It’s a beautiful summer day. Since sowing your tomato seeds in Spring, you’ve been nurturing your container garden, preparing for harvest. There is nothing like a juicy, summer-ripened tomato fresh from the garden.
Finally, it’s time. You will taste the fruits of your labor. As you start to harvest your home-grown tomatoes, you notice a bruise-like patch that appears at the bottom of the fruit. As you look closer, your heart sinks. You know exactly what has happened. Your tomatoes have Blossom End Rot.
What Is Blossom End Rot?
Blossom end rot is one of the most common problems tomato growers face, especially in container gardening. It is also known to affect the fruits of pepper plants and squash fruits. Blossom End Rot is what occurs if calcium is unavailable when the ovary at the base of the flower is fertilized and starts to develop into a tomato.
What Causes Blossom End Rot?
A fluctuation of dry to wet to dry soil signifies that if calcium is available, it is not always accessible to the plant. High nitrogen fertilizers that cause rapid growth are considered to be a contributing factor. Higher demands are placed on the plants and as a result, the spot spreads until the fruit is rotten. Once this occurs, there is no solution, so prevention is key.
Stop Blossom End Rot With These Preventative Recommendations:
Adjust your watering regimen and soil chemistry.
Ensure your containers are big enough
They must be big enough to hold lots of soil and a hefty root system.
Choose high-quality soil that has good water retention properties
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Avoid over-applying agricultural lime
Tomato plants prefer slightly acidic conditions.
Combine Glacial Rock Dust and a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil at transplant time
By following these preventative tips, you’ll be sure to enjoy delicious tomatoes all summer long.