Growing tomatos

[mikemorvan]

O.K. - so i've got a little garden in my yard at work. All of my tomato plants are going crazy. One problem. My plants that are producing large (Homestead & Celebrity) tomatos have the same problem. The bottom half of every fruit is rotted. I've been told that means they're getting too much water. My question is this: How little water do tomatos need to produce optimally? Water every day, every other day, what? I'm in Trophy Club. The yard is irrigated so i can control the water relatively well. Any advice from any tomato pro's in D/FW? Thanks...

[Mike Murphey]

That is a fungal problem called blossom end rot. Dissolve some epsom salts into water and water around your tomato plants. This will not solve the tomatoes that you have but the ones that are flowering and not set fruit yet will be cured......

[TEX_hunt_AS]

I am having the same problem, I'll try that fix tonight. Its funny, its effecting my Celebrity plants but not my Cherry Tomatoes. What gives?

[Johnny]

That is a fungal problem called blossom end rot. Dissolve some epsom salts into water and water around your tomato plants. This will not solve the tomatoes that you have but the ones that are flowering and not set fruit yet will be cured......

x2

Is this what it looks like?

[TEX_hunt_AS]

x2

Is this what it looks like?

Exactly what mine look like

[buzzcut]

I've always heard it was caused by UN-EVEN watering,not overwatering. It might be worth your money(about 10.00) to buy a water meter/probe. You stab it into the ground near the roots and it has a needle gauge that tells you if the soil is too dry or wet. I grow cherry tomatoes and dont have that problem.

[Joe H]

A lot of times it is just the first ones coming off the plant. It is not a watering problem. Could be a nutrient problem especially calcium which requires a PH adjustment (lime)to be absorbed sometimes. If it continues send off a soil sample so you know what you are dealing with. The epsom salt seems to fix it I would try that and give it time before I did a lot of other stuff.

[mikemorvan]

Thanks. What's the mix on the epsom salt mix? How much salt per gallon of water? I also have cherry and roma's. None of them have the problem.

[mikemorvan]

See below...



The Ohio State University Extension
Plant Pathology
2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1087

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Eggplant
HYG-3117-96
Sally A. Miller
Randall C. Rowe
Richard M. Riedel


Blossom-end rot is a serious disorder of tomato, pepper, and eggplant. Growers often are distressed to notice that a dry sunken decay has developed on the blossom end (opposite the stem) of many fruit, especially the first fruit of the season. This nonparasitic disorder can be very damaging, with losses of 50% or more in some years.

Symptoms
On tomato and eggplant, blossom-end rot usually begins as a small water-soaked area at the blossom end of the fruit (Figure 1). This may appear while the fruit is green or during ripening. As the lesion develops, it enlarges, becomes sunken and turns black and leathery. In severe cases, it may completely cover the lower half of the fruit, becoming flat or concave. Secondary pathogens commonly invade the lesion, often resulting in complete destruction of the infected fruit. On peppers, the affected area appears tan (Figure 2), and is sometimes mistaken for sunscald, which is white. Secondary molds often colonize the affected area, resulting in a dark brown or black appearance. Blossom end rot also occurs on the sides of the pepper fruit near the blossom end.

Cause

Blossom-end rot is not caused by a parasitic organism but is a physiologic disorder associated with a low concentration of calcium in the fruit. Calcium is required in relatively large concentrations for normal cell growth. When a rapidly growing fruit is deprived of necessary calcium, the tissues break down, leaving the characteristic dry, sunken lesion at the blossom end. Blossom-end rot is induced when demand for calcium exceeds supply. This may result from low calcium levels or high amounts of competitive cations in the soil, drought stress, or excessive soil moisture fluctuations which reduce uptake and movement of calcium into the plant, or rapid, vegetative growth due to excessive nitrogen fertilization.

Management

Maintain the soil pH around 6.5. Liming will supply calcium and will increase the ratio of calcium ions to other competitive ions in the soil.

Use nitrate nitrogen as the fertilizer nitrogen source. Ammoniacal nitrogen may increase blossom-end rot as excess ammonium ions reduce calcium uptake. Avoid over-fertilization as side dressings during early fruiting, especially with ammoniacal forms of nitrogen.


Avoid drought stress and wide fluctuations in soil moisture by using mulches and/or irrigation. Plants generally need about one inch of moisture per week from rain or irrigation for proper growth and development.


Foliar applications of calcium, which are often advocated, are of little value because of poor absorption and movement to fruit where it is needed.

Click here for a PDF version of this Fact Sheet.

[Mike Murphey]

Sorry but that study is from a different region than Texas.....our problem is magnesium than calcium....I put about a 1/2 to 1 cup of epson salts to 3 gallons of water...or you could take a hand full of epson salts and scatter around the plants and water really well to help dissolve it.....

[McClain]

At-a-boy! You can never go wrong by searching the Extension Service for answers about agricultural issues -- however, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service (now AgriLife since the name change) is one of the best places to look and should be your first resource.

[bowmansdad]

I put a tbsp. of epson salt,phosphate and 13-13-13 under each plant when I put it in
the ground. I water every other day and I have no problem with blossom end rot.

[mikemorvan]

Sorry but that study is from a different region than Texas.....our problem is magnesium than calcium....I put about a 1/2 to 1 cup of epson salts to 3 gallons of water...or you could take a hand full of epson salts and scatter around the plants and water really well to help dissolve it.....

10-4. I'm taking your advice tonight! I'd rather trust a trustworthy TBH Brother than some "The Ohio State" blowhard. That was the first article i found on the 'net. I should have known better... Thanks...

To all the "The Ohio State" folks - It's just a joke....

[unclefish]

Epsom Salt will probably work but Tomatoes require a good amount of calcium. Spread some Lime and it will cure also. I have this problem 2 years ago and Lime solved it completely.

[mikemorvan]

At-a-boy! You can never go wrong by searching the Extension Service for answers about agricultural issues -- however, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service (now AgriLife since the name change) is one of the best places to look and should be your first resource.

10-4. In retrospect that should bave been my first move. I knew that. I just didn't think of it. I guess i've grown to reliant on TBH as my source of knowledge and wisdom. Oh well, it seems as though i got to same place, even though it was a more circuitous route. Alls well that ends well.