This ailment, known as blossom end rot, is a pretty common disorder affecting tomato plants—but did you do something wrong to cause this? Can blossom end rot be reversed? And is there a way to prevent it?
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But despite this, both experts concur that if your tomatoes are currently suffering from blossom end rot, there's still hope of rescuing your garden.
"Future tomatoes on the plant are often perfectly healthy once growing conditions improve," adds Shaw.
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What Is Blossom End Rot on Tomatoes?
"It is called 'blossom end' because it develops where the flower was before dropping off when the fertilized ovary formed into a fruit at the bottom of the tomato," she continues. "The 'rot' refers to the circular, dark, sunken, leathery patch caused by the disorder, which can develop from a small spot to halfway up the tomato."
Per Shaw, the first sign of blossom end rot on a tomato is a "dark, leathery spot on the blossom end or bottom of the fruit. It usually starts as a small water-soaked area that grows into a sunken brown or black patch."
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"Tomatoes are disfigured when affected by blossom end rot, with the affected parts becoming unappealing and inedible," adds Carter. "The individual fruits cannot recover."
What Causes Blossom End Rot on Tomatoes?
Blossom end rot on tomatoes "all comes down to calcium," per Shaw. Specifically, a lack of calcium during the tomato's development causes the plant to develop blossom end rot.
But what causes the low calcium in the first place? According to Carter, inconsistent watering is the No. 1 cause of low calcium.
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"Sometimes the soil is actually low in calcium, but more often the calcium is there and the plant can’t absorb it because of inconsistent watering, drought stress, or damaged roots," adds Shaw.
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"Unfortunately, once a tomato develops blossom end rot, there’s no way to repair that fruit. The damaged area won’t heal," says Shaw. "The best approach is to remove the affected fruit if it’s badly damaged, or cut away the rotten portion if the rest is still usable."
Once you've removed all of the damaged tomatoes, your plant should be able to grow more healthy tomatoes—as long as you remedy the calcium issue.
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Additionally, she suggests putting a layer of mulch on the soil, as it will help reduce weeds as well as keep soil temperature and moisture more consistent.
How to Prevent Blossom End Rot on New Tomato Plants
If your soil turns out to have a calcium deficiency, Carter suggests treating it with agricultural lime. She also says to avoid over-fertilizing or fertilizing when soil is dry, and she notes that you should always" plant in a sunny location with fertile, well-drained soil high in organic matter."
"The most important thing is to build healthy soil before planting and keep watering consistent throughout the growing season," adds Shaw. "Once the soil and watering are in balance, future tomatoes are much less likely to develop blossom end rot."
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Sources:
Siobhan Shaw, Co-Founder ofthe nonprofit Growing To Give and Founder and Editor of The Gardening NetworkSarah Carter, Vice President, Goizueta Gardens and Living Collections at Atlanta History CenterGrowing Vegetables: Managing Blossom End-Rot. University of New Hampshire.Hence then, the article about i thought i d ruined my tomato garden turns out this common problem has an easy fix was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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