OT - Garden stuff

[Jubille85 (VA)]

I have the largest and earliest crop of maters in 25 years ...but the bottom rot is killing me.
The plants are 6 feet tall and starting to go red, the first few have bottom rot 50% up from the bottom.

I did place a large amount of horse manure on it this year - 2 year old dry stuff.

Any fixes for bottom rot??

 

[Bruce (VA)]

What you have is called blossom end rot. It's caused by irregular calcium uptake.

Too late now, but put a handful of bone meal in each hole when you set the plants out. And use the correct fertilizer. Then, if mother nature isn't going to give you regular & consistent rainfall, you need to water them. Rain or not, mine (all 240 of them) get irrigated every 3rd day.

And never, ever water a tomato in VA w/ a overhead sprinkler. If you do, your next question will be about early blight!

 

[jackinok]

there is some stuff called rot stop,basically a spray on calcium .Ive used it and it works(it wont do anything for the one that have started rotting but it may save later ones) .Best defense is to do as bruce said,regular watering is the key.For an old time cure,sprinkle powdered milk around your plants before you water.it dissolves so plants can absorb it fairly easily and it contains the calcium they need.

 

[old]

Have you tried Epsom salts watering yet?? Go to the store and look on the package and it tells you how to water with it and most of the time it does in fact help.
That said my wife has been eating grape matos for a couple weeks now and zukes are going crazy and yesterday picked my first few green beans. I also canned 6 jars of sweet pickle yesterday.

 

[Anonymous-0]

At this stage I would try the epsom salts or some crushed tums/rolaids help. We keep our eggs shells, crush them and sprinkle around the plants while they are still growing, before the end rot develops.

 

[Dunk]

Some strange stuff in this thread.

[b:6728a953fb]Epsom salt[/b:6728a953fb]
Magnesium sulfate (or magnesium sulphate) is a chemical compound containing [b:6728a953fb]magnesium, sulfur and oxygen[/b:6728a953fb].

Good for roses.


[b:6728a953fb]Calcium (egg shels)[/b:6728a953fb]The main ingredient in eggshells is calcium carbonate (the same brittle white stuff that chalk, [b:6728a953fb]limestone[/b:6728a953fb], cave stalactites, sea shells, coral, and pearls are made of). The shell itself is about 95% CaCO3 (which is also the main ingredient in sea shells). The remaining 5% includes calcium phosphate and magnesium carbonate and soluble and insoluble proteins.


So apparently all one is lacking in the ground is some lime(stone)?



[b:6728a953fb]calcium carbonate CaCO3 [/b:6728a953fb]
synonyms: marble; aragonite; calcite; pearl; chalk; coral; seashells; eggshell; limestone; white wash; calcamine.

uses: spread on soil to neutralize excess acidity and raise calcium levels; added to some wines to reduce acidity; used to harden water in beer-making

 

[lha]

I've got 'maters,about 6'high.The wife and I had to put 8' stakes in to tie the limbs up,lots of green ones,a few starting to turn red now.Got about 25 plants,and 9 cukes on 52" x8'fence panels,climbing and putting out like crazy.Got 2 watermelons on a 22'x8' patch,all with about 6-8" of wood chips on top,no weeds.also have a strawberry patch started,takes time.We been eating and sharing cukes about 3 wks now.---lha

 

[36 Coupe]

This is from a shortage of calcium,Spray the plants with a calcium choride solution..Also spray with a metal based spray such as zineb or maneb.You may have blight problems.

 

[Hobo,NC]

(quoted from post at 13:21:33 06/24/10) I have the largest and earliest crop of maters in 25 years ...but the bottom rot is killing me.
The plants are 6 feet tall and starting to go red, the first few have bottom rot 50% up from the bottom.

I did place a large amount of horse manure on it this year - 2 year old dry stuff.

Any fixes for bottom rot??

I always have some,,, pick'em and slang'em,,,, soon their will be more than I can tote off,,, always seams to be on the fist few that get ripe then its rare to have any rot...

Moved my maters this year,,, I spec i will see a little more rot cuzz I had the ground just rite were i normally grow'em,,, this year so far I have not lost are had any disease 8) ,,, I normally give'em a small taste of good old rock salt a few times a year,,,, just gave'em a taste and some water,,, I do wonder if a sprinkler leads to bright then what does rain water do :?:

 

[Bruce (VA)]

" I do wonder if a sprinkler leads to bright then what does rain water do :?: "

While a lot of hybrids are less susceptable to blight, most hierlooms aren't. When it rains, the water splashes on the ground & the dirt, w/ the blight organism in it, gets on the lower leaves. Ever notice how it always starts on the lower leaves? No need to help it spread by using a sprinkler.

Mulch the tomatoes, plant blight resistant varieties & use irrigation hoses.

I plant too many tomatoes to mulch them. My main crop is blight resistant, but the heirlooms aren't. I grow them because they're the wife's favorite......and the fact that I get $3 a lb for them!

