blossom end rot on tomatoes

[Derbydal]

hi folks any tips how to get rid BER on toms , anyone got any remedies please ? atb Dal

[greenishfing]

I used to frequently get blossom end rot on my tomatoes when I grew them in pots. All the info says it is caused by uneven watering and I tried my best to not let them get too wet or dry. The only way that I solved the problem was to plant my tomatoes in the ground (greenhouse border) instead of pots.

[annie8]

Certain varieties are more susceptible. I’ve mainly had it on plum tomatoes. They do say it is uneven watering. I haven’t had it for a couple of years, not sure I do anything different now. Maybe just more experienced at looking after my tomatoes. I grow all mine in pots in the gh.

[quanglewangle]

My understanding is that it's only indirectly caused my uneven watering. The primary cause is uneven provision of of minerals - Ca and Mg - to the maturing fruits. Since the minerals are transported by water inside the plant then uneven watering can of course cause uneven flow of minerals.
But if you are keeping the soil evenly moist then suspect lack of Ca and/or Mg in the soil

[ameno]

My understanding is that it's only indirectly caused my uneven watering. The primary cause is uneven provision of of minerals - Ca and Mg - to the maturing fruits. Since the minerals are transported by water inside the plant then uneven watering can of course cause uneven flow of minerals.
But if you are keeping the soil evenly moist then suspect lack of Ca and/or Mg in the soil

It's only lack of calcium which causes blossom end rot, and calcium-deficient soil is almost unheard of in this country.
Calcium-deficient compost is more believable, but if the tomatoes are growing in compost then insufficient watering is even more likely to be the cause. Even when you think the compost is damp, it may well simply be that the container is just too small to properly serve the tomato plant in high temperatures. They simply need more root space than a pot or growbag can provide.

[quanglewangle]

, ^^^ ameno is quite correct, only calcium. My bad.

[Derbydal]

It's only lack of calcium which causes blossom end rot, and calcium-deficient soil is almost unheard of in this country.
Calcium-deficient compost is more believable, but if the tomatoes are growing in compost then insufficient watering is even more likely to be the cause. Even when you think the compost is damp, it may well simply be that the container is just too small to properly serve the tomato plant in high temperatures. They simply need more root space than a pot or growbag can provide.

Do you think a weak solution of lime and water would help ? They are in the big MFB's and are watered roughly at the same time everyday. Strangeley enough I have three rows of toms outside that I have not watered since planting and they are ok growing well. The one's in the greenhouse with BER are a variety called Gigantico
ATB Dal

[nickdub]

I add a small amount of ash from my wood burner to the top of the pots I grow tomatoes in and that coupled with putting in a gutter type watering system, (v primitive) which runs under the pots with a wick which for each, allows the plants to draw as much water as they want, has certainly helped for me.

I'm sure growing in the borders would work too, but I'd be too lazy to replace the soil to prevent the build up of diseases if I grew them that way.

[Snoop Puss]

I grow outdoors in the ground. I used to have a lot of trouble with BER till I started adding hardwood ash to the soil before planting out. Now I have next to no trouble. I possibly add more than required, if Nickdub says not much needed. I add 5 litres of loosely packed ash across 3 or 4 square metres.

[annie8]

Ah poop what is it they say about pride and fall…. Just spotted blossom end rot on a few of my black icicles. Not convinced the automatic watering system I used while on holiday worked well. Tomatoes this year are just not their usually happy selves.

[Derbydal]

Thanks Snoop & Nick for the wood ash tip ,I am sure there will be some woods burning out of controll with the heatwave we are having !