A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 tomatoes

just an up date, the beef steak has one tomato, the better boy is covered in them, and the early girl won't be planted again!!

This year I am growing two tomato plants and one red pepper each in five gallon buckets. Pea gravel in the bottom, holes to allow for drainage, Miracle Gro planting soil. I have a Southern Star that's *supposed* to fruit real early and a MG Hybrid. The Star is doing very well, lots of fruit but still green. It's hard to be patient! My Miracle Gro Hybrid is a better looking, bushier plant, but it's got blossom-end rot. I just found some spray to rectify this, after being lied to by Lowes I finally found a small garden store that had the right stuff. Both plants are planted and watered the same, are some plants less likely to suffer from blossom-end rot? Hopefully I can save my plant if it's not too late. I water faithfully every morning too, so I don't understand why. I read on the web it's calcium deficiency, but you'd think it would have affected both of the plants.

Thanks!
John

Lotekrockets,
Welcome to The Garden Helper's Forum!!
We're glad you found us!!

Question for you on the watering!!!!
HOW do you water?????

Tomato plants don't like to be splashed on, by the water and or the dirt being splashed on to them from the rain or hose...
If you can, keep some kind of mulch, or landscape fabri, etc. around the base....and this will help the water splashing back on to the plant!!!

Weezie

Lotekrockets, There are a few varieties that are "less" likely to develop blossom end rot, one that comes to mind is Roma, most problems are cultural.Fruit with black sunken areas on the blossom end are a sign of blossom-end rot. Blossom-end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency, but this can be aggravated by drought or uneven watering, root damage and excess nitrogen. You can add high-calcium lime, but do a soil test first -- just to confirm the deficiency. Consistent watering will also help.Dilute a tablespoon of Epsom salt in a gallon of water and apply to the plants

I water in the mornings early (7AM), so the plants won't stay wet as long. I water at the base of the plant, on top of the minibark nuggets I use to retain water. Each plant gets 1/2 gallon per day, any less and they wither in the evening. Very hot summer here, container plants with drain holes equals lots of water.