blossom end rot

[SuperChemicalGirl]

I've got all kinds of new garden problems this year in addition to some of the good ol' ones I had last year too. I've got blossom end rot this year on quite a number of veggies. Last year I put a tsp of ground up egg shell in each hole... this year I did the same except I didn't measure, so it was probably 1/2 to 2 tsp. How come I'm still getting blossom end rot? Should I do a tums?

 

[the lemon tree]

I've got all kinds of new garden problems this year in addition to some of the good ol' ones I had last year too. I've got blossom end rot this year on quite a number of veggies. Last year I put a tsp of ground up egg shell in each hole... this year I did the same except I didn't measure, so it was probably 1/2 to 2 tsp. How come I'm still getting blossom end rot? Should I do a tums?

At the first show of BER, this year I crushed some Calcium tablets I had lying around and dissolved them in H20, and used this as a foliage spray. Just to be on the safe side, I also stuck a few in the soil. They dissolve pretty quickly, so I'll be doing this periodically throughout the season. I thought I was safe too-I amended with dolomite. Not enough, I guess.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

Go buy a 50lb bag of pelletized lime and throw a handful at the base of all your tomato plants as well as the ones you are having problems with. If you are watering ease-up cause your getting them too wet but if it is rain there isnt much you can do about that. The lime will fix it but it will take a couple days before you start to notice.

Hobby

 

[patandchickens]

IME uneven watering is usually the more-direct cause of blossom end rot than calcium deficiency -- periods with insufficient water, even if the plant doesn't get all wilty or anything, interfere with calcium uptake.

But, it might also be worth popping for a soil test that includes calcium, see whether your soil is radically deficient for some reason. (Especially if you are on granite-based bedrock or somewhere where groundwater is naturally pretty soft, as opposed to on limestone-based bedrock or places where groundwater is naturally hard)

Pat

 

[Grow 4 Food]

I agree with Pat, However a $6 bag of lime will usually fix that and there is not a fear of too much if it wasnt calcium that you needed like if it is if you over fertilize and didnt need any.

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

Thanks for all the advice. We've had a bunch of really really hot days with no rain recently. I was trying to water daily to every other day - that might be the cause of it.

I think a soil test might be good for me anyway - I've tried to grow peppers (all different types) the last 3 years and they do nothing once they get in the ground (turn slightly yellow and the leaves get eaten a bit by bugs - no growth and no food) so I'm thinking my soil stinks.

I'm a gigantic garden failure, but I love it and keep trying.

I sprinkled some more crushed (in a coffee grinder) egg shells next to each plant in the hopes that that'll help. I did that this morning before I saw this advice.

Thanks again.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I had put lime on my plants earlier in the season then still had bloom rot so I added about 1-2 tbsp of powdered milk under each plant and watered and then no more bloom rot. It stop from that point on.