How to Treat & Prevent Blossom End Rot- Gardening Week #5
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- Blossom End Rot seems to be the arch enemy of the hopeful tomato gardener. Or maybe not since there are also aphids, spider mites, tomato horn worms, white flies, and of course the list goes on. Well that sounds discouraging. Sorry. Suffice it to say though that blossom end rot is definitely high on the list. The good news is that it can be prevented, or even treated easily if it has already begun! Here are some different techniques that I use, and there is sure to be something that will fit onto every budget. So you can (at least) have a little less to worry about. ;)
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Calcium is not the main cause. I've been growing around 1,000 tomatoes each year in hoop houses in the same ground for twenty years without adding any calcium and I've never seen blossom end rot. I use four rows of drip tape on each raised bed and water depending on temps and the amount of sunlight. Never let your ground dry out and never over water. Moisture stress is what causes plants to favor keeping leaves alive and to allow the sacrifice of the last cells to mature on the blossom end.
I hear the same old story from all my customers who try to grow their own and end up eating mine.
There are two scenarios. Container grown- if you are not there to water them when they dry out- too late... My minimum size would be a full whiskey barrel if you're not going to be there all day to water them a couple times during the heat of the day.
Then there are the " in ground " plants who get a lot of water in our spring rains and grow a huge plant plant with a small root system. Then, in late July when the rains stop and the temps climb, the plants don't enough water to support all that lush growth. The plants will let the fruit cells die before the leaves.
Tomatoes are such heavy feeders I always feed each week through the drip and I also add magnesium sulfate once a month.
Another problem everyone has is potassium deficiency {hard white cores}. Two reasons and both are related to high temps. Even if there is adequate potassium in the soil, the plant still won't be able to metabolize and transport enough potassium to each fruit if there are four or five fruit clusters ripening at the same time from temps in the high eighties and nineties. Another reason for high fruit temps is sun shine directly on fruit, which causes it to ripen to fast { yellow shoulders}. So keep your plants upright and the fruit shaded by leaves and even soil moisture.
Now class is over- go grow some maters.
Thank you.
Using one tablet of an antacid, Tums or other brand. One tablet provides 1000 mg. cal. added to one gallon water. Spray on the plants with the mix. Cheap and easy.
Good stuff. I am having blossom end rot. Growing in containers. When I started the plants I used powdered milk mixed into the soil. I have egg shells I will be adding today. Thanks for the video.
We grew own tommies from seeds from a cut up tomato. They growing great now, i have just discovered the rot on a couple of them which brought me to your video. Will try egg shells. Teaching my little girl to grow food from seeds left over from food we have used eg: pumpkin which are growing now too.
My preferred method for using egg shells is to save them all year long and, when I get enough, put them in a high-speed blender to turn them into a fine powder with particles close in size to lime, or even smaller. As a renter who must do most of my gardening in containers, lime is either too costly to use, when bought in small containers and too messy when bought in large bags, because the powder always leaks/puffs out (and, of course, there is a storage problem with a 50-lb. bag of lime).
Egg shells can be saved and 'processed' all year long, even in the non growing season. That will give you a decent sized amount with which to start the growing season
Good tips. I personally put a tablespoon of Epson Salt in the hole when I plant and that cured my problem. Be sure to put an inch or so of dirt over the epsom salt before planting.
All you guys on this page making remarks about this young ladys appearance .... show some respect!
I just tuned in. She looks lovely to me. In the heat, no makeup. Natural beauty.
I find her to be beautiful 😍
@@lisaepperson9095 exactly
I guess he is talking about a comment somebody made about her tomatoes! 🤔
this is the first time we plant tomatoes. We made it a son and mom project and loved the experience but now that they are growing we found blossom end rot :( ... we had never heard of it or seen it before so thank you for your help and LOVED knowing that even though we do have this issue it's not a total loss.
If you have a wood stove or fireplace, in each planting hole, take a small handful of wood ash and work it well into the soil along with your preferred slow-release fertilizer prior to planting. Your plants will have vigorous growth and blossom end rot will be a thing of the past. I have been using this method for years and plant my tomatoes in the same location every season with never a bad result. Be careful, and do not over apply the wood ash as it will change the soil ph.
very helpful, thank you. Question: You talk about using milk. Pouring into soil. But I wonder if you can put some milk in a spray bottle and spray the plant too ? What do you think
Hi guys it's Reza from Iran, blossom End Rot is just because of lack of Calcium , i plant tomato in my field i have 100 ton harvest in each hectare
😊😊😊
I had the issue last year and I added some lime into my soil and it took care of it. No we are not getting tired of you. 😊
Yay! Glad it worked for you! And thanks for that, I'm kinda getting tired of seeing myself while editing all these videos, lol.
