Blossom end rot?

[i_am2bz]

Howdy experts! I think I may be seeing blossom end rot on a few of my 'maters. One website indicates one cause of this is low calcium in the soil, but I put oyster shell in each hole while transplanting (but who knows).

The other causes are supposed to be heat distress or over-watering. It has been unbearably hot, for sure. I don't think I've been over-watering, as I have raised beds & the soil seems pretty dry to me.

Any ideas or suggestions? :/

 

[wsmoak]

I just lost a bunch of Roma tomatoes to it... I doubt they've gotten too MUCH water, it hasn't rained in weeks! And I have two other rows of tomatoes that are fine -- same dirt. :::shrug:::

I do know I'm much happier with the plants I started from Park seed than with the ones from random paper seed packets I bought elsewhere.

-Wendy

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know if the oyster shell will break down into usable form fast enough to do any good or not. I've also heard of people using crushed egg shells or powdered milk.

If it is too dry, that can cause it too. To me, mulching them and keeping them evenly moist is a help.

I can't remember which ones, but too much or too little of some certain minerals or nutrients can also interfere with the calcium transfer, even if plenty of calcium is present.

Not much help here, I know, but I'm mainly mentioning that there can be more than one cause or cure.

Good luck with it. Mulching seemed to help my problem with it, but I always have some problems with Blossom End Rot, especially with my paste varieties.

 

[patandchickens]

It's not just overwatering, it's VARIABLE watering or letting them dry out occasionally.

If water transport to the growing tomato is interrupted, that can cause blossom end rot even with sufficient calcium in the soil. A period of very hot weather, especially if it's windy hot weather, can cause the plants' evaporation rates from leaves to exceed what its roots can take up and pipe up to the leaves. (That is why some kinds of plants are prone to afternoon wilting in very hot weather even if the soil around their roots is good'n'moist)

it is also of course possible that you may have gotten too dry, or that not enough calcium has dissolved out of the oystershells yet to meet the plants' needs.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[hoodat]

Yep, it's getting that time of year. As Pat indicated it usually isn't over or under watering that causes it but uneven watering. Try to keep the ground around them evenly moist but not soggy.
Rather than using a sprinkler, which can leave your plant wet and invite funguses it's better to put a hose near the base of the plant and adjust it so it's barely dripping. Leave it there for a long time so the water gets deep. Tomato roots can go three feet or more deep and there should be water to that depth. Often we think we are giving the plant plenty of water but it's all in the top layer.

 

[vfem]

Sorry girl, this heat is killing everyone... even the plants are struggling unbearably. Mine keep drying out too... but I mulch extra thick, especially with tomatoes and it seems to help quite a bit.

I haven't noticed the blossom end rot here this year yet... but doesn't mean if this weather keeps up that it won't happen!

I keep some of those garden spikes around for hot spells like this. You stick them in the ground attached to a 2 liter bottle, fill the bottle and it will release water into the soil when it gets too dry. Just a suggestion for the tomatoes.

 

[i_am2bz]

Thanks, ya'll! I spent an hour this morning (& almost passing out 4 times) mulching the 'maters, beans, & strawberrries. Sure hope it helps!!

And I'm going to keep my eye out for the garden spikes...

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I had the same problem last year in my raised beds. They were new and I used a load of top soil from the near by nursery (I didn't know any better). I had several problems last year, one was the caking of the dried out soil and the water just passing through it (it would not retain extra moisture).

When I pulled all my plants last year I added some peat moss, leaves from my yard, my chicken manure and let it sit all winter. This spring I took out some dirt and spread it in other boxes. I then filled with a bunch of chicken manure I saved up and cured out over the winter, I added in a big bag of potting mix (similar to Miracle Gro potting mix), 1 cup of fertilizer and lime, and some horse poop. I mixed it all up and let it sit for 2 weeks and planted. I used some hay that had piled up under the goat feeder as mulch and installed a drip irrigation system. We've only had rain one time in 2 months here and it was last night. My garden is beautiful, I think.

Picture taken Sunday.

Picture of my in ground tomatoes (plowed up old horse manure in this spot).

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I use powdered milk it make a huge difference. Normally I forget to do it until The bloom rot starts but this year I remember and added some before they started blooming this year. I also used compost this year so I am hoping to have a rot free year.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Oh, I have powdered milk and my tomatoes are just startin to bloom, do I just sprinkle it dried around them? How much per plant? Or do you mix it in and water it on?