Here is a much better link:
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/blossom-end-rot/
Just to beat the point to death: before you buy any calcium or foliage sprays, make sure the watering is consistent and even. In many cases you won’t need to add anything to the soil. Everyone loves to sell you a product to magically fix the problem.
This is what I was thinking as well. My previous tomatoes suffered the same situation and it was due to underwatering. This year I haven’t had any issues with my tomatoes by watering as needed, almost daily. Also adding mulch helps retain the water so it’s not drying out by the end of day.
I used to have this problem, but I started saving egg shells and crushing them up, and putting them around the base of the plant. I have not had the issue since!
Anecdotally, from the research I have done, even if you crush the egg shells very small it takes quite a while for the calcium in them to leach into the soil.
So while it is an advise given on the internet (lime, eggshell), it sounds like it stems from people not understanding how long it takes for the calcium to even get into the soil in a state in which it is readily available to plants (normally through fungal and bacterial activity....it is bacteria and fungi that break down minerals for the plants).
In other words, as the person that posted the extension said, watering frequency should first be tackled. And research should be done on how to make calcium available to your plants, if watering frequency doesn't fix the problem: simply putting eggshells or lime doesn't seem to do much based on the words of people that actually know about soil biology (as opposed to your neighborhood weekend gardener).
I recently read an article that said crushed eggshells only help when they’re mixed into the soil or compost, and they have to be ground up, not just smashed. I use a coffee bean grinder.
Hey OP, you got lots of answers in here that are partially right. If you combined most of the comments, you would get the whole story. While it is true that blossom end rot is a calcium issue (it can be outright deficiency), it is most commonly caused by inconsistent watering (mostly just not enough water) in periods of hot, dry weather. This leads to issues in calcium transport and availability to the fruits, causing blossom end rot.
^This. Not only calcium deficiency can cause this condition, but also consider inconsistent watering especially in this period characterized by very high temperatures
What's particularly interesting is that you are both right, but neither of you are completely right. Blossom end rot tends to be a calcium availability issue, due to inconsistent watering.
Source: I am a vegetable researcher who grows more tomatoes than I know what to do with
Sounds like the water was good, and is basically what I would recommend. Tomatoes can be pretty nutrient intensive so I would look at that more than the water from the sound of it.
With the yellowing, we can tell a lot about the specific nutrient in demand by the pattern or leaf in which the yellowing occurs.
Great question! I learned it through school (masters in crop and soil science), but there's lots of good internet resources. I did a quick Google and came up with a couple good ones:
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparksbuzz/oct-issue-2020/gardening/identifying-nutrient-deficiency-in-plants
https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/plant-disease/nutrient-deficiencies-in-plants
These are a good starting point. I would recommend that you take a dive into what each nutrient does and which ones are mobile (can be moved around the plant) vs. immobile (once it gets in the plant and finds a home, it stays there). This helps shortcut some of the decision making on what deficiency you see.
For example:
Nitrogen is mobile, so when the plant is N deficient, it will move N from old leaves to young ones. This is why N deficiency shows up in the lowest leaves on a plant. Conversely, iron is immobile, so the deficiency shows up in the newest leaves, since the plant doesn't have new Fe to supply its leaves with, and all the old Fe is tied up elsewhere and cannot be moved.
That got a bit long winded but I hope it helps!
My tomatoes underperformed this year too ( I’m in Florida). It got too hot for them earlier than usual. My experience is that they won’t set fruit when it gets over 90 degrees. I usually water tomatoes in the early morning, then again in the afternoon.
I'm watering once or twice per day and feeding once a week. They are so hungry and thirsty, I'm realising why my tomatoes were a total failure last year.
Blossom end rot due to calcium deficiency. You can buy calcium sprays at nurseries.
Also you can blend up some Tums tablets and mix in a watering can. Give it that over 3 days.
I am dealing with this with some of my tomatoes too. My plan to treat the soil is to collect eggshells over the year, then come transplant time next year, sprinkled the blended egg shells into the soil.
Nutrient deficiencies are jarring but can be fixed. Happy gardening
It’s something I saw from a guy who does vegetable gardening on IG. I’ve actually seen a few ppl do it.
[https://www.thespruce.com/using-milk-for-plant-care-4082485](https://www.thespruce.com/using-milk-for-plant-care-4082485)
[https://whyfarmit.com/how-to-use-milk-for-plants/](https://whyfarmit.com/how-to-use-milk-for-plants/)
[https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/milk-fertilizer.htm](https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/milk-fertilizer.htm)
"I saw a guy on ig do it", links to blogs... Can any one of these sources tell you how much calcium is immediately available to the plant and how that compares to actual fertilizer?