Jim Marcum can you please tell me how did you use lime? Thanks :)
Great Info . i am currently experiencing this problem that is what brought me to your video .
Just to add my experience with this, this summer. My culprit ended up being infrequent watering (letting the plants get droopy). Once I was on a regular schedule, the next tomatoes were good to go.
Keith Caldwell I have the same issue. Our summer rains mess me up every year
Hey GreenGirl, if your PH is high, Gypsum is a great lime alternative and its also is loaded with Sulfur, and its not expensive for a large bag.
Thanks for the tips! I will watch out for black rings on my tomatoes. I only have two plants, so watering with milk wouldn't be a problem. 😜👌
Two more ways to reduce blossom end rot are, Cotten Burr compost that is available in an acidified version. Back to earth brand makes it. It's usually available at landscaping businesses or garden centers.. It's not at big box stores. Also you can side dress with calcium nitrate.
I use gypsum. Beginning of the season and mid season. The pellets work fine for me. I just grab a handful of gypsum and spread it around each plant.
I started dropping tums (generic) in the hole with the plants. Haven't had this issue in decades. Things like oyster shells, eggshells take a long time to dissolve and be useful.
egg shells and bone meal is great been using those 2 options for years.
ArizonaHotHomestead thank god I planted most of my tomato plants in soil adding in grind up egg shells its my hydro tomatoes I’m worried about 50/50 with end rot I’ve been picking the off
I have been adding 1 or 2 Tums to the base of the plant. It is a cheap Cal-Mag injection. It has some sugar, so ants do come around for a bit. My water has pH of 8, so I use bulk vinegar from a big box store. 1/2 to 1 Tbsp per 2 gal of water drops pH from 8.0 to 6.5, but YMMV so get a pH meter.
I picked a few of my Russian purple tomatoes with blossom end rot. The ones with the blossom end rot has a much sweeter and a stronger taste than the ones without. I was so surprised how sweet a tomato can taste. Now I wish to harvest more with blossom end rot.
Oby Li that is funny!
Love the "chicken shells" word. Thank you for teaching. I'm going to be a better caretaker 🍅
If you know anyone who fishes, or you can get hold of a fish carcas I have had beautiful tomatoes by just throwing a trout or two depending on size or a part of a salmon carcas in the hole when I plant. I freeze them when ever I can get them so I have them for the following spring. I dig a fairly deep hole and throw a little dirt on top of it, then plant my tomatoes. It feeds it all season long.
Thank you so much! I literally was going to rid of my tomato plant because of this but I saw your video. I'm going to try and save my tomatoes! I just added milk to my plant and I'm going to use tums. Thank you so so much!!
Thank you for this great video. Only one of my tomato plants “Cherokee purple” I was growing in a pot and transplanted to my raised bed has bottom end rot. If I were to feed it milk, can you tell me how much milk to water with? What kind of milk and should I dilute it with water? I was reading somewhere one park skim milk 9 parts water and to spray the plant. I wanted to actual water my plant with milk for a quick calcium uptake. Thank you
you do girl.. excellent advice, just mention coffee grinder for egg shells next time
We have just harvested alot of tomatoes and majority of them have blossom end rot. Was going to throw them all away until I seen this video. Thanks for the great advice and information. I know now what to do for next season.
You can cut off the bad part and can them. You still have two thirds of the mater, as this cute gal says
learn when to say saw and when to use seen
How many potatoes grow from 1 potatoes
a quick fix for blossom end rot is tums add a coup[le tums to a gallon of water and it is bioavailable immediately
what flavor of tums should be used?
Great tips! I had this problem with my tomatoes a couple of years in a row and wondered what I was doing wrong. I'll be adding some crushed eggshells this year for sure! I never throw them out, I grind them up in my blender and add some to my dog's breakfast every morning. Tawny, you are a wealth of information. :)
now thats genius, bet dogs teeth are clean and sharp
Jerome Janisch boxcar
Roy scuff
Pellitized gypsum (calcium sulfate) works well also, and does not change the pH like lime does. Any garden center/ home depot has it, very inexpensive for a 40 lb bag usually. Just sprinkle it on once in a while, or you can fast dissolve it in water.
Would you please highlight more about how to use gypsum
You can just sprinkle a 1/4 cup around base of plants every couple of weeks once they are at least a foot tall. It is safe, doesn't burn.
Thank you!!!!!!! Finally,someone who knows this!!!
When I plant tomatoes, I add 2 calcium tablets of 1000 MG, 1/4 cup magnesium and bone meal in the hole just under the plant.
