Those of
you who were lucky enough to get your tomatoes planted the first part of March
have already tasted your home grown tomatoes. Quite a few of you have
discovered tomatoes with black bottoms. What do you do?
This
problem, called blossom end rot, is seen every year here on tomatoes and
sometimes peppers and eggplant. No one really knows the exact cause for this
physiological “disease” but scientists agree it probably comes from mineral
imbalances inside the fruit. The mineral usually associated with blossom end
rot is a lack of calcium.
problem, called blossom end rot, is seen every year here on tomatoes and
sometimes peppers and eggplant. No one really knows the exact cause for this
physiological “disease” but scientists agree it probably comes from mineral
imbalances inside the fruit. The mineral usually associated with blossom end
rot is a lack of calcium.
.JPG) |
| Blossom end rot of tomato |
On the East
coast, in acidic soils, the recommendation is to “lime” the soils or add
calcium carbonate to the soil so the plant does not “run out” of calcium. But calcium
sprays applied to tomatoes do not cure the problem.
coast, in acidic soils, the recommendation is to “lime” the soils or add
calcium carbonate to the soil so the plant does not “run out” of calcium. But calcium
sprays applied to tomatoes do not cure the problem.
 |
| Blossom end rot of pepper, frequently confused with sunscald |
This is odd
because calcium sprays such as calcium chloride applied to the fruit of apple
and pear trees cure their calcium deficiencies, namely “bitter pit” and “corky spot”,
and work in southern Nevada.
because calcium sprays such as calcium chloride applied to the fruit of apple
and pear trees cure their calcium deficiencies, namely “bitter pit” and “corky spot”,
and work in southern Nevada.
.JPG) |
| Corky spot of Keiffer pear, corrected with calcium sprays applied to the fruit |
Until
scientists understand blossom end rot better, we are stuck with the same old
recommendations that I am going to repeat here and can be found elsewhere.
scientists understand blossom end rot better, we are stuck with the same old
recommendations that I am going to repeat here and can be found elsewhere.
Don’t waste
your money on calcium sprays. They don’t work. Focus your energy on mulching
vegetable beds to prevent water stress in the plants. Monitor your irrigations
so that plants do not become water stressed.
your money on calcium sprays. They don’t work. Focus your energy on mulching
vegetable beds to prevent water stress in the plants. Monitor your irrigations
so that plants do not become water stressed.