What is causing these holes?

[madonnaswimmer]

I am currently growing 3 kinds of tomatoes, and 4 plants of each kind. Only one kind (the Burpee "early" harvest variety) have these holes, and I have found these defects on tomatoes from each of the 4 plants of this variety. Each plant also has plenty of other normal tomatoes.

These tomatoes are not resting on anything, or even have anything nearby that could be poking them. The holes seem very superficial, and always lie on these vertical lines.

I am thinking these tomatoes are swelling and cracking, but am not sure. If so, how do I prevent this?

Also, my current management strategy has been to pick these as soon as I see it, figuring these tomatoes are shot and now are just stealing nutrients from the other tomatoes on the plants. Is this correct?

Any ideas?

[applestar]

The vertical line/cracks look like growth defect, but the round holes look like climbing cutworm damage.

They feed at night, then climb back down and hide in the mulch/soil during the day, though I've also found them curled up in the holes.

[madonnaswimmer]

Hmm, interesting. I would have though worm damage would have been a deep hole.

I did just spray some Bonide Caterpillar Killer (I believe you commented on that thread in the Vegetable gardening forum) and it is labeled for cutworms. Hopefully that will do the trick...?

Why only the one variety, and the other 2 (immediately next to these plants) are untouched?

[applestar]

Maybe to cutworms, the other plants are like a whole block away and this is nearest to where they woke up -- they just want to roll out of bed, climb up and eat, then work their way back down and curl back in bed again.

...I haven't posted this link in a while (though the story is about the ground cutworms, it's rather entertaining I think)