack. It usually starts at the stem, and there are two types; one that radiates down the sides while the other form concentric circles.
They’re caused by rapid changes in temperatures and genetics. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything one can do to correct it. Although they’re not perfect, they’re still very edible.
Beefsteak is one the latest ripening tomato variety in the Bay Area. It is very typical for them to grow all summer but not to start to ripen until now. If you want tomatoes earlier, you'll have to plant a different variety next year.

Is it okay to prune my apricot tree in the fall? I’m hoping to reduce the number of leaves I have to rake up and at the same time prune the tree.

Traditionally, fruit trees are pruned during January and February; however, things are changing.
There is a lot of discussion and literature supporting the late summer and fall pruning of fruit trees especially apricots. The only exception would be those varieties that still have a maturing crop.
Most fruit trees are in the beginning stage of dormancy; hence it’s an excellent time to prune. By definition, dormancy begins when a tree has stopped actively growing.
- This is indeed the case now as we haven’t seen any new growth for some time nor do we expect to see any in the near future. Leaf drop is about four to six weeks away.
- One of the disadvantages of pruning now is that the foliage gets in the way. It’s more challenging to identify the structural branches that need to be pruned.
- The tradeoff is those leaves don’t have to be raked up later. Another advantage for pruning now is the ideal temperatures versus the winter months cold, damp, and muddy conditions.
- With apricots, pruning during wet periods has been problematical. They have been prone to an air-borne disease called Euytpa, which enters through the pruning wound(s). The disease doesn’t show up until late May or June of the following year, and there are no chemical treatments for the problem. Once the wound(s) have calloused over which takes about a week, the disease is no longer a threat. Hence, you avoid all of this by pruning in the fall.