Another tomato question (sorry)--Blossom end rot??

[Crunchie]

Seems I have a lot of tomato questions today. I apologize! But I think that this one deserves a separate thread, as it's a disease question and so totally different than my other thread about supporting tomato vines....

Last year (and the year before) I had terrible luck with my tomatoes. Almost all of the fruit would start to rot before ripening, bottom end up. Is this blossom end rot? What can I do to prevent it this year?

 

[patandchickens]

Sounds like blossom end rot, yes.

Main two causes: deficiency of soil calcium, or irregular (and deficient) watering. Easy enough to fix (or mostly fix), espeically if you can develop a firm theory of which is the problem.

Pat

 

[Crunchie]

Sounds like blossom end rot, yes.

Main two causes: deficiency of soil calcium, or irregular (and deficient) watering. Easy enough to fix (or mostly fix), espeically if you can develop a firm theory of which is the problem.

Pat

Well, seeing as the past two growing seasons I have been either pregnant or occupied with an infant, I think it would be no stretch to say that a fairly firm theory could be irregular and deficient watering!! Although a deficiency of some sort in my soil is also a possibility, as I've only ever tested pH recently. But irregular watering--now that is definitely a problem that I had. Here's hoping that this year the garden gets far more regular attention!

Thank you, Pat, for your help (in both of my threads)!

Maria

 

[patandchickens]

LOL -- I had a certain amount of blossom-end rot last summer from that kind of cause, too

I have seen advice to bury one or several crushed eggshells under where you put the tomato transplant. I do not know whether a sufficient amount of calcium comes out of them, fast enough and in a useable form, to make this actually a valid cure, but it seems to me like it'd be worth trying just on the offchance you're a little calcium deficient. I doubt a tad bit extra will hurt much.

But, mainly, yeah, the water thing.

BTW, one does not necessarily get more time for gardening just because they're a little older

Pat, with an almost-1-yr-old and an almost-4-yr-old

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Also, tomatoes need nitrate based nitrogen (chicken/animal manures, etc) and not ammonia based nitrogens (fish emulsion, although fish emulsion is good for foliage and growth not for fruits and not to prevent rot). Try planting a cover crop like hairy vetch or something before planting the tomatoes. Then right before they go to seed or before you need to plant your tomatoes, which ever comes first, chop them up and fold them in.

You could also, trim the cover crop down and keep it trimmed and just chop and fold in the area you actually plant the tomato. This allows for a good mulch while providing continuous nitrogen.

Some dwarf or french marigolds planted at the base of your tomatoes also helps shade the ground and keep moisture in, this also helps keep bugs away. Or so I have found. There are a few other companions that do well with tomatoes like basil and carrots, but marigolds would probably do better if you're having issues with water consistency.

Hope this helps.

 

[Crunchie]

LOL -- I had a certain amount of blossom-end rot last summer from that kind of cause, too

I have seen advice to bury one or several crushed eggshells under where you put the tomato transplant. I do not know whether a sufficient amount of calcium comes out of them, fast enough and in a useable form, to make this actually a valid cure, but it seems to me like it'd be worth trying just on the offchance you're a little calcium deficient. I doubt a tad bit extra will hurt much.

But, mainly, yeah, the water thing.

BTW, one does not necessarily get more time for gardening just because they're a little older

Pat, with an almost-1-yr-old and an almost-4-yr-old

Notice I said hoping that the garden gets more attention--I'm not holding my breath here! My little one will be 1 year old in June. He's, um, distracting, to put it mildly...

I might try the eggshells too, can't hurt. And there's no shortage of those around here!

 

[aquarose]

I think Mike McGrath says to put the crushed eggshells of a dozen eggs in each tomato planting hole.

 

[bills]

Here is some more info on the problem.

http://gardenline.usask.ca/veg/blossom.html