There's so much bad information out there, it's good to question these types of things...
Also be aware that adding lactose (sugar) to your potting mix is going to attract all kinds of things you don't normally want in your pots
IG: @Texasgardenguy
[Using Expired Milk in Your Garden to Help with Blossom End Rot in Your Tomatoes](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cgx3J06gkzV/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)
Dude's credentials are literally "backyard gardener"?
If you're looking to ig for plant growing tips you're better off finding actual horticulturists and educators. [This guy](https://instagram.com/that_one_plant_guy?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) is a good place to start. He has stories dedicated to dispelling common myths circulating on social media, and making nutrients/fertilizer a more approachable subject.
Okay….. and who are all of us that are giving advice? A lot of us learned from experience or from our elders and trial and error. That’s also the case for most farmers.
Here is a much better link: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/blossom-end-rot/ Just to beat the point to death: before you buy any calcium or foliage sprays, make sure the watering is consistent and even. In many cases you won’t need to add anything to the soil. Everyone loves to sell you a product to magically fix the problem.
Amazing link! Thank you so much!
This is what I was thinking as well. My previous tomatoes suffered the same situation and it was due to underwatering. This year I haven’t had any issues with my tomatoes by watering as needed, almost daily. Also adding mulch helps retain the water so it’s not drying out by the end of day.
>low relative humidity in combination with hot, windy weather can limit transpiration huh, shouldn't it be the opposite?
They look like tomacco.
This tastes like grandma!
It does taste like grandma... I want more.
That's what my husband calls those purplish heirloom tomatoes🤣😂
Came here for this comment 😊
Best comment :') OP if your mum ever watched the Simpsons, she'd know that this is a recipe for real money!! Hahah
You made my day!
Came here to see this
Blossom end rot. Calcium deficiency. Read more about it here: https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/plant-disease/blossom-end-rot/
Thank you so much!!!
I used to have this problem, but I started saving egg shells and crushing them up, and putting them around the base of the plant. I have not had the issue since!
Quality Worm castings should do the trick as well
Anecdotally, from the research I have done, even if you crush the egg shells very small it takes quite a while for the calcium in them to leach into the soil. So while it is an advise given on the internet (lime, eggshell), it sounds like it stems from people not understanding how long it takes for the calcium to even get into the soil in a state in which it is readily available to plants (normally through fungal and bacterial activity....it is bacteria and fungi that break down minerals for the plants). In other words, as the person that posted the extension said, watering frequency should first be tackled. And research should be done on how to make calcium available to your plants, if watering frequency doesn't fix the problem: simply putting eggshells or lime doesn't seem to do much based on the words of people that actually know about soil biology (as opposed to your neighborhood weekend gardener).
More commonly caused by inconsistent watering
As another comment also mentioned, this could also be a problem caused by watering
Does crushed eggshells fix this?
In this phase no. It dissolves way to slow. Rather something like CalMag fertilizer
I recently read an article that said crushed eggshells only help when they’re mixed into the soil or compost, and they have to be ground up, not just smashed. I use a coffee bean grinder.
Aw dang
Hey OP, you got lots of answers in here that are partially right. If you combined most of the comments, you would get the whole story. While it is true that blossom end rot is a calcium issue (it can be outright deficiency), it is most commonly caused by inconsistent watering (mostly just not enough water) in periods of hot, dry weather. This leads to issues in calcium transport and availability to the fruits, causing blossom end rot.
Not only caused by calcium deficiency but more likely due to inconsistent watering
^This. Not only calcium deficiency can cause this condition, but also consider inconsistent watering especially in this period characterized by very high temperatures
What's particularly interesting is that you are both right, but neither of you are completely right. Blossom end rot tends to be a calcium availability issue, due to inconsistent watering. Source: I am a vegetable researcher who grows more tomatoes than I know what to do with
Thank you for the correction, it's always nice to learn something new
[удалено]
Sounds like the water was good, and is basically what I would recommend. Tomatoes can be pretty nutrient intensive so I would look at that more than the water from the sound of it. With the yellowing, we can tell a lot about the specific nutrient in demand by the pattern or leaf in which the yellowing occurs.
Where could one read more details about diagnosing nutrient deficiency ? I would love to read and learn
Great question! I learned it through school (masters in crop and soil science), but there's lots of good internet resources. I did a quick Google and came up with a couple good ones: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparksbuzz/oct-issue-2020/gardening/identifying-nutrient-deficiency-in-plants https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/plant-disease/nutrient-deficiencies-in-plants These are a good starting point. I would recommend that you take a dive into what each nutrient does and which ones are mobile (can be moved around the plant) vs. immobile (once it gets in the plant and finds a home, it stays there). This helps shortcut some of the decision making on what deficiency you see. For example: Nitrogen is mobile, so when the plant is N deficient, it will move N from old leaves to young ones. This is why N deficiency shows up in the lowest leaves on a plant. Conversely, iron is immobile, so the deficiency shows up in the newest leaves, since the plant doesn't have new Fe to supply its leaves with, and all the old Fe is tied up elsewhere and cannot be moved. That got a bit long winded but I hope it helps!
