Calling all garden experts

[mstang67chic]

I have four tomato plants in my garden. They seem to be doing very well....growing, bloomed and are very large. But at least two of them have tomatoes that, when they reach a certain size, start looking like this:

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/mstang67chic/Tomatoes001.jpg


Is this insect damage....fungus? What? I've never had problems with tomatoes aside from a little bit of bug activity here and there, never. Any damage I have had has been minimal enough that I've always gotten a decent crop. We pick some to eat as we go (rather husband does. I think maters are icky! LOL) and I can them also. This has me stumped though. Any ideas?

 

[witzend]

That's blossom end rot. It means that yours soil is deficient in Calcium. You can try to add some agricultural lime or Calcium Nitrate to your soil. But once the plants have this, it is very difficult if not impossible to reverse.

I've had this a few times. It's maddening to spend months babying your 'maters and then have them inedible. Actually, you can cut off the leathery part and the rest of it is safe to eat. Just not very pretty or appetizing.

 

[witzend]

Here's a link as to what causes blossom end rot, and how to treat it.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-28-d.html

 

[mstang67chic]

Hmm...weird. Thanks guys! Guess I need to start planting the maters in a different spot and fertilize a bit better!

 

[Marguerite]

Witz is right. The other point I would make (and which helps prevent it for me) is to keep the water up to your tomato plants evenly, they do get very thirsty and if your plants dry out at intervals it can increase the blossom end rot.

Marg

 

[Star*]

My guess was CTM....not BER.

 

[mstang67chic]

Nope. Too high up to be CTM. LOL