Blossom End Rot

[attml]

I know there has been plenty of discussion on the topic but I am still at a loss as to why I am having a BER issue this year? At plant out I always add dolomite lime in my hole (our native soil is very acidic) as I am mixing in my soil to each hole. I water regularly but it seems like every year I have multiple plant / tomatoes that get BER? SO far this year I have lost 3 Vorlon to BER and the one pictured below is Momotaro. It is very frustrating when you have been waiting all winter for summer tomatoes and you get good germination and growth only to have what is pictured below happen. The worst part is it was just starting to blush. In all of my head scratching about why this is happening and looking at possible causes / correlations, I was wondering if pulling residual flowers off the bottom of germinated tomatoes could be a cause? I tend to do this because sometimes the get stuck and cause blemishes on the fruit. I am just wondering if maybe sometimes I am pulling them too soon and that contributes to BER down the road? Any thoughts would be appreciated!! Ugh!!!!

Mark

[carolyn137]

It's not just about Ca++ that's involved with BER. Here's a psot I did and I'm going to cut and paste it to here:

(With BER there is NO problem with absorption of Ca++ though the roots. The problem is maldistribution within the plant that can be induced by a number of stresses which include uneven delivery of water, too much N, growing in too rich soil, too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry you name it.

As the plants mature they can better handle the streses that can induce BER so usually it goes away.

The two exceptions are first, if the soil has NO Ca++ as confirmed with a soil test, and that's a rare condition, and second, if the soil is too acidic in which Case Ca++ is bound in the soil.

Again, adding lime, egg shells and on and on can not and will not prevent BER b'c absorption of Ca++ thru the roots is OK.

Paste tomatoes are especially susceptible to BER and I think someone in a post above mentioned that.


The old information about BER being caused solely by lack of soil Ca++ has been shown to be wrong with research that's been done in the last 20 years or so, but it's going to take another generation before the real story gets into books, websites, magazines, etc. Most of the better websites already have the correct information.

BER affects not only tomatoes, but peppers, squash, cabbage, cauliflower, etc., and it's a huge multimillion dollar problem for the industry, which is WHY all that reasearch was done. For instance, when tissues were taken from a plant that has BER fruits and was assayed for Ca++, the normal level of Ca++ was found, it just wasn't getting to the blossom end of fruits. And there's also a condition called internal BER where the fruits look fine, no evidence of BER externally, but when you cut open the fruit the inside is black Hope that helps )

And the following was posted by Betsy at the place where she had posted my post about BER and Betsy posts here as well but not much so far, but I'm hoping she posts more.


(So, what it comes down too is: Tums do not work, nor do egg shells, milk, and other "home remedy" treatments. Foliar spray only works in some cases. Time and good management practices work best.)

There's no reason to pull off the remnents of the blossom on small fruits b'c it falls off anyway, and no, doing so has nothing to do with BER.

It's all the many stresses I mentioned above and being where you are it's been the cold and rain that probably contributed to it, but sun and warmth is in the future and as the plants get more mature no doubt that the frequency of BER will go way down to almost nothing as long as you feel you've reversed the acidity you referred to.

What was the pH of your soil originally and how successful were you in raising the pH of the soil? I think it's much better to raise the pH in the soil in general, not just try to do so by adding dolomite to the planting hole, even if you are mixing it in. I mean that way you have no idea at all what the pH of the soil is under the plant and maybe it's just me, but I don't like adding anything at all to the planting hole. Just plant and water in and wait a week or two until the roots have adapted and then add any amendments to the soil around the plant.

Just my suggestions.

[attml]

Thanks Carolyn! I appreciate the detailed explaination!!

Mark

[TightenUp]

attml

of all the possibilities which do you think is causing BER and what are you going to do about it?

[Worth1]

I have but one thing to say and it is about the advice you have already received from Carolyn.
Take it for the truth, it is the best advice you can get.
They opened up a new privately owned nursery and outdoor store here where I live.
I was enthused about this new place and waited for the grand opening.
I went there and to my disappointment they were boasting the great attributes of BER spray and blossom drop spray.
Along with a bunch more miracle juice and sprays.

I listened to their garbage for about 10 minutes and walked off.
More false information than I cared to hear in one day.
I have never went back, it was like Home Depot with the same plants at a higher price.

I have never been a fan of the hole method either, feeder roots grow outwards and they need nutrients everywhere not just a hole.

Worth