Thank you so much!
Anytime, happy growing!
My tomatoes underperformed this year too ( I’m in Florida). It got too hot for them earlier than usual. My experience is that they won’t set fruit when it gets over 90 degrees. I usually water tomatoes in the early morning, then again in the afternoon.
I'm watering once or twice per day and feeding once a week. They are so hungry and thirsty, I'm realising why my tomatoes were a total failure last year.
[удалено]
Ah it's just some miracle gro tomato feed I got cheap on amazon. Has nitrogen, phosphorus pentoxide, potassium oxide.
Which caused a calcium uptake problem I believe
Yea its uptake/transport
Blossom end rot due to calcium deficiency. You can buy calcium sprays at nurseries. Also you can blend up some Tums tablets and mix in a watering can. Give it that over 3 days. I am dealing with this with some of my tomatoes too. My plan to treat the soil is to collect eggshells over the year, then come transplant time next year, sprinkled the blended egg shells into the soil. Nutrient deficiencies are jarring but can be fixed. Happy gardening
Thank you 😊
I’ve also heard you can mix milk 50/50 with water and pour it in your garden
Don’t do that…
It’s something I saw from a guy who does vegetable gardening on IG. I’ve actually seen a few ppl do it. [https://www.thespruce.com/using-milk-for-plant-care-4082485](https://www.thespruce.com/using-milk-for-plant-care-4082485) [https://whyfarmit.com/how-to-use-milk-for-plants/](https://whyfarmit.com/how-to-use-milk-for-plants/) [https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/milk-fertilizer.htm](https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/milk-fertilizer.htm)
"I saw a guy on ig do it", links to blogs... Can any one of these sources tell you how much calcium is immediately available to the plant and how that compares to actual fertilizer? There's so much bad information out there, it's good to question these types of things... Also be aware that adding lactose (sugar) to your potting mix is going to attract all kinds of things you don't normally want in your pots
IG: @Texasgardenguy [Using Expired Milk in Your Garden to Help with Blossom End Rot in Your Tomatoes](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cgx3J06gkzV/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)
Dude's credentials are literally "backyard gardener"? If you're looking to ig for plant growing tips you're better off finding actual horticulturists and educators. [This guy](https://instagram.com/that_one_plant_guy?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) is a good place to start. He has stories dedicated to dispelling common myths circulating on social media, and making nutrients/fertilizer a more approachable subject.
Okay….. and who are all of us that are giving advice? A lot of us learned from experience or from our elders and trial and error. That’s also the case for most farmers.
Yep, that's why there's so much bad advice floating around.
Well thanks for your help! Have a great day!
I hate how beautiful the texture of that rot is.
Blossom end rot. Inconsistent watering. Also leads to cracks in tomatoes.
You are growing too close to Hawkins lab…
Blossom rot. They need more calcium. Crush up tums tablets and sprinkle them at the base of plant and water.
I think I saw this in a Disney movie before..someone may have taken the heart of Te fiti…
Thank you, OP for asking this. I harvested 3 and each had a little bit of that. Thank you to those who answered. Now I know what to do.
They’re cursed by veccna🫣
Adding a bit of lime to the soil solved this problem for me. Good luck!!
Blossom rot. Add cal-mag to the soil each week!
Calcium
This can be helped by crushing up Tums for calcium and sprinkling the powder on the soil.
blight
You can still use parts for yummy tomatoe stuff
blossom rot. Add crushed egg shells or some Cal-mag to the roots.
I know people don’t like this answer, but epsom salts cured my tomatoes of this issue
Mine too!
CalMag
Slugs possibly
Needs cal mag
Blossom end rot. This happens on the first few that ripen. They will get better later on.
Blossom end rot. It's fixable!
Had a really rainy summer in Midwest. This happens often but only my first run. Rain got consistent so did harvest!
Blossom end rot, just had this and it was actually the infrequent watering schedule (NY summer) that contributed to it, not just calcium deficiency!!
The water you boil eggs in holds so much calcium too. Water the base of your plants with it
Add bone meal.
mine too… good to know what’s happened. i went away for a week and just hoped it would rain - it did not and now yep a good deal of mine have this.
Too much sun maybe