This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Tomato's



Ken Bess wrote:

>  I picked my first tomato today, however it seems funny.  The top 3/4
> of the tomato looks fine, nice and red, however when you look at the
> bottom it is almost black.  Has anyone seen this, is it a fungus or
> something else.

This is blossom end rot which is caused by a calcium deficiency. The
deficiency is usually caused by uneven watering ... the plant gets
little water for a while and the roots don't grow ... then it gets lots
of water and wants to have a spurt in growth but the roots are not
sufficiently extensive to pick up the calcium the plant needs. As a
precaution against this it is good to mix a handful of lime into the
soil when planting.  It as also good to have your soil tested and
amended as per the results of the test.
        There is a product that can be bought in the better garden
stores to be used to get you over the hump this year, but I haven't
looked for it in years and can't remember the name .. ask a
knowledgeable clerk.
        Good luck       Ed  Flynn    Maryland  zone 6/7

--
To unsubscribe, send a message to: majordomo@lists.umsl.edu
with the single body line: unsubscribe sqft
Contact owner-sqft@lists.umsl.edu with any admin questions.
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index