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FAQ-Blossom End Rot |
Question:
I am growing tomatoes and I occasionally get fruit that
develops a brown area at the
bottom of the tomato and then continues to spread up the individual
fruit. It does not affect all the fruit, just some of them. How can I
avoid this problem?
Minnesota Master Gardeners say:
What you are seeing is called blossom end rot (BER). It is
a physiological disorder (not caused by a pest, but related to growing conditions).
Several factors have been associated with BER. These include
wide swings in soil moisture, excess nitrogen fertilizer, and root pruning.
BER appears to be caused by a lack of available calcium.
However, it is not a lack of calcium in the soil that causes the
problem; it's the inability to utilize the calcium that is present. This inability stems from
the factors mentioned in the first paragraph.
Certain varieties of tomatoes (Romas, for instance) seem much more susceptible.
There is not much you can do about BER after it starts. If the tomato is ripe,
pick it and cut the brown rotted area off. The rest is usable.
BER can be minimized by maintaining a uniform supply of
moisture through irrigation and soil mulches, incorporating fertilizers
high in superphosphates and low in nitrogen prior to planting, and
avoiding root pruning by not cultivating within one foot of the plants.
You should also watch for BER in eggplants and peppers.
For further reading,
Bottoms Up: Blossom End Rot, in the Yard and Garden Newsletter:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/YGLNews/YGLN-Aug1501.html#BER