Tomato Blossom Rot

Is blossom end rot ruining your first tomatoes? Other issues?

This got its name from the fact that the dead area of the tomato forms at the blossom end. Other insects can sometimes confuse the issue, but the main cause has been determined to be a lack of calcium.

The increase of calcium in the soil would appear to be the first step to remedying the situation but there could be other reasons why the calcium is not getting to the plant so read the whole article.

I'm having issues with my Hollyhocks. The leaves will turn spotted, then eventually wilt and dry up. I used to just have it on established plants, but now, even new Hollyhocks have it. They will bloom, but they die during the bloom time or after. Strange thing though, the roots live and will come back the following year.

Also, I DID find the squash borer worms in my squash plants. That's what's been killing them.

I swear, every plant has a different predator...

Products to relieve this situation should be found at most garden centers, but remember the part about even moisture and mulching. We have had some real hot and dry days, so if this could be the problem, just adding lime will not help.

Unless you do a soil test, it is probably better to try the moisture solution first, then add the lime sparingly and water it in.

It will probably not correct any fruit that has already started forming, but new ones should should be better.

Steve, It does usually start at the bottom. The leaves will get these small brown/yellow spots all over them, until all those spots merge together on the leaf and kill it. It's definitely not due to overhead watering, and I didn't have rain for 20 days recently.

But I think you may be right about the fungus. I just can't figure out the reasoning behind it...

espoontoon,

My hollyhocks have had this same thing for the last few years. I went on-line and found some chemical things, but I'd rather do things with as little chemicals as possible.

One thing they called it was "rust" and to use pre-emtpive fungicide, but it seems a little late for this once they've grown tall. Chemicals listed are chlorothalonil and Mancozeb (sound scary!).

They also suggest it could be some kind of weevil, but my plants seem to have more of the rust-looking thing than weevils.

Hope this helps, but if you're like me, you don't really want to use scary-sounding chemicals! Surely there are other safer, more organic things to use.

espoontoon,

Yeah, the rust has been slowly creeping up the hollyhocks, but they've still been very pretty this year all the same. I have hollyhocks coming up all over the place ... I even have them growing in my gravel driveway, but I don't mind. I figure by the time the rust gets to the top of them, the hollyhocks will pretty much be played out anyway for the summer. I just love the things!

Blossom end rot common in tomatoes | rot, lime, soil - Burlington ...

Question: I was looking forward to my first tomato sandwich when I noticed the bottom end of my tomatoes have turned black? What has happened to them?

Answer: Blossom end rot is the most common disorder of tomato. Blossom end rot is a result of low levels of calcium in the young developing fruit. Calcium is a minor element in plant nutrition but it must be present in the soil in order for the roots to absorb it. In addition, there must be ample soil moisture for maximum uptake in the roots. Recent high temperatures and the dry spell promoted blossom end rot even if you limed your garden. The importance of maintaining adequate soil moisture is often overlooked and is critical. Water in the soil is needed so the roots can absorb this element. The needed calcium is available in lime. Therefore, garden soils should be limed every 3 to 4 years and preferably in the fall. A rate of 5 to 10 pounds of dolomitic lime per 100 square feet is sufficient for most clay soils. If you have limed correctly, then water more frequently, use mulch around the plants, and you should see the problem disappear as the newer fruit develops. If you did not lime, you can still use your white bread and Dukes mayo, but your tomatoes will have to come from someone else. Adding lime now will not help this season. Answer: Most homeowner’s only get about 10 to 12 weeks of showing off their skills in turf management. Bragging rights last from the middle of March until about the end of May. The lush dark green fescue lawns of spring soon lose their beauty as our night and day temperatures climb. When our nighttime temperatures climb above 70 degrees and the daytime temperatures reach 90 degrees, the summer diseases of fescue begin to take their toll. The most prominent summer disease is actually called brown patch. It will remain active until late summer. Every fescue lawn gets it to some degree. Those fescue lawns that get pampered the most with fertilizer and irrigation seem to have the most problems with this disease. Incidence of brown patch increases when too much fertilizer is applied in the spring and when lawns are improperly irrigated. Fescue leaves must remain wet for at least 10 hours for this disease to spread. Therefore, if you do water your lawn, do so before sunrise and not in the evening. Unfortunately you cannot control evening rains and heavy dews. Brown patch infected turf will often recover in the fall. Preventative and curative fungicides are available but may need to be applied by professionals and on a regular spray schedule during the summer months. Hopefully your friends with their wiregrass and crabgrass lawns will bite their tongue.

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