#323353
Jul 2nd, 2010 at 03:47 AM
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Could anyone please help me understand what is wrong with the tomatoes in my garden? I am new to gardening. I used compost( I made it at home) before I planted these plants. The plants which were slow to start were the ones with tomatoes with this defect. Tomatoes of other plants seem to be big and nice. Tomatoes from these plants are small and have this defect at the bottom. Is it due to some insects/bugs?
Last edited by Wild Willy; Jul 2nd, 2010 at 06:37 AM. Reason: Moved to the Tomato Forum
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Hot Rod
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Hot Rod
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Photos need resizing , please.
tomatoes have lots of defects. Too wet might be one
ouick temperature change blossom rot
I notice in the stores the same things.
Sorry cant help
PS... My horse isn't here, this is my Nitemare..
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blossom end rot .....add potassium ......
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Mister Mystery
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Mister Mystery
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Could anyone please help me understand what is wrong with the tomatoes in my garden? I am new to gardening. I used compost( I made it at home) before I planted these plants. The plants which were slow to start were the ones with tomatoes with this defect. Tomatoes of other plants seem to be big and nice. Tomatoes from these plants are small and have this defect at the bottom. Is it due to some insects/bugs?
Except for the potassium part, I agree with dwolf419...the problem is Blossom End Rot (BER). It is a result of the lack of calcium in the blossom end of the fruit. See recommendations below. Calcium spray is available in premix solution at garden centers or prepared per instructions below. Do not spray the tomato plants when the temperature is high. from: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-28-d.htmlTo reduce blossom-end rot in tomato, implement the following steps:
1. Lime tomato soils to pH 6.5 to 6.7 -- Home gardens not limed in the past 2 to 3 years will need 2 cups of lime for each plant. The lime should be worked into the soil 12 inches deep. To determine the exact amount of lime, if you are in North Carolina, send a soil sample to the NCDA&CS Agronomic Division, 4300 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh, N. C. 27607-6465 for analysis and recommendations. 2. Fertilize properly -- Applying too much fertilizer at one time can result in blossom-end rot. Following soil test recommendations is the best way to insure proper fertilization. For home gardens not soil tested, apply 5 pints of 8-8-8 per 100 ft of row and work it thoroughly into the top 8 inches of soil. 3. Mulch plants -- Use straw, pine straw, decomposed sawdust, ground decomposed corn cobs, plastic, or newspapers. Mulches conserve moisture and reduce blossom-end rot. In extreme drought, plastic may increase blossom-end rot if plants are not watered. 4. Irrigate when necessary -- Tomato plants require about 1.5 inches of water per week during fruiting. This amount of water should be supplied by rain or irrigation. Extreme fluctuations in soil moisture result in a greater incidence of blossom-end rot. 5. Spray calcium -- The plants may be sprayed with a calcium solution at the rate of 4 lb of calcium nitrate or calcium chloride per 100 gal of water (or 4 level Tbs per gal of water). This spray should be applied 2 to 3 times a week, beginning at the time the second fruit clusters bloom. These materials can be mixed with the spray that is used for control of foliar diseases. Chelated calcium solutions also provide an excellent source of calcium. When using these chelates, follow label directions. Several foliar spray materials containing calcium are available and all work well for tomatoes.
Amor est vitae essentia. Love is the essence of life.
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Official Taste Tester
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Official Taste Tester
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First I'll qualify my post by saying I am a fruit cake and reasonably new gardener. I make my own compost too. And I go so far as to wash my egg shells, let them dry and then powder them. Then I add them to my compost piles and turn the powder in just like I do when I add my skimmed fireplace ash to it. Nice thing about doing that was it ended the BER. Of course I also added epsomes salt to the soil once I had amended the garden soil with 50% compost before planting. I had lots of tomatoes when I did it that way. I'm preparing my veggie garden at the new place the same way and hoping I get the same results. I've planted enough flowers that I now have plenty of bees and butterflies. I may have to import some worms though. They still haven't arrived.
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Thank you all for these wonderful advices. I feel overwhelmed at this stage, but I will print all this advice and start to do one at a time. I am hopeful the blossom end rot will be gone soon.
You all have a great day.
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You have BER(Blossom End Rot). Usually you will see it worse on the first flush or after huge rains ect. It is a calcium deficiency and usually caused by poor uptake by the roots. I've tried all the suggested tricks through the years. And have found those I did nothing too recovered as fast as those I treated. Here I usually only have it on a few paste types. Rarely I will get it on a few others. I've lost most of the first flush a few times but after that unless a major weather event haven't seen much. I will be surprised it it doesn't correct itself. Just my opinion. Jay
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Frogger
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Frogger
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I wish to add to papito's post. when you are first planting your tomato plants, you can add a few crushed eggshells to each planting hole. This will add calcium to the soil.
________ Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
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