Tomato Blossom-End Rot

Courtesy of jarsem at sxc.hu.

Tomato Blossom-End Rot is an issue I have encountered the past two years, but this year it was so severe that I could not harvest a single delicious tomato. I thought I had an issue with stink bugs (a plague  an infestation that the Pittsburgh area has been dealing with for the past two years as well) or some other sort of pest I wasn't familiar with, but I finally discovered a name for my issue while perusing an Ace Hardware.

The Disease:

Blossom-End Rot has been seen in tomatoes, peppers and watermelon. North Carolina State University says it is a non-parasitic disease which can be prevented. (Best news ever for tomato-lovers!!) It is caused by a lack of calcium in the fruit, which may have resulted from a lack of calcium or an off-balance of nutrients in the soil. Water can also be a cause of the rot because it constantly pulls the calcium out of the soil in the runoff.

What to watch for:
It starts to show as the tomato begins to grow and appears as "wet-spot" or a water-soaked region on the blossom-end of the fruit. The blossom-end is opposite the stem (read: the bottom of the tomato). This wet mark will darken and decay as the tomato ripens. In the case of my garden, the spots were black and almost leathery, or dry. 


How you can help:
Starting a few months before planting your tomatoes, peppers or watermelons, prepare your garden with 1 to 2 pounds of lime per 100 square feet of your garden. Lime is crushed limestone and can usually be found in any gardening center. Lime is not only a natural calcium additive, but it also helps improve the pH level of your soil. NCSU, as most other gardening experts, suggest a 6.5 to 6.8 pH for garden soils. You can also find soil testing kits in gardening centers.

Continue treating the tomatoes as they grow by spraying a lime-water mixture of 2 Tablespoons of lime per gallon of water and spray four times per week on leaves and stems. 

Please see North Carolina State University's site for more information.

Blue Spruce Diseases and Remedies.

Courtesy of gonczol at sxc.hu.

I have two wonderful blue spruces in my front yard, and I would guess their age at about 30 years old and about 35 feet tall. They have been living happy, healthy lives until last summer when we started to notice the needles falling off the taller tree. After a little digging, I found a few answers.


The Diseases:
According to Iowa State University, diseases in blue spruce are rare, but when it occurs, it is usually one of two issues.


Cytospora Canker
 Cytospora Canker is a fungus that usually attacks older trees, or trees undergoing environmental stress. Extended periods of drought or extreme temperatures are factors with this issue. My best guess is that this disease causing the problems with my spruce, and it showed its ugly head as an after-effect of the 2010 blizzard an our constant-yet-necessary pruning. The fungus enters the tree through cuts or broken branches. It spreads and if left untreated it inevitably kills the spruce.


What to watch for:
White sap shows on branches as the tree attempts to defend itself. You will also see the browning of needles and eventual die-off of entire branches, which will start at the bottom of the tree.


How you can help:

During dry conditions, prune affected branches back 4-6 inches from infected site. You may need to remove whole branches to do so. Also, basic garden and tree maintenance helps with the prevention of this disease. This includes planting trees in roomy, well-drained soil, spreading mulch around the trunk base,and keeping the tree properly watered.

Rhizosphaera Needle Cast

 This is a very long name, so I am shortening it to "RNC." RNC is similar to Cytospora Canker in that it is a fungus which effects can be seen in the needles and it works its way up from the bottom branches of the tree. The needles turn a shade of purple and then brown and, if looked at closely with a magnifying glass, you will see linear black spots. These spots are the spores of the fungus growing on the spruce. This fungus can spread from both needles on the tree and fallen needles and usually shows up during unusually wet conditions. This illness is more common than Cytospora Canker.


What to watch for:

Discoloration of second-year needles and needle fall-off.


How you can help:

A fungicide regimen can help rid the tree of disease. Iowa State University suggests "Daconil 2787, Daconil Ultrex, Terranil 90, Thalonil 4L, Thalonil 90, Manicure Flowable, and Twosome Flowable" as the fungicides of choice, but please read the label to make sure it covers Rhizospaera fungus. Spray the fungicide the last 2 weeks of May and again 4 to 6 weeks later. Be sure the read the label for proper application. 

Again, basic garden and tree maintenance helps with the prevention of this disease. This includes planting trees in roomy, well-drained soil, spreading mulch around the trunk base,and keeping the tree properly watered.

Best of luck with your spruces!

Welcome

Hi there.

I started this blog in hopes to aid in the everyday gardener's quest for healthy, lively and fruitful plants.  I, myself, have had my fair share of problems with plants and their illnesses. This is my quest to remedy problems of past crops, and I hope to help you, reader, as well.  Please, if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or to email me. I will do my best to help.

A little background about my experience with gardening:

I come from a family of gardeners and landscapers. My grandfather and grandmother owned a landscaping business that started in the late '30's and their knowledge was carried on to their children. My uncle owned a successful landscaping business for most of his adult life until he passed away last year after a long struggle with cancer.  Though he is extremely missed, his memory lives on in the knowledge he passed along to family and friends. Thank you Uncle Jim.

I have been gardening for as long as I can remember with the help of my mother's hand. For the past few years my brother and I prepare and plant a VERY small vegetable garden (approximately 20' x 20') and a smaller herb garden (approx. 4' x 4').  I am familiar with Zone 5 plants, typically, but as questions arise, I hope to have answers for every area.

I am by no means an expert in any way. I have many years of learning ahead of me. However, I hope the information you find here is informative and will help you have a successful garden year after year.