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.