blossom rot

[heather smith]

I have an early girl that has ber pretty bad. I have tried all the tricks I have read like adding calcium, Epsom salt, etc. I'm at a loss for what to do. Can I stop it so that any more tomatoes come out ok? I picked all the affected ones and every time I check it there are more that show the blossom end rot. Is it doomed? It's potted by itself in a 5 gallon container currently

 

[Ridgerunner]

BER is normally caused by too much or too little water. Most of the time there is plenty of calcium in your soil, it's just not getting to the fruit where it is needed. Too much or too little water effects how much calcium gets there. The best solution is normally to keep the ground moist without getting it too wet, say using mulch and judicious watering. If it rains a lot you may be put of luck.

It's always nice to have a spoils test to confirm what you have, but if your soil has much clay and is not pure sand, you probably have sufficient calcium.

 

[heather smith]

It's in a 5 gallon container with a potting mix and soil mix, I water once daily unless it rains and then I don't water it. But the bottoms of the fruit all are brown or black and rotted

 

[Beekissed]

I wouldn't water it daily but I would cover the soil with something that retains moisture....mulch, grass clippings or some such. I'd wait until the soil dries out pretty well before watering, then I'd water it deeply and thoroughly.

I didn't know this until this year, but magnesium can inhibit the uptake of calcium so they are not to be applied together...gardened all these years without knowing that. Said to apply the calcium to the soil and then wait until the plant blossoms before using use the epsom salts as a foliar spray. Will try that this year and see what happens.

 

[heather smith]

I wouldn't water it daily but I would cover the soil with something that retains moisture....mulch, grass clippings or some such. I'd wait until the soil dries out pretty well before watering, then I'd water it deeply and thoroughly.

I didn't know this until this year, but magnesium can inhibit the uptake of calcium so they are not to be applied together...gardened all these years without knowing that. Said to apply the calcium to the soil and then wait until the plant blossoms before using use the epsom salts as a foliar spray. Will try that this year and see what happens.[/QUOTE
how did you apply calcium? I wonder what works best

 

[Beekissed]

I used lime. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_lime

 

[seedcorn]

Agree. Probably over watering. I know this will sound stupid, use a little milk with water when plant shows signs of needing water. Can pour milk right on plant.

 

[dickiebird]

I find that as your tomato production increases the BER decreases and finally stops.
Cutting back on the water will help more than anything.

THANX RICH