Catfacing identification & organic treatment
N/A — abiotic (cold-triggered flower deformity)
How to identify catfacing
Cold temperatures during flower formation damage part of the blossom, and the fruit that develops from it grows scarred, puckered, and deeply lobed at the blossom end.
Symptoms
- Deep puckering, scarring, and lobing at the blossom end of the fruit
- Brown, corky scar tissue within the folds
- Fruit is otherwise edible and ripens normally, just visually distorted
Host crops
Tomato, Pepper.
How it spreads
Not contagious; caused by cold exposure or other stress during flower development, not a pathogen.
Favorable conditions
Nighttime temperatures below about 55°F during flower formation, or heavy pruning/high-nitrogen pushes that trigger extra flower parts.
Progression
- Cold flower exposure (Cool nights during bloom) — Developing flower parts are damaged.
- Distorted fruit set (As fruit forms from the damaged flower) — Puckered, scarred fruit shape becomes visible.
Organic treatment for catfacing
- 1. No treatment needed for existing fruit · low effort
Catfaced fruit is still edible; trim the scarred section if desired.
When: At harvest
- 2. Protect blooms from cold · low effort
Use row cover on cool nights during early bloom to keep flowers above the risk threshold.
When: Early season, cool nights
Prevention
- Delay transplanting large-fruited tomato varieties until nights reliably stay above 55°F.
- Avoid excess nitrogen fertilization during flowering.
- Choose varieties less prone to catfacing (many modern hybrids are bred to resist it).
Easy to confuse with
Blossom end rot (sunken rot spot, not puckered scarring), Herbicide injury.