So you have some nice-looking tomato and pepper plants, maybe some squash or watermelon, growing out back. But then, you look at the crops and something seems wrong. The veggies look as if the ends have rotted off. There's no sign of insect damage or powdery mildew, but the vegetables are ruined. What gives? It sounds like blossom end rot.
There are several conditions that could set off this problem that affects tomatoes, peppers, squash, and even watermelon. Your plants might suffer extreme dry heat, followed by deep drenchings of water. Or if you've had a lot of rain, the tiny root hairs may have been smothered. Or there may be too many salts in the soil. Another possible cause is not enough calcium in the soil. To stop the blossom end rot in your garden, there are several things you may need to do.
If you've over-fertilized, you could set off blossom end rot. A quick uptake of nitrogen can be a cause of the condition. One of the advantages of slow-release fertilizers is that the nutrients are released when the plant can use them. So over-fertilization is no longer a problem. Miracle-Gro® Shake 'n Feed® Tomato, Fruits & Vegetables Continuous Release Plant Food Plus Calcium feeds for up to 3 months while providing calcium that may be missing in your soil, thereby helping to prevent blossom end rot.
After watering on a hot day, the moisture in the soil can simply dry up in no time, setting up conditions for blossom end rot. To avoid that, you can mulch. A 3-inch layer of quality mulch, such as Scotts® Nature Scapes® Advanced Color Enhanced Mulch, helps keep moisture in the soil, so you create a more even supply for your plants. This can also help keep blossom end rot from developing.
Find out about late blight disease here
When your tomatoes start developing dark or rotten spots on the bottom, you could be looking at a classic case of blossom end rot. This problem occurs when one of several conditions is present: perhaps the plant is subject to extreme heat and drought, followed by heavy waterings. Perhaps the soil lacks calcium. Or it could be because the plant has been over-fertilized.
