Blossom end rot

 

   I've been getting what I believe is blossom end rot on my tomatoes.
Being a novice gardener I'm unsure just what is normal tomato growth.
Seems like the tomatoes stop growing at a certain point and after
several weeks the bottom of the tomato turns very dark.

   I added eggshells in the bottom of the hole when they were planted,
and I've upped the amount of water they are getting.

   Is there something else?

   Is it normal for tomatoes to just stop growing? (Big Boy and Better
Boy and they are about 2" or so...)

    Jeff

 

On Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:57:43 -0400, jeff wrote:


. . . .
No one has figured it out completely. Add lime to your soil supposedly
helps. Prepare your soil before you ever plant anything, compost does
wonders. I have always watered once a week, a good soaking. Mind, this is
not pot growing and I rather do organic than use fertilizer.
--
Bud

 

Of my 18 plants and 5 varieties, I've had BER on two plants.  About a
dozen tomatoes on a Black Krim and two on a Caspian Pink had BER.  They
are all together in the same plot, and get watered and fertilized alike.

I've picked four ripe ones so far, with a few to be ready for picking in
a few days.  I'm in metro Denver, CO.  If we have a long season, I
should have a high yield.

 



I am wondering, is it okay to eat these tomatoes?  I usually pitch mine into
the compost, but sometimes I catch the kids eating them (not the brown
part).  If it's okay to eat the rest of the tomato, I'll go ahead and let
them.
--S.

 



I think it would be fine. BER is not a disease, it's a metabolic issue. It
is a calcium deficiency, either lack of same or the plants inability to
process (uneven watering).
Also, it does appear that some varieties (pineapple for me) are more
susceptible than others.
Hope this helps,
Steve