If you’ve ever grown tomatoes, chances are at some point you have encountered common ailments like end rot or splitting. We’re going to break down how these issues occur, and more importantly, how to steer clear of them!
Blossom Rot
Blossom-end rot is the result of a calcium deficiency characterized by a wet sunken spot on the blossom end of the fruit, most commonly afflicting zucchinis, eggplants, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, and melons.
While the diagnoses sounds technical, calcium deficiencies are usually just caused by fluctuations in soil moisture (over- or underwatering). Watering one inch per week if your area isn’t receiving rain will help you maintain consistent moisture levels while the plant is establishing. Once it begins to fruit, let the soil just-about dry out between waterings. If you aren’t sure whether or not it’s time to water, stick your index finger an inch or two into the soil at the base of the plant. If it feels damp, they’re good to go! If the soil is dry, it might need a drink. It’s also okay for the foliage to show early signs of wilting before watering, but you don’t want to push it too far! Other issues that may be to blame include using an excess of nitrogen-heavy fertilizer, soil pH imbalances, high salt levels in the soil, or root damage.
Fertilizer Fast Tips
- Choose a fertilizer containing nitrate nitrogen instead of ammonium nitrogen
- Avoid over-fertilizing during early fruiting
- If calcium levels are depleted, consider adding organic sources of calcium to the soil (lime, bonemeal, finely-crushed egg shells)
Splitting
After a dry spell, the plant can uptake too much water and overwhelm the fruit, causing splitting. Watering the base of the plant regularly during hot summer days is your key preventative method here. This will also help the plant to not become overwhelmed in the instance of a sudden downpour. On the topic of rain, if you are expecting a storm and your tomatoes have already started to blush, pluck them a little early and let them ripen off the vine to avoid them up-taking excess moisture. If a split does occur (it happens to the best of us), don’t worry! While they might not look as pretty, splitting does not make them in-edible. Just be sure to harvest & enjoy them before the bugs do!
More Tomato Tips
- If you’ve got some late-bloomers, one method to encourage green tomatoes to ripen on the vine is to snip off the top of the plant. By doing so, you encourage the plant to focus on what’s already on the vine instead of setting new fruit.
- Plant marigolds next to your tomato plants to attract ladybugs and hoverflies, who feed on pests like aphids and whiteflies.
- Early blight, a fungal disease, is common around July when the weather becomes more humid. It starts on the lower leaves as brown spots that will expand into bullseye-like rings. Strip off these lower leaves and use a copper and/or sulfur spray to help prevent further spread to the rest of the plant.
- Magnesium deficiency, the most common mineral deficiency in tomatoes, occurs as a result of high potassium levels. You’ll know you have a magnesium deficiency when you see chlorophyll-depleted yellow leaves with prominent green veins. Spray a solution of Epsom salt onto the leaves every two weeks. Avoid spraying under the hot, bright sun, or when rainfall is anticipated.
While tomatoes aren’t necessarily hard to grow, being aware of these common pitfalls will help you get the most of your harvest all season long. You can never have too many garden-fresh goodies to snack on!
Additional sources:
https://www.almanac.com/pest/blossom-end-rot
https://www.almanac.com/video/top-10-tomato-problems-and-solutions
https://www.growveg.com/guides/fix-yellow-leaves-on-tomato-plants-using-epsom-salts/
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