Hopefully one of you master gardener types can help me. It seems that when my tomatoes just start to get any size to them the bottoms turns black and the tomato starts to rot from the bottom up. Is this an insect problem or disease? I have not seen any bugs and dusted lightly with sevin dust. Am I missing something here? Any help would be appreciated.

Jim T

-- Jim Tanner (tanner_jim@hotmail.com), June 26, 2000

Answers

Sounds like blossom end rot, which is caused by a calcium defiency. Folks here use an epsom salts drench, or you could work in a little bone meal into the soil. I personally would suggest the bone meal. If you are interested in the drench, let me know and I will look up the recipe for you. Epsom salts can also be added to the planting home at the time of setting out the plants. Use 1 teaspoon per plant and work it into the soil with your hand, then set the tomato plant on top.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), June 26, 2000.

Almost certainly blossom end rot, but there are other causes, such as watering. There are several good books, or why not hit the web with "Tomatoes" and some time? But check out blossom end rot. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), June 26, 2000.

Hi Jim, it sounds exactly like blossom end rot. It is a lack of calcium in the plant. If the soil is not defecient, the main reason to cause it is sporatic watering. The soil getting drenched (heavy rains) then going for a little while with none. Some tomatoes are more prone to it than others, also. Last year I had trouble with marglobes and nothing else. Go figure??? Bone meal is an excellent suggestion as is powdered milk. If you add a fertilizer, go for a high middle number, 5-10-5, or such, it's the phosphorus. I noticed one type of tomato I'm growing this year is prone to it also, so I went and bought some bone meal. It's good for flowering and root systems, which is where the problem starts. Good luck! (aggravating isn't it??) :)

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), June 26, 2000.

Jim, I was going to explain better about the watering and forgot! When there is alot of moisture, then no moisture to the plant, the plants have a harder time taking up nutrients, especially calcium. Tempermental aren't they!? Bone meal will help with giving the plants stronger roots, thus making absorbtion of the needed calcium. But even so, making sure the plants have a regular watering, is most important, that's how they draw up the nutrients to where they're needed.

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), June 26, 2000.

My friend described the same problem in her greenhouse last year. Pretty sure her soil was nice, I went to visit. Her plants were overcrowded and there was very little ventilation. I think it was that. Everything just looked soggy. I open windows even if it isn't hot sometimes, as the plants are 'dripping' water from their leaves without that ventilation. If they're outside, nevermind! Jill

-- Jill Schreiber (schreiber@santanet.com), June 28, 2000.

OK! Here's one of my "secrets"! Instead of bone meal, try this. We raise chickens, and eat a fair number of eggs. We save all the eggshells, and let them get very dry in our old peanut butter jars. Come spring, I crunch them and then run them through the coffee grinder (blender will work) until they are "dust". When I plant the tomatoes, I work a "small handful" of this dust into the soil under the transplant. Works well, and terrific recycling! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), June 28, 2000.

If phosphorous is what they need, try watering them with "duck water" if you have ducks -- "Texas tea" someone else called it. The water from your ducks' kiddie pool. Another vote for duck raising!

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), June 30, 2000.