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Like any gardener, I don’t want to see a much-anticipated harvest ruined by the dreaded blossom end rot, but did you know that you can prevent it? With a few simple tips, you can put a stop to blossom end rot in your garden. Let’s look at how to keep your tomato, squash, and zucchini plants healthy and your garden thriving.
Tomatoes are a top choice among vegetable gardeners, and why not? There are so many varieties beyond the typical Roma, beefsteak, or cherry tomatoes you find in the grocery store.
When it comes to just heirloom varieties, you can choose the Ukrainian Purple, Moonbeam Grape, or Aunt Ruby’s German Green Tomato, and you won’t even be scratching the surface.
Growing tomatoes can be frustrating, such as identifying tomato blight, preventing powdery mildew, or protecting your tomatoes from blossom end rot. Still, the efforts are well worth it when you harvest incredible-tasting fruit from your own garden.
While you can cut blossom end rot off and consume the remainder of the tomato, it’s such a shame to waste a portion of your fruit when there are easy methods to stop blossom end rot from forming in the first place.
Blossom end rot (BER) is a plant disorder that affects many plants, including peppers, zucchini, pumpkins, squash, and especially tomatoes. It can occur at any time in a plant’s life and might not be evident until a week before harvesting, which can be very discouraging.
BER turns the blossom end of the fruit brown or black. These spots can become moldy, dark, sunken, and hard, making the fruit undesirable for eating.
The main culprit for blossom end rot is a calcium deficiency in the plant. Calcium is one of the most overlooked minerals in the garden because most people assume their soil is already rich with it.
An essential building block of life, calcium is responsible for building a strong cell structure and, along with nitrogen, promotes healthy growth. It also regulates the flow of nutrients around the plant, helping it uptake other nutrients every time you water it.
While BER is often caused by a calcium deficiency, it can be caused by other issues:
Factor |
Description |
Impact |
Calcium Deficit in Soil |
Inadequate levels of calcium in the soil. |
The most common cause of BER is insufficient calcium in the soil to reach the fruit. |
Improper Soil pH |
Soil pH outside the optimal range influences a plant’s nutrient uptake. |
Immobilizes calcium, leading to its unavailability to the plant. |
Overwatering or Drought |
Fluctuations in soil moisture prevent stable calcium transport. |
Erratic watering disrupts a plant’s nutrient flow and the ability to uptake calcium. |
Damaged Roots |
Harm to roots by burning from fertilizer, physical disturbances, pests, or shock from being moved. |
Reduces the plant's capacity to absorb and transport nutrients. |
The first sign of calcium deficiency is pitting on the undersides of leaves. The leaves will begin curling upward and may even crack because the leaves cannot stretch. Read this post for more reasons why your tomato leaves may be curling.
The fruit then gets a spot at the flower end resembling a bruise. Finally, the blossom end develops the characteristic large black, leathery spot.
By following these tips, along with consistent watering and checking your soil pH when growing plants susceptible to BER, you can help prevent blossom end rot in your garden:
Fertilizer - We love using Trifecta+ on our tomatoes (along with most of our other crops) because it’s a natural-based premium blend fertilizer and a good source of calcium for our plants.
Leaf/Lawn waste - When composted, lawn waste contains about 9% calcium by weight.
Sea Shells - When crushed, any shell contains around 70% calcium by weight.
Crushed Gypsum - It has a slow-release but is highly effective at breaking up clay soil and providing around 45% calcium by weight.
Eggshells - When crushed, eggshells are a low-cost, slow-release form of calcium, containing about 70% calcium by weight.
Antacid tablets - In an emergency, use antacid tablets to quickly treat blossom end rot. They are pure calcium at around 97% calcium by weight.
Pro-tip: When using eggshells in the garden, a surefire way to eliminate the risk of salmonella is to place the eggshells in the oven at 300°F for 5 to 10 minutes before using them. Scatter crushed eggshells below your tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and squash to deter hungry slugs and protect the plants from BER.
I like quick results in my garden and want to fix a problem as fast as I can. Antacid tablets provide easy treatment with readily available calcium for quick absorption and fast results.
The calcium in this spray can be absorbed through the roots or the leaves as a foliar spray. Some antacid tablets may also contain magnesium, which will help green up the plants.
Watering Can - A half-gallon watering can, or a clean half-gallon sprayer will work great.
Antacid Tablets - Use one 750mg tablet of Tums (or other generic brand of antacid tablet). Your plants will know how much calcium they can use, so there's no way to add too much calcium to the soil.
Water - I used the same water source that I use to water the garden.
Spoon - Use the back of a spoon or something similar to crush your antacid tablet.
Crush one 750mg antacid tablet into a fine powder. (I crushed it on the edge of a raised bed with the back of a spoon, but you can use whatever you have handy.)
Place the crushed antacid into your watering can or sprayer.
Fill the can or sprayer with a half-gallon of water.
Stir or shake in the antacid powder until completely dissolved (be patient, this may take a bit of shaking).
Spray on leaves as a foliar spray for quicker absorption or spray around the base of the plant.
Re-apply every month for the best results.
Pro Tip: To avoid burning leaves, apply this spray (just like all other sprays) in the morning or evening, not in the heat of the day. This spray is safe and completely harmless to bees and pollinators.
Let's use these methods to make our gardens grow bigger!
Blossom End Rot (BER) is a problem that affects plants like tomatoes and squash. It shows up as soft spots on the fruit's bottom. These spots can grow and turn dark, making the fruit look sunken and leathery.
Yes, you can save tomato plants with blossom end rot. The affected fruit can’t be fixed, but you can heal the plant and move on, getting better fruit later.
BER is commonly found on tomatoes, squash, and zucchini, but other vegetables can develop it if the conditions are right.
At first, you might see small, wet spots on the fruit's flower end. These spots get bigger and darker, turning into leathery rot.
Blossom end rot is mainly caused by a lack of calcium.
Yes, because antacid tablets are almost completely made of calcium, they can help with blossom end rot. Follow the step-by-step instructions in this post for treating plants.
You can add calcium to tomato plants with calcium supplements, fertilizers (like Trifecta+ ), or crushed eggshells.
Yes, too much water can cause Blossom End Rot. It makes it hard for plants to get calcium, even if there's enough in the soil. It's important to water correctly and consistently to avoid this problem.
Comments
Hello. I thought u debunked this myth in a recent video. Would you please take this post down if it is no longer believed. These myths are circulating widely online. I love your videos. Now back to my looking for the one debunking this myth.
I have a particular tomato that is prone to BER, but it is watered the same as my other tomatoes. I always end up adding more CA to the soil around this plant and the problem is gone. Some must need more available CA than others.