Thank you for doing this video as I think you just found my tomato end rot problem.
your speech is flawless. I am going to watch your videos just to improve my spoken English :)
I just noticed the rot a few days ago. Thanks for the video.
Thank you!! Great ideas!! I will give these a try for next year
great info...but we get it on squash from lack of pollination; too heavy leaf growth so the bees, etc. can't get to the blossom.
Hand pollinate with a small paint brush.
1/4 Cup epsom salts when the tomato starts to fruit takes care of it.
I used whole milk as a quick fix and it was disastrous! I probably used too much milk all at once. I poured 1/2 gallon to each of two plants one time only and continued my normal atering schedule. One tomato was in a topsy-turvy and the other was in an 18" diameter container. Within 1 day I saw the container plant drooping. Within 3 days both tomatoes were drooping severely and the flys were starting to accumulate from the growing strong sour milk smell. Both tomato plants were pretty much dead after 1 week and I removed them.
I wish FGGirl would have been more specific with her "watering with milk" idea. ie Whole vs' skim, how much, how often, etc. I lost two of my 8 container tomatoes to this idea so at least I don't have to worry about "blossom end rot" on these. Thank God I didn't water all 8 plants with the milk. I don't recommend watering tomatoes with milk. To me it is going to sour no matter how much you use as it is not already composted as most soil amendments are.
I used this video in conjuncture with various other videos; I've been having blossom end rot for a couple years, not knowing a calcium deficiency was to blame. What I ended up with is using whole milk (never skim milk) and it must be diluted by at least 50%. Apply 8 oz. per sq. ft. which, I interpreted as, 8 oz. per plant. The results were amazing! The next day all my plants appeared healthier and, in 2 days, they were flowering at a greater rate. Knowing this is only a quick solution, I then bought a bag of calcium rich fertilizer, side dressed each plant like I do my corn (corn needs a nitrogen rich fertilizer), and my Romas & San Marzanos are doing fantastic! Every 2 weeks, everything gets watered using nitrogen rich Miracle Grow through a sprinkler system. Going to be giving so much away to my neighbors!
Blossom rotted fruit is becoming compost:). Dealing with this on Zucchini plants. And you mentioned wood ash. Great info. Do that with BBQ's. Always using wood to bbq. So happens I do that. Thanks for the info. Fantastic info.
Flies in your compost how
to avoid them
Hi, if I use one of the methods you described for lowering the PH... how will I know how much to add and what if I add too much.
Here is my problem. I have been on the move as of late to learn to be more self efficient and especially with growing food. I am new so I am experiencing the challenges of a new grower. I was doing pretty good but one thing I fight in central California is the high temperatures but all I can do about that is make sure I do not water mid day, and use a shade cloth if needed. I container grow right now and they are on the cement so I think it makes it hotter, I just dont have a lot of place for them to get son, because we have a pool and it takes up most of the space.
The problem I have now on my Roma Tomatoes is browning leaves. Not spots but complete browning and drying out of the leaves from bottom up. I am going to try the milk. Instead of Tap water I started using tap water but I would let it sit for a day or two too let the chlorine evaporate. I dont know if that works. I have blossom end rot on my bell peppers.
I've read that adding crushed egg shells won't make the calcium available when you add it, but will for the following year.
Karen if you heat the egg shells in the oven or I do it in my BBQ on a old cookie sheet (cause they can smoke out your house) then run them through the blender making a powder it will allow the calcium to be used right away.
Bryon Hunter '
Add powdered milk to your soil!
First time growing tomatoes thank you for the information 👍🍀
She doesn't say how much milk to add, I did a half gallon per plant, it killed the plants, obviously way too much. Also if I were to use egg shells how much is a good amount?
Can I mix some garden lime into the soil to replace the calcium? I am limited on space and must recycle my soil.
If u have a lack of calcium would ther be tiny black worms or a snail like worm be eating the inside of the tomatoe
I dissolve antacids and pour into the water tubes that we put into the plants root ball when we plant the young plants.
Thanks for the advice, was just what I was looking for
This is great!! I add lots of bone meal and epson salts.. You are sooo right.
Good video! Thanks for the help, see if i can stop the rot it in my garden...
Really great information ℹ️
Here's a link to an article by the late Dr Carolyn Male, an eminent macrobiologist and tomato grower extraordinare.
Here's the first paragraph, just FYI.
Blossom End Rot (BER) is one of the most common tomato problems seen in the early part of the season. It is a physiological condition, not a disease caused by a fungus, a bacterium or a virus. Therefore it cannot be treated.
www.webgrower.com/information/carolyn_ber.html
Great tips, thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Can you use milk that has gone sour? I'm thinking the calcium is still there, so...
