can anyone help?
our tomatoes have grown successfully thru' growing season satisfactorily, however when fruit has set and started to ripen the ends of the fruits blacken and start to harden. Fruits continue to ripen normally apart from the ends -
cherry fruits in same green house ripen normally and are delicious!!!
please help

 

From your description it sounds like "blossom end rot". This characteristically strikes during a long dry spell after the plants have grown fast and well during the early part of the growing season.

The basic cause is lack of calcium. It can be aggrevated by excess water and/or nitrogen. You will need to do a soil test to see if soil lacks calcium. Also check pH which can affect availability of calcium to plant. Correct condition per directions on returned soil test.

Contact your local Cooperative Extension Service to find out who does soil tests in your area. The Extension Service is in the phone book government pages under county. The entry usually starts with the initials of your state's land grant college/university.

 

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Ladybug:
From your description it sounds like "blossom end rot". This characteristically strikes during a long dry spell after the plants have grown fast and well during the early part of the growing season.

The basic cause is lack of calcium. It can be aggrevated by excess water and/or nitrogen. You will need to do a soil test to see if soil lacks calcium. Also check pH which can affect availability of calcium to plant. Correct condition per directions on returned soil test.

Contact your local Cooperative Extension Service to find out who does soil tests in your area. The Extension Service is in the phone book government pages under county. The entry usually starts with the initials of your state's land grant college/university.<HR>

 

I read somewhere that to help prevent blossom end rot you should save all your eggshells all year. Let them dry, crush them, and save in a jar. I sprinkle them around the base of my plants a few times a growing season. I use a handful per plant. Since trying this, I havent had any rot. I also mulch my plants with homemade compost, so perhaps thats the secret.

 

Hi Lady - Since the basic cause of "blossom end rot" is lack of calcium and eggshells are calcium you are doing it right. Also by adding the compost you are modifying and enriching the soil as well.

Before the advent of modern "chemical" gardening this is how it was done. Good for you. The eggshells are the key and the compost is the additional beneficial.

Cheers - Ladybug