 

[Bruce (VA)]

I disagree.

Check out the link.
Blossom End Rot OSU

 

[Nic Jeffries]

An old man told me to feed them with powdered milk once in awhile. I do, and don't have trouble... much.

 

[Hobo,NC]

(quoted from post at 00:50:26 06/25/10) " I do wonder if a sprinkler leads to bright then what does rain water do :?: "

While a lot of hybrids are less susceptable to blight, most hierlooms aren't. When it rains, the water splashes on the ground & the dirt, w/ the blight organism in it, gets on the lower leaves. Ever notice how it always starts on the lower leaves? No need to help it spread by using a sprinkler.

Mulch the tomatoes, plant blight resistant varieties & use irrigation hoses.

I plant too many tomatoes to mulch them. My main crop is blight resistant, but the heirlooms aren't. I grow them because they're the wife's favorite......and the fact that I get $3 a lb for them!

Folks around here will not pay that much,,, I am going to put a 5lb min, this year on what I sell,,,, I do not have the time to fiddle with 2lb. sales....

 

[Bruce (VA)]

I start the season at $2.50 lb. for the 'regular' tomatoes. That's this Saturday & probably nest Saturday; by the end of July, I'll be at $1.50 a lb. That's when most back-yard gardens start producing. But, the Brandywines stay at $3 lb all summer.

We have a bunch of single folks & old folks who only buy one or two tomatoes or cukes. But, I do have customers who must only eat veggies all week because a single sale of $15-20 isn't unusual.

 

[Colin King]

I'm gonna say Bruce's diagnosis of blossom end rot is spot on.

A guess, but the horse manure may actually exacerbate the problem because of the high concentration of N even in old manure.

Colin, MN

 

[36 Coupe]

I disagree with the fact sheet.Foliar applications do work.63 years of gardening have proven that fertilizers work when sprayed on foliage.Miracle Gro and Rapid Gro fertilizers do work.Weed killers work mainly as foliar sprays.Published papers come up with strange stuff.The one that said feeding cattle poultry litter was a good practice.Copper,zinc and other metal powders will control blight.A foliar spray of epsom salts solution on peppers will increase fruit output.Witness the dark green grass near cattle urine spots.The plant does take up the nitrogen quickly.I have the calcium chloride and zineb ready to go.

 

[36 Coupe]

Horse manure has little nitrogen content.Better than cow manure.Read the nitrogen content on bags of dried manure,

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 21:44:23 06/24/10) I start the season at $2.50 lb. for the 'regular' tomatoes. That's this Saturday & probably nest Saturday; by the end of July, I'll be at $1.50 a lb. That's when most back-yard gardens start producing. But, the Brandywines stay at $3 lb all summer.

We have a bunch of single folks & old folks who only buy one or two tomatoes or cukes. But, I do have customers who must only eat veggies all week because a single sale of $15-20 isn't unusual.

Didn't have any of my own last year. Fellow down the road has a stand out by his mailbox that he loads up with produce. Doesn't tend it - just puts a price on the veggies and leaves a coffee can next to them for you to put your money in. So last summer I stopped every other day or so on my way home from work and bought 3-4 Brandywine/Beefsteaks - $1 each and they were grapefruit size !! Makes me wonder whay I bothered planting mine this year :?:

TOH

 

[NOXJohn]

I had a blossom end rot problem until I started adding a small hand full of hydrated lime to the bottom of the hole at planting time. I cover it over with dirt before setting plant. Since I started doing this I no longer have the problem. I also irrigate with a soaker hose.

 

[Bruce (VA)]

The fact sheet did not make a general statement about foliar applications. Of course they work....but not w/ calcium applied to peppers & tomatoes to prevent blossom end rot.

" Foliar applications of calcium, which are often advocated, are of little value because of poor absorption and movement to fruit where it is needed. "

Irrigate, use the correct nitrogen fertilizer & apply bone meal, hydrated lime, etc at planting time.

 

[Jubilee85 (VA)]

I am going out and get some powder milk today. Thanks to all for the help.

 

[36 Coupe]

Foliar app has worked for me,why loose a crop because you rely on experts.Half the info on the internet is BS.I depend on what years of doing have taught me.

 

[36 Coupe]

Epsom salt is a good laxitive.Many posters on here need a stiff dose.

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 17:11:40 06/25/10) Foliar app has worked for me,why loose a crop because you rely on experts.Half the info on the internet is BS.I depend on what years of doing have taught me.

And you if course are sharing the results of this quantiitative and rigoursly controlled life long experiment via the Internet....

TOH

 

[Dean in Georgia]

This is what I use.
http://www.organic-gardening-shop.com/agorganics/Product_Details.aspx?ProductID=389

They sell it at Lowe's but you have to look for it.

 

[36 Coupe]

How else can info be passed along.You can take or leave it.Everbody knows things that you dont suspect.Long words wont grow a pumpkin.