[tomato] tomatoes turning brown
Margaret Lauterbach (mlaute@micron.net)
Thu, 17 Jul 1997 16:06:59 -0600
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>Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 11:45:05 -0600
>To: Tomato@GlobalGarden.com
>From: Margaret Lauterbach <mlaute@micron.net>
>Subject: Re: [tomato] tomatoes turning brown
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>>>
>>
>>Many of my tomatoes are turning brown on the bottom before they ripen.
>(celebrity, roma,
>>patio, early girl). I am growing in barrels in potting soil.
>>
>>Is this what is called "blossom end rot"?
>>
>>Does anyone know if this is due to too much fertilizer (I have been using
>Miracle-Gro
>>for tomatoes), not enough fertilizer, too much water, not enough water?
>>
>>This just started. I live just north of Los Angeles near Ventura County.
>>
>>Any suggestions or adivse would be appreciated.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Howard Goodman
>>
>Yes that is blossom end rot. Whatever you have been doing with watering
>must be changed right away if you're going to get decent tomatoes. Growing
>in barrels presents a problem, because I irrigate my tomatoes for hours,
>but they're planted in the ground. Blossom end rot is a calciium
>deficiency, usually caused by improper watering. Plants can't take up
>calcium unless the ground is moist. Either too soggy soil or too dry will
>prevent uptake of calcium.
>
>If I were you, I'd crush some eggshells and mix them into the root area of
>each tomato (get them from a restaurant if you don't have a sufficiency),
>and water them in. My guess is that your containerized tomatoes are too
>dry. You may have to water more often than once daily. Good luck,
>Margaret (who hopes you'll consider buying different varieties of tomato
>next year)
>