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Oak Grove, Mn

Rookie grower question- I cant seem to solve the riddle of blossum end rot. I am watering daily thru a drip line with the addition of cal-mg in the fertilizer injecter. I am shading the fruit with small squares cut from sheets.Today I pulled off my fourth tomato this year, all with ber. They seem to get about 1/2 pound, then the ugly happens. Have not done much fertilizing with the exception of the cal-mg and dunkels. What should I try next?

7/21/2016 6:09:46 PM

Central NY

They don't need water every day... I let mine get pretty dry between waterings..start there

7/21/2016 6:27:17 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Agree with Porkchop.
BER is caused by uneven watering from my understanding.
We had 11 inches of rain in 3 hours 2 weeks ago.
Every new tomato I had developed BER.
Everything that developed a day or two later has been fine.
Do you mulch ?
That will help to retain water.

7/21/2016 9:52:29 PM

Mn

Is it a certain variety only?

7/22/2016 2:42:55 PM

Central NY

Domingo variety much more suseptible in my experience...another reason I wait for higher up on the plant for those ...

7/22/2016 3:01:49 PM

Wixom MI.

just my thinking, but i think that maybe after heavy rains that the roots may be lacking oxygen due to the saturated soil and untill the ground can dry out and breath that may be causing the blosom end rot ??? after we had about 4"of rain i had about 6-8 tomatoes get it and now it has stopped.

7/22/2016 3:24:23 PM

Ely Mn

Water every other day.let the soil look like it needs water.

7/22/2016 3:42:14 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

thanks everyone...I had been watering it every other day at first and then after the first tomato with ber i read that it can be caused by uneven watering. I figured everyday is more even than every other day. I grow in sand that drains really fast. Every other day gets quite dry. I think i will try the mulch and going back to every other day.

7/22/2016 4:42:38 PM

Wixom MI.

i use a ground up leaf mulch on mine. in the fall take a lawnmower to grind the leaves to a mulch. worms love it and i never seen any side affects from it. wood mulch can cause problems ?

7/22/2016 5:03:33 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

I've heard that about wood mulch too.
I use pine straw on my maters and melons.

7/22/2016 9:43:15 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

I have used in the past, on normal garden tomatoes, a box store product, which was recommended as BER solution. Just a calcium product which was a foliar spray...Solved all my problems. Peace, Wayne
PS...did not have overabundance of rain that year, so oversaturated soil could also be tying up the Cal.

7/23/2016 12:53:32 AM