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tomato blossom end rot Qu

18 years ago

Just wondering if someone can answer the following:

I have several different tomato plants in a garden bed, including grape, cocktail, Beefheart, Roma and Gross Lisse. They are all treated the same (staked, fed, watered, position etc); Two of the Romas are going great, while the third's fruit all has blossom end rot. They are all fruiting well

I've read that it is usually due to irregular watering; is there some other cause(s) as, as been stated earlier, they've all been treated the same.

Thanks, Maria

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Comments (4)

Raymondo
18 years ago
Romas and paste types in general seem to suffer from blossom end rot (BER) more than other varieties. I don't know why.
It's thought to be due to lack of calcium in the fruit. This is not related to how much calcium you have in your soil, except if you had none whatsoever but that's not the case. It seems to be related to the plant's inability to to get calcium into the developing fruit. Stress seems to be the major factor and irregular watering is often the main culprit. But not always!
It's quite common to have just one plant in an entire patch that suffers from BER. I wouldn't worry about it. It happens to almost everyone. This year we have BER in one plant in a big patch. It's a roma type.
I've found that heavy mulching reduces the incidence of BER, but it doesn't eradicate it.
ozmantis
18 years ago
Fertilisers with their nitrogen as the ammonium salt can cause BER as well I think. But as they are all being treated the same, it could be some slight difference of the nutrient content in the soil where the affected one is.
I had a lot of BER last year on lots of plants and I put it down to over fertilising. This year the only plants that have suffered have been in pots that I have fertilised a few times. The rest of the plants have had compost only.
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Some kinds are more likely to get BER than others. Reasons for things to go wrong with your system: - The system may not be running long enough and/or often enough. - Even if the system is fine as to amount & frequency, a hot and/or windy and/or very low humidity can use up all the available moisture Temporary shade may be needed at that time or perhaps run a 2nd cycle the same day.
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Although BER is a sign of calcium deficiency, it is often not a soil problem, but a watering problem. The plant does not get sustained calcium because of irregular watering. BER is also more common early in the season and is more common in pots because they may go through a wet-dry cycle. Plants in containers are usually fertilized with a liquid fertilizer The eggshells will take a long time to break down and release calcium. Yes, 3 plants in an 18 inch pot is a bit crowded. Tomatoes can grow roots from the stems. That is why they should be planted deep with about 1/3 of the stem going below the ground when you first plant them. It helps them develop a healthy root system. Don't put on too much nitrogen fertilizer or you'll get lots of leaves and not many tomatoes. When the plant sets fruit it is normal for the lower leaves to die off as the fruit ripens. Blossom end rot
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There are various theories why BER occurs, lack of calcium being the primary factor (often combined with excessive N). But inconsistent watering practices seem to play an equal role. BER often occurs when damper early season weather begins to dry out just as the fruit is beginning to set but can be just as frequent when the plants are allowed to dry too much in between waterings. I am not a big proponent of self watering containers and I am not familiar with your Garden Patch grow boxes to comment but I would do what I could to ensure the plants in them receive consistent, even moisture. Bonide makes a calcium supplement for tomatoes called 'Rot-Stop' that is watered into the soil. I've never had to use it myself but it seems to be quite effective and is a popular item at my nursery.
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First and foremost, BER is a result of uneven moisture availability. This can occur because of actual surges and dry spells of rain or irrigation, excessive growth due to improper fertilization, or damage/constriction of the roots. Very rarely is true calcium deficiency the trigger, at least not in a garden that is properly fertilized. Veggie gardens require a steady supply of dissolved nutritional elements.......the plants take a lot from the soil in order to create the fruits and vegetables that we eat. Those elements must be replaced. Tomatoes are just one of the crops that have high calcium requirements. All of the assorted greens that I grow, for example are packed full of Ca for me....it must be replaced to the soil before the next crop. Here's a great fact sheet that explains BER. It really explains the disorder.
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ashke
Original Author
18 years ago
thanks raymondo and ozmantis for your replies

now, it seems that overnight, ALL of the plants have had their leaves from the bottom to about 2/3 of the way up go brown! What fruit is there, still appears viable and plump

Would this be a fungus causing this sort of thing?
Maria
Spatzbear
18 years ago
Maria, I hope it's 'only' the recent heatwave that has affected your plants. Mine look the same. Yellow leaves from the bottom up and some leaves are crisp. I sure hope it's the heat and not some disease that requires me to pull the plants.

Good luck! :)

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