Gardeners never stop dreaming of beautiful, juicy tomatoes. The image and delicious taste provide the motivation for digging, watering, and so many other garden chores. Blossom end rot is a huge disappointment for the home gardener and is costly for commercial producers.
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While tomatoes are the crop most often affected by blossom end rot, peppers and squash can suffer as well. Remember when planning this year’s garden:
Blossom end rot shows up on young, developing tomatoes. By the time they are ripe, affected tomatoes have an ugly black splotch at the blossom end – the bottom of the tomato. The inclination of some home gardeners is to grab a can of insecticide and kill the responsible critter that caused the problem. This won’t help.
There is conflicting information as to the exact cause of blossom end rot, but it is not insects or even plant disease. One theory, outlined by Texas A&M University researchers, is that when tomato plants are exposed to uneven moisture uptake, cells in the blossom end of the tomato die due to lack of moisture. Studies at the University of Georgia point to a calcium deficiency in the tomatoes. Calcium is required for strong cell walls, and a calcium shortage can lead to collapsing cell walls and dying cells.
While these studies may seem to present gardeners with a hopeless conflict, a third consideration is that the water transport system of tomatoes also requires calcium. So, when plants are exposed to the almost inevitable summer dry spell, if they are not nourished with plenty of calcium, something is bound to go wrong.
To further complicate the issue, experts at New Mexico State University report that New Mexico soils seldom, if ever, have a calcium deficiency. Due to extreme dry spells and high summer temperatures, however, blossom end rot occurs due to uneven moisture uptake.
Some experts fear that excessive fertilization with nitrogen fertilizers can contribute to blossom end rot. Excessive nitrogen can cause a flush of green shoots. While these plants look lush, green, and beautiful, the water required to support all those stems and leaves can rob developing fruit of needed water.
Since blossom end rot is related to an environmental conditions (calcium deficiency, uneven moisture uptake) any sort of pesticide will be of no use. Blossom end rot is not caused by fungus, bacteria, or even a virus. Secondary bacterial, fungal, or viral infections can result sometimes.
This leaves the gardener with a dilemma: what to do about the damaged fruit? Some experts advise removing the fruit at the first sign of blossom end rot in order to prevent possible secondary infections that could spread. Others advise leaving the fruit and allowing it to mature. The bad spot can be removed, and the remaining fruit is perfectly fine to eat.
A well-fertilized garden soil will be the best defense against the heartbreak of blossom end rot. Organic fertilizers such as bone meal can provide a healthy dose of calcium. The time-honored organic gardening practice of saving and crushing eggshells would seem appropriate. Save shells until planting time, then place crushed shells in the ground when planting tomatoes.
Fertilization should be balanced to avoid the dangers of excessive nitrogen and potassium. Potassium in excess can inhibit calcium uptake according to Clemson University researchers.
In areas where summer heat will quickly dry garden soil, many experts call for the use of mulch. Mulch insulates the soil against the extremes of summer heat and helps hold in moisture.
Adding organic matter to the soil always helps vegetable gardens. An early green manure crop or large amounts of compost when planting can make a world of difference.
Some experts advise additional doses of calcium nitrate or calcium sulfate fertilizer at the first sign of blossom end rot. Foliar feeding of calcium fertilizers is a solution touted by some. However, researchers from University of Georgia recommend against this practice. Instead, their research indicates that liquid fertilizers containing calcium give better results.
Taking the effort to plan and plant carefully is the key to winning the battle against blossom end rot.
For other information about growing tomatoes, see What to Know to Get a Good Tomato Crop.
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