I am apparently incapable of growing tomatoes. Last year I lost pretty much every tomato to blossom end rot, and this year isn't looking any better. I've not gotten any red ones yet, but have picked three green with the blossom end already rotted.

I've read all about it - consistent moisture, they say. I've mulched the entire bed, though not too heavily since I've read mulching clay soil too much can cause soggy soil and root rot. I water pretty heavily every other day or every third day. We have 95+ degree days and no rain or humidity, and the soil is dry 3 or 4 inches down before I water. Should I water more? Less?

I'm so frustrated. All I want is good tomatoes from the garden, but it looks like I'll be buying them again all summer. \ My soil isn't well ammended yet - can I add something to help?

Hey,
I had the bloss. end prob. last yr.. Z 6-7 in Md. I pick off the "bads" & "scratched in" whatever the formula that Rodale advides. Check it out & it will save your tomatoes more than likely , like it did mine.

Give your tomatoes some milk, powdered will do, water it in around the plant base.

Mumsey has it, maters apparently need calcium and blossom end rot is a sign of deficiency. I have some powdered calcium but haven't used it yet, but powdered milk would have the same thing. The soil must be lacking. Egg shells in your compost, if you add enough, would do the trick, too.

M

not much you can do for them this year, however, add some ag lime to the soil this fall and you should be good for next year. Dont know how big your garden is, normal amendment is around 1 ton to the acre about every 3 to 5 years. So go from that on your sq/ft of your tomatoe patch. An acre is 43,000 sq ft. plus some to be exact, but close enough. Thats 208 x 208, roughly. I have a quarter acre lot for my garden and I plan to put about 500 lbs on mine this fall, my first ones that came on also got BSR bad. They have leveled out now after the rain has slowed down. I knew back when I tore the ground up it needed lime, but was lazy and didnt want to spend the money. Now I am paying for it with middles full of rotten ended tomatoes.

Alright, I added some powdered milk around each plant - peppers too, as I lost those last year to the blossom end rot. Gave them a good thorough soaking. Here's to hoping this works! There's nothing so disappointing as finding a tomato with the end rotted out!

Quite wetting your folage when you water also if by chance you are. Keep the moisture at the root zone.

There is probably as much nisinformation about Blossom End Rot circulating as there are reasons why tomatoes get it. BER is caused by a calcium deficiency at fruit set, but they why of that deficiency is what trips up many people. You can have adequate levels of calcium in your soil and still have fruits affected.
The best protection is to have a good, reliable soil test done so you know the nutrient levels of your soil and the soils pH and this is where a good healthy soil also starts. If the nutrients are in good balance and the soil is evenly moist, but well drained, then the plant will uptake the soil nutrients that are needed when needed. Since it takes time for the soil bacteria to change to form any nutrients added to the soil come in to something that the plants can use adding egg shells, powdered milk, lime, milk, or anything similar at planting time usually will not help, even though people think it does. Mostly that is because they then do pay closer attention and properly water the plants so they can uptake the necessary nutrients when they are needed.
A sudden growth spurt could also affect whether the fruit there gets BER since calcium moves up the plant slowly, so even, slow, growth is what is desired. Thoroughly soaking the soil can also cause BER since a too wet soil will also prevent the plant from uptaking the necessary nutrients, an evenly moist soil is what is needed, not wide fluctuations in soil moisture.

Kimm1. thanks for your reply. What you've said is pretty much what I've read. I'm just having such a hard time figuring out how much to water. 1", or even 2" in one week doesn't seem like enough to me! The soil is dry pretty far down (3-5" maybe?) after just one day without water. If I go two days without water, the plants look wilted by late afternoon.

I water by hand, with a hose with a sprayer attachment, usually every other evening. Lately some nights it's been every evening - our temps are between 95 and 100 every day, and we haven't had a drop of rain since the beginning of June. We have practically no humidity. The soil just looks so dry and crusty.

Any input on what changes I should make to my watering would be much appreciated.

Julie, Your part of Colorado is a desert. So is mine. We have to water the vegetables every day no matter how well we mulch. Do your watering in the MORNING. I try to get it done by 6:30. Plants don't like to go to sleep when they are wet!

Read this from CSU.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/Garden/02949.html

Notice that they recommend adding organic material to the soil as the first step to addressing tomato problems.

Also, I just found this. http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/index.htm

It's intended for the soils and climate along the Front Range, but the soil and the climate of the Grand Valley are much the same. Your p/Ept rate is a bit lower maybe.

Take a look at the Plant Health Care links. Lots of emphasis on soil health. More and more of CSU's publications are mentioning organic methods first and chemical methods as a second alternative.

To take MGH's suggestion, try taking the sprayer attachment off your hose and just use the unadorned hose all by itself to put water on the soil around the base of your plants. My mom swears by this watering method.

Thanks for your suggestions. We'll see how it goes. It's so much harder for me to water in the morning, just because of my kids' schedule. I guess they'll have to deal with a change. ;-)

I *have been side dressing my plants with a good compost, but the soil they're in is seriously lacking. I just kind of threw a bunch of stuff in the garden this year, not really making any plans, didn't amend the soil at all. A couple weeks after that, I started reading (and kicking myself!) but I figured I would go ahead and try and make the best of it. Next year should go much better.

Have your tried putting land plaster [GYPSUM]. It works, Oh and by the way I have clay soil too. It will not change your soil ph. But make your soil work right.

I'll have to look into gypsum. Thanks for the suggestion. I have some serious ammending to do before planting again next spring.

I'm happy to report though, that I picked my first ripe tomato today and there is no sign of BER, nor on the dozens of other green tomatoes. It could be the powdered milk, it could be paying more attention to my watering, but either way, I have at least a bit of success. Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Thanks for all of the information. I had one potted tomato that appeared to have BER--every green tomato had a brown end. I decided that since it was in a pot that i would just pull the whole thing out and throw it away. I read somewhere else that you shouldn't put plants with BER in your compost pile, so I didn't. I also dumped the potting soil that was in the pot. The plant and soil are now way back in the woods of my property on a bed of poison ivy. I have been watching the plants that are in my garden and a second potted cherry and none are showing any signs. Is BER something that can go from plant to plant.