Tomatoes - Blossom End Rot

[Watchman]

Blossom end rot Every time I've planted tomatoes [here in Free Wyoming] they have contracted blossom end rot - green peppers too. I believe poor drainage and lack of calcium are the culprits. I've read practically every article on the whole @#$%^& internet and these are the consensii that I have arrived at:

1.) Spray-on calcium such as Rot-Stop is worthless. It will NOT prevent BER.

2.) Improving soil drainage and long-term addition of gypsum seems to be the BEST answer for a permanent solution.

3.) Hydrated lime may cause damage if applied too heavily.

4.) Another permanent solution is the addition of ground up crab shells, eggs shells, oyster shells. You may have to do this every couple of years.

5.) Almost always the soil pH is very low and high in alkalinity - a natural problem here in the west.

Please --- don't quote any more articles to read. What I want to know is what is YOUR experience (if any) with BER and what did you do to solve it?

Come on, put your thinking caps on.

[anothertyme]

I have noticed that the earlier I try to plant tomatoes, the more I get blossom end rot. Tomatoes like warm soil and I've learned to plant them when the soil is finally warm. Even though I start tomatoes inside and put them out in May (Virginia), the seed ones always catch up with the ones I started indoors. Also they may need some additional calcium. If you don't mind using fertilizer, you can buy 5-20-5 or add some or egg shells but they take longer. Also ber normally only affects the first batch and stops when the plant gets rooted well in the soil. I have never gotten it on my peppers, can't help you there. Hope I said something use can use. Good luck!

[Watchman]

Thanks; this is what I'm looking for, a consensus on treatment. I've got a bag of gypsum sitting in the garage that I've never used and this year we are planting tomatoes and peppers in large, self-watering planters instead of this Wyoming dirt. I am using potting mix [organic, ground bark and other plant matter with chicken manure] instead of soil. I have read that a cup of gypsum will do it pretty good and won't dissolve so quickly. I am also going to try and add a couple of tablespoons of epsom salt to each planter. I read where the potassium in the epsom salt will help the plants absorb calcium better.

[bee_pipes]

We have never had blossom end rot. We start our tomatoes inside. When we plant them, we plant them deep. We cut off all branches except the top, dig a hole deep enough that only these top leaves are above the ground. Oh, we also throw egg shells in the hole before putting the tomato in. We pretty much collect a bag of egg shells in the freezer all year, and each spring use it for the tomatoes.

Tomatoes are funny plants - any part of the stalk that touches the ground will throw out a root. Our method of planting retards the tomato for the beginning of the spring because the plant is busy growing roots. When they do kick in we have a main stalk like a sapling and the plants are extremely drought resistant.

this is how you dig holes for tomatoes in chert


holes 12 to 18 inches deep for tomatoes
tomato plant trimmed and ready for planting next to hole

I worked in a garden and feed store for a number of years and used to get customers with complaints about blossom end rot. The suggested remedy was a calcium spray (calcium chloride?). It's been a number of years and I can't remember the active ingredient - it's the same on any bottle of blossom end rot spray. Anyway, that's when the boss told me about the egg shell trick. There is also oyster shell - usually available at any feed store stocking poultry feed. The oyster shell is a feed supplement that acts like grit and boosts hen calcium for shell production. I don't know that the oyster shell leaches as quickly as egg shell.

At any rate, we have always tossed pieces of egg shell in a hole before planting tomatoes, and have never been troubled with blossom end rot.

That's my 2 cents worth.

Regards,
Pat