Thanks. Seem to forget every year. This year treating first! Oyster shells and calcium with water via tums.
Didn't know about the link to watering, making clacium unavailable. I think I am over watering my tomatoes.🤔
Yes you are.To much or to little causes BER.
charlie zicolillo, Thanks!
I just got 2 tomato end rot. Looking to solve the problem. Thanks for the advice
Calcium helps but it can still occur with plenty available. So, it is not entirely due to just a calcium deficiency.
it takes water to upload calcium into the plant.
Can I dissolve calcium tablets and put it in the water to treat it?
Did you try it ? How the results.
Pine needles an oak leaves can reduce pH. Sulphur too.
That's cool, I hadn't heard of using oak leaves before, Thanks!
Eggplant, tomatoes, and tobacco are part of the same family.
Rose Lee knowledge is power
Great info. Do you have to use the bag of powdered lime or would adding actual lime juice or lime peels have the same effect?
Fertilizer lime, not from the fruit
How do treatment tomato early blight and late blight. Plz send your recommendation who is very effective method treatment. Second how do treatment yellow rust of.pea. mus answer my comment. You a nice day.
Thank you great video.
Will scratching in some powdered milk work? Today's bone meal is not supposed to be that good. To lower the PH maybe carefully add some garden sulfur.
absolutely, when i first planted.. i found that i had a gal of expired milk, so i ran outside and started watering
Great tips! Thanks for sharing...well done.
Good educational video. Thanks from the cowboy.
I have problems with end rot on my gourd squash.
I am growing my tomatoes in containers. The tomatoes look great but when they get ripe, they have blossom end rot. If I decide to add milk to a potted plant, how much milk and how often? Do I still water them? I plan on saving egg shells for next year, but I can't eat that many eggs in the amount of time I have.left.
egg shells work more slowly than milk, so that are best added in the beginning of the season so they are broken down by the time the plant starts to produce. Milk is your best bet at this stage. k
You can also use powdered milk.
what do you think about the rot stop spray?
Thank you i appreciate your ideas it very interested
So I put eggs in my soil but they still get it
I have also heard about cutting the rotten part of the tomato off & the remainder being still good, but it tastes like garbage so just trash it!
Not true; just like tomatoes splitting from too much water, just cut out the bad part unless it is too far gone and diseased. I've dealt with both issues and never had a problem salvaging the remainder of the tomato if caught in time.
Thank you. you explained that very well.
Good Morning and good information about tomatoes
I use Oyster shell and sterilized egg shells. seems to work good. Also the shells help prevent slugs.
Two table spoons of Epsom salt to a gallon of water will stop bottom end rot instantly. Cheap and simple.
Thanks a bunch, just subscribed.. Great content
How about using Tums or some calcium supplement pills? can deliver quite a punch of calcium per tablet. crush and spread into soil?
add a tablet w 1000mg of calcium to 1 gallon of water and spray that on the plants.
Very good explanation ! :)
billeybop nn(hyyn
Should the milk be fat free like skim milk? Was wondering if the fat in whole fat milk be a problem in other areas
Lots of great information! I'm a first time gardener. Planted in pots. Thank you! When is it too much watering?
Can you crush up a calcium vitamins?
Someone posted below that they do that.
Looking EXTRA cute in this excellent video!
Thanks for the video. It was helpful, BUT, the very first thing you need to do is provide some visuals. As a first time grower, I want to verify that blossom end rot is my problem but you provide zero examples of it. Picture is worth....well you know.
I had some grass fed raw milk $10 a gallon but at least I saved my tomatoes 😅
How much milk do I add? Do I just pour it to the bottom in the soil? I'm a new at gardening.
Rebecca Cimarusti 1 cup of milk to a gallon of water. Is what I do
its usaly a soil born desease i mulch my plants and thus preventing it from raising up from the soil and hitting the bottom of the fruit.
It happened to my watermelon
Can powdered milk work?
Thank You !
Love your tomatoes. They look very healthy and voluptuous. Just right for the pickin" !
It affects appels, zucchini cucumbers pumpkins squash
What is the difference between bone meal & blood meal?
Farmer Frank - BONE meal is ground up animal bones. Adds calcium and phosphorous. BLOOD meal is dried and powdered animal blood, which adds nitrogen.
Thank you for your help
I search your fb chanel but not found why. Dear.
Excellent information!
Thanks! Glad you liked it
Just add buttermilk in water and pour the water to your plants, this problem won't arise.
When do you start adding the buttermilk during the planting /growing stage? The ratio of buttermilk to water? How often do you apply the mixture?
I had so much BER last year. Hopefully none this year!
you are so pretty - Thanks for your vids