Why ripe tomatoes develop hard veins: remember simple rules
Hard white veins in tomatoes can be either a varietal feature or a sign of a lack of nutrients.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, an expert of the online publication Belnovosti, agronomist and landscape designer, tells us which microelements tomatoes may lack.
Why do tomatoes develop hard veins?
It may just be a variety-specific issue, but more often than not it is a lack of potassium.
If the fruits are unripe at the stalk, unevenly colored, and there is marginal burn on the lower leaves, this is definitely a potassium deficiency.
If, along with hard veins, blossom-end rot is observed, the cause is most likely a lack of calcium.
The deficiency of these microelements can be replenished with the help of appropriate fertilizers.
But it is important to take into account that excess nitrogen prevents tomatoes from fully absorbing potassium and calcium.
Choose fertilizers with a minimum nitrogen content, or better yet, none at all.
Phytoplasmosis can also be the cause of hard veins. It is not treatable, affected plants should be removed with the roots and burned, preferably away from the garden.
