Calcium for tomatoes?

[MeggsyGardenGirl]

I've been told that a crushed up egg shell in the planting hole for a tomato will reduce or eliminate the chance of blossom end rot (BER). Does anyone know if this is true? I usually don't have BER, but I did notice a couple fruits last year that had it and so I thought maybe I should try this. My problem is that I haven't been saving my egg shells separately (they all go into the compost), so I don't have enough for all the plants.

What about oyster shell calcium that I give my chickens free choice? Would that offer the same amount of calcium for a tomato plant...say about a TBS per plant mixed into the soil? What does everyone think? I'm hoping to start planting tomatoes tomorrow and I want to give them everything they need for a fighting chance.

 

[Smart Red]

Calcium is credited with reducing BER but I haven't used it so far as I've not had that problem myself. BER is also associated with irregular water available to the tomato plant. I plant my tomatoes, cover the soil with brown grocery bags, and add a mulch of straw. Even during our drought, my tomato bed stayed moist - and weed free - because of the mulches.

Egg shells will work but they dissolve into the soil slowly. They can be a good preventative over time. Any source of calcium will also work. Powdered milk, TUMS, crushed calcium tablets, or that crushed oyster shell (I'd grind it into a fine powder) -- any of these mixed with water can be incorporated into the garden if BER becomes a problem.

 

[seedcorn]

For BER, powdered milk is a quick solution. Any calcium source is good but most are very slow to break down. Grit is centuries to break down. Gypsum is a cheap, quicker solution.

Agree with Red as lack of water can be another cause-easy fix.

In past, I had major problems as I learned to garden gravel that had not been taken care of.

 

[hoodat]

It's always best to have the calcium level in your soil high BEFORE you plant tomatos and peppers. Calcium added afterward doesn't do as much good.
Lack of calcium is the source of blossom end rot but there can be two causes. The obvious one is that the calcium just isn't there but a lack of sufficient water to carry the calcium to the fruit can also cause it. It is important to keep the soil moisture as even as possible. Letting the soil dry out too much between waterings can result in blossom end rot and also splitting of the fruit. Mulching tomatos heavily will help keep the moisture level even. Splitting BTW is usually caused by an interuption of the growth of the fruit when the ground gets too dry, followed by a spurt of growth when it gets water. The inside of the fruit expands quicker than the skin does, resulting in the skin splitting which can invite insects and diseases into the fruit. Some heirloom varieties will show splitting no matter what you do but those usually ripen before disease hits them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Compost made from chicken manure is a great source of calcium. Most of the calcium the hens eat either from oyster shell or the extra calcium in Layer never gets absorbed into the hens system but goes right on through their system and out the rear end.

 

[MeggsyGardenGirl]

Well then I'm probably in good shape calcium-wise. My chicken litter is composted and spread on the gardens late fall of every year. Every other year we dig out the chicken run and spread that on the gardens for the winter too. So I really doubt my garden calcium levels are low. It must be water level fluctuations. I think I mulch my tomatoes pretty well, but I'll have to pay more attention this year.

 

[seedcorn]

If you use a lot of chicken manure, you may get too much growth and other problems.

 

[skeeter9]

Meggsy, I'm trying bone meal this year to improve calcium availability (among other things). From everything I've read, it is very good for your plants. Guess we will find out if it helps with BER.

 

[MeggsyGardenGirl]

If you use a lot of chicken manure, you may get too much growth and other problems.

Seedcorn, can you tell me more about what you mean? I haven't seen excessive top growth from too much nitrogen but I'm curious to know what other problems I might encounter. The coop litter and manure compost fall through early spring on the gardens (usually under snow) and then we till it in about a month before planting. The chicken run is soil, vegetative matter (straw, leaves, whatnot) that also composts fall through early spring on the gardens before tilling. We also often plant winter rye as a cover crop that gets tilled in early spring. I'm hoping I'm not inviting a headache from this routine.

 

[MontyJ]

As seedcorn said, gypsum is a very good way to increase calcium. And as Hoodat said, it needs to be done before planting. Something else to consider is your pH. Even if you have adequate calcium in the soil, a lower pH will cause more aluminum to occupy CEC sites which, in turn, locks out calcium making it unavailable to the plant.