What's wrong with my tomatoes?

Question

They look really nice when they're green but as soon as the start to ripen they get a black rotten spot on them. I end up having to throw away half the tomato...What's wrong with them?

Answer 1

It's "Blossom-End Rot" which is caused by the inability of Calcium to make its way to the developing tomatoes. It can occur even when there is abundant calcium in the soil. Poor drainage, root damage, soil pH that is too high or too far below the optimum 6.5 , inconsistent watering or too much nitrogen can be contributing factors.

Remove affected tomatoes when symptoms are first observed to promote subsequent sound development of the other tomatoes on the plant.

You can correct the problem by improving drainage, watering plants consistently as needed & mulching plants to conserve moisture and to provide a more uniform water supply. To provide calcium, eggshells can be crushed and added to the soil. Foliar sprays of calcium won't correct blossom-end rot once it has occurred on the fruit, but it can help prevent the condition from occurring on developing fruit. Soil-applied treatments and prevention by cultural practices are generally preferred over sprays. Chelated calcium solutions also provide an excellent source of calcium.

Improve drainage by adding Gypsum & compost, water early in the day, & give plants room so they don't stay wet. Fluctuations in soil moisture during periods of rapid plant growth create moisture stress and limits calcium distribution to the fruit. Make sure the plants are getting at least and inch of water per week.
Windy conditions coupled with low relative humidity can cause high transpiration rates that can induce blossom-end rot. If plants were planted too early while the soil was still cold their first fruits are likely to be affected by blossom-end rot.

Fortunately, by the time a second set of tomatoes begins developing, your plants will have expanded and developed a root system capable of gathering and delivering calcium to the newly formed tomatoes.
Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I think that the problem is called Blossom-End Rot (BER) and is caused by a lack of calcium within the fruit. When calcium reaches low levels in the tomato, the fruit simply dies back at the bottom leaving the characteristic black or brown spot. Calcium is present in most soils in adequate amounts. The problem is that the plant cannot absorb enough calcium through its roots because of dry soil conditions. That's because calcium is taken up by the roots along with water. If, for some reason, water uptake is restricted, calcium uptake will stop.

What can you do about it? Have your soil tested to make sure you have enough calcium in the soil. If you don't, add either limestone (if the soil's acidity level or pH is below 6.0) or gypsum. If calcium levels are adequate, the most important control measure is to maintain optimum soil moisture. Whenever tomato plants are allowed to experience the slightest bit of water stress, you are causing BER. To maintain good soil moisture, try using a mulch of straw, leaves, or even grass clippings to prevent evaporation.

Tomatoes need about one inch of water per week as a minimum. If you do not get this through rainfall, you will need to apply the water As a rough estimate, each tomato plant needs approximately 3-5 gallons of water each week. If you use a mulch, this amount may be cut in half. When watering, don't lightly sprinkle the ground. Apply the water so it enters the ground and moves through the soil to a depth of 8-12 inches. Shallow watering only encourages shallow rooting which leaves tomato plants more prone to wilting.

Good luck!!I hope this helped you !!have a nice day :0)

Answer 3

If the black rotten spot is at the blossom end (the end that had the flower, it's opposite the spot where the stem connects to the tomato), this is called blossom end rot. It's caused by a lack of calcium in the soil. Tomatoes, peppers, and all squash can have this problem.

You can cure it by using calcium in the planting hole... good advice for next year's plants. This year, have some eggs for breakfast. Dry out the shells. Grind them in a coffee grinder or blender. Poke a finger-length hole on either side of each plant. Pour some eggshell in each hole, about a tablespoon per plant. Cover over.

People sometimes use lime (limestone) for this too, same lime you use on your lawn, but I don't do that for tomatoes or peppers since lime makes a soil less acid and tomatoes and peppers like acid soil. The squashes don't mind lime.

Answer 4

There are over 2 hundred situations of salmonella reported in 23 states, with some deaths too.... The FDA does not be attentive to what's inflicting it yet; yet have warned that even the interior the contaminated tomatoes could have salmonella (which could enter in the time of choosing or packing) - cooking won't kill it .....All around/Roma tomatoes are probably affected; cherry & grape tomatoes are high quality. .... Florida, Texas & California have been cleared to start delivery their tomatoes returned, nevertheless.......

Answer 5

if the black spot it´s on the fruit´s bottom it´s blossom end rot, caused by calcium deficiency at the fruit......could be low calcium at the soil and fertilization, high temperatures and lack of water. Try to add calcium nitrate every time you water and water early in the morning or late at dawn.

Answer 6

they have black spot - do you live somewhere really hot> you can use milk (i cup) to one gallon of water to fix the problem...