Black Krim in containers, it’s been drooping some since the growth out paced the root development I believe due to fertilizer. I cut it back and it’s been doing better and I have given it bone meal already so it can’t be calcium deficiency. So why am I getting blossom end rot ?
by Spiritual_Message725
10 Comments
BER is, from what I understand, more of a problem with inconsistent watering. If the roots aren’t capable of taking up enough water then it’s reasonable that the plant is developing BER.
Calcium deficiency is not necessarily a lack of calcium in the soil. In fact, I would say it usually isn’t. Tomatoes require certain conditions to be able to absorb calcium from the soil. If the soil is too dry the roots cannot access the calcium in the soil because the calcium needs to be dissolved in water for the roots to absorb it. On the other hand, if the soil is to wet for too long, the calcium in the soil is diluted too much, and the plant will not get enough calcium.
Not to bash on Black Krim, but they and Cherokee Purple have been the high maintenance divas of my garden. Leaf curl, blossom end rot, minimal fruit set~ name the problem and they had it. Meanwhile all my Lemon Boys, Green Zebra, Orange Chef, Berkeley Tie Die and even San Marzano’s were doing fine. It’s not you~ it’s them, especially if you have other varieties that are doing well with your watering schedule.
I’ve kicked them to the curb for the last two years and have been rewarded with great harvests from my other varieties. Can’t say I’m missing them! Wishing you all the best.
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It is blossom end rot which is calcium so irregardless of how much you’ve been putting in the soil it’s not getting into the plant. Calcium can be tricky for the plant to uptake and inconsistent watering is often to blame, so are imbalances like excess potassium.
I’d suggest getting a particular product called Biomin Calcium, it is an Amino chelated calcium product that works as a phloem mobile foliar spray (this is unique), the amino helps resist tie up in the soil from excess phosphorus fertilizers, and the amino acids signals the plant to prioritize calcium uptake by the plant. Use it both as a foliar (5ml/L) 2x a week for a couple weeks while you also water it into the soil at 30ml/gallon, after 2 weeks drop that to 15ml/gallon once a week and you can stop the foliar spraying if you want.
That should help them recover from this rapidly but make sure you’re watering is on point and it’s always a good idea to use gypsum when planting tomatoes. Just don’t forget Ca and K can interfere with each others uptake, too much of either creates a problem.
Not enough calcium, and/or overwatering that flushed calcium out of soil
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Mix two ounces of this in a gallon sprayer and drench all the leaves. It absorbs through the leaves if the roots aren’t doing it. Works well for me
From a State Agriculture site:
**CAUSE:** Blossom-end rot is a physiological disease caused by a localized deficiency of calcium in the fruit. Calcium is a nutrient that is required in relatively large quantities by rapidly growing fruit, especially by those cells at the blossom end of the young fruit.
Not water related although a lot of people here go there. I will stick with the experts. Please fact check me on-line.
Blossom end rot is hard to pin down. It’s caused by calcium deficiency in developing fruit, but rarely is there a lack of calcium in the soil. Inconsistent watering, root damage from pests or heat stress, or an imbalance in pH, or even other ions from over fertilization are more common.
A lab test from your county extension is the best way to narrow it down. In lieu of that, they will usually also post information or maps about the makeup of local soils, which can tell you how to amend.
Make sure the plants have enough soil and root volume to support their size. Make sure they are getting an adequate amount and schedule of water – fully saturating the root zone, then allowing it to dry, will promote healthier and larger roots, that help the plant better tolerate changing conditions. If I remember correctly, tomatoes want about an inch of water per square foot, per week. I have my irrigation system set to water on alternate days and skip when it rains. You want to water when the soil is just moist about two knuckles deep, but mostly dry on the surface. Over watering can also cause blossom end rot.
Never let the soil dry completely more than a couple inches below the surface, as it can damage roots and make it harder to resaturate.
Make sure your soil is good quality with enough organic matter and structure to absorb and hold water, drain adequately, and resist compaction and cracking. Make sure you use a mix of organic and soluble fertilizers to feed both the plants and the soil itself. Don’t over fertilize with high NPK fertilizers, which can burn the roots and compete for nutrient uptake, or push the plant to grow faster than it can transport other nutrients. Make sure your soil has an adequate balance of micronutrients and alkalinity.
Cover your soil to protect it from the sun and heat. I have heavy clay soil that’s prone to compaction and cracking. Composted pine bark fines (sold as organic soil conditioner) have worked the best for me. I till them into the top layer of soil at the end of the year, which also improves the structure over time.
Ouch! That hurts! I have trouble growing Cherokee Purple here, NE Texas, but Black Krim does well for me. I do believe, however, that such things are very regional, very specific to the growing environment.
Get some Rot Stop. That’s what I used last year and had no more problems