Blossom End Rot in Your Vegetable Garden

Are the fruits developing on your plants blackened and disfigured at the ends? It can be blossom end rot. While this disorder often affects tomato growers, other veggies are endangered as well. Let's see how you can recognize and prevent this vegetable disease.

What is blossom end rot?

Blossom end rot is the common tomato disorder, However, this vegetable disease can hit eggplant, pepper, squash as well. It's unable to transfer between plants or fruits. Bacteria or fungi don't cause this . It's a physiological problem caused by the mineral deficits in the fruit.

What causes blossom end rot?

Low amount of calcium in the soil can be a culprit. Frequently the plant struggles with correct absorption of calcium as well. Irregular watering leads to such imbalance. Find out how to water tomato plants correctly to protect them from this mineral imbalance.

At first, small watery spot appears on the blossom end of the fruit. If you are lucky, the disease won't affect your veggie any further. However, the disorder often gets worse. The sick spot enlarges, becomes sunken, leathery and black. On peppers it's tan - avoid confusing it with white sun scald. The growing fruit becomes disfigured and ugly. Secondary bacterial or fungal infections lead to the total destruction of the fruits.

How to treat blossom end rot?

You can treat the affected vegetable with the calcium chloride spray for the immediate relief. However, this is toxic to the plant when applied too generously or too often. To deal with this veggie disease you must improve the soil. This works too slowly to save your current harvest, but helps with the disorder prevention in the next year.

How to prevent blossom end rot?

• Test soil for calcium level. If there is not enough, add lime several times a year. Epsom salt helps with other tomato problems. It can't affect the blossom end rot as it contains no calcium, though.
• Mix compost, organic fertilizer or seasoned manure into the soil. This adds nutrients - including calcium - and keeps the moisture at the steady level.
• Plant the seedlings when soil is warm
• Avoid working the soil close to the stems. This can damage shallow roots and diminish the amount of nutrients the plant can absorb.
• Add 2-3 inches layer of organic mulch like the crushed leaves, shredded bark, straw to your vegetable garden. It helps to maintain moisture and to slow down drying up of the soil.
• Stop over-fertilizing. High levels of mineral salts inhibit calcium intake and make the problem worse. Don't use fertilizer rich in nitrogen.
• Avoid excessive pruning, which weakens your plants.

Blossom end rot is the disease which affects the plants growing in your vegetable garden. As it's difficult to fight, try to prevent this disorder. Share this tips with the other tomato growing vegetable gardeners!