GROWING TIPS
Dealing with Blossom End Rot
Leaf'd Box | July 17, 2020
If you planted our spring box, you're likely seeing lots of tasty tomatoes ripening at this point in the season. But, you might notice some of your fruit developing a nasty brown scar on the bottom. You might be wondering what this is and if there is any way to prevent it.
If you're seeing this on your fruit, what you're seeing is called blossom end rot. This is something that effects tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplants, and a few other veggie types. The good news is that this can be prevented!
Blossom end rot is primarily caused by a lack of calcium and/or inconsistent watering. Our bones are made out of calcium -- it's what provides structure to our bodies. In a similar way, calcium is really important for helping tomato plants develop strong, delicious fruit. Not enough calcium and that brown scar starts to form at the bottom where the fruit's structure is weak. The more calcium that's missing, the bigger the scar.
So how can we make sure our tomatoes get enough calcium? There are two simple ways.
WATER
The first way to help our tomatoes avoid blossom end rot is by paying attention to the water. If the tomato's roots have too much water, it's almost as if they're drowning. Because of this, they're not able to absorb the right amount of nutrients. On the other hand, if there's not enough water, the plants won't get the nutrients they need since nutrients are carried into the plant through the water they drink up.
Making sure your plants are consistently, properly watered will really help. Remember -- not too much water, and not too little. Think of a delicious, moist cake: that's the amount of moisture that your soil should consistently have. With proper watering, you should see your tomatoes improving from their blossom end rot within two weeks, in most cases.
CALCIUM
The second way to help our tomatoes avoid blossom end rot is calcium. If your soil doesn't have enough (or any) calcium, then it won't matter how much you water, your plant will never get any of the calcium it needs. Here are a few ways you can add calcium to your soil:
- Powdered Milk- As kids, we were told to drink our milk since it would make our bones strong. That's because it has lots of calcium. If you add some powdered milk to your garden, it will immediately add some calcium to your soil, giving you fast results. You should see your tomatoes improving within a few weeks. You can also try using regular, liquid mil, but we can't guarantee that your garden won't smell like fine French cheese for a few days!
- Eggshells- These are full of calcium! If you grind them finely and add them to your soil, these will give your garden a boost of calcium. The only downside is that these need to break down in the soil before your plant can absorb them. This can take quite a bit more time, so expect to see slower results.
- Lime or Calcium Carbonate- These are minerals that have calcium in them and can increase the amount of it in your soil. They act quickly (results within a few weeks), but the only drawback is that you might not have them around your home already.
Unfortunately, if a tomato has blossom end rot, there's nothing that can be done to take it away from that tomato. The best thing to do is to pick and compost any tomatoes with blossom end rot so your plant can transfer its energy into growing the undamaged new fruits that remain. The good news is that your plant is still producing the same amount of energy. Because of this, you're not really losing out on your fruit production, you're just transferring it to the new fruit instead of the damaged fruit!
Growing your own food is all about learning these little tips and tricks so you can get better and better each season. Remember that each garden is different. Some people may see blossom end rot, others may never. The fun part of gardening is learning about your garden, how plants grow there, and making it better and better with each passing season. It's all about progress, not perfection. So keep up the great job you're doing as you enjoy delicious food that's as fresh and local as it gets!
As always, we're here to help you. Send us an email at info@leafdbox.com or contact us on social media with any questions we have. We're here to help you have your #EasiestGardenEver!
