I feel like a total slacker lately. My kitchen looks like a bomb went off, the laundry is stacking up, and the HH is freaking out because the 2 of the 4 wheels fell off the dishwasher this morning. There are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done. If I could stop time and have 24 hours totally to myself, I think I could get caught up. But fat chance that’s going to happen anytime soon, so for now, I’ll just deal with it as best I can. One mini project at a time.
Yesterday, I finally got around to whipping the garden back into shape. There were a few casualties.
Especially in the tomato department.
I heaved 2 tomato plants out of the greenhouse and into the back woods, and then tried my best to prune the remaining heirlooms. I think the most important lesson I have learned this summer {garden wise} is that I should never, ever plant 20+ tomato plants in a greenhouse. It was a recipe for disaster, just waiting to happen.
Maybe I was doomed from the beginning because I didn’t do enough research, {okay, hardly any at all} about growing food in a greenhouse before I went all out and all those plants in there. Or perhaps it’s just not the year of the tomato.
But one thing is for certain. Tomato bight sucks. Anyway you look at it.
Am I the only one out there with a bunch of rotten tomatoes this year?
Please tell me I’m not the only one.
~ Mavis
Sherle says
Hi Mavis,
I have only just started following your blog in the past couple of weeks. I have been gardening since I was a child, but you have inspired me to do more.
I have one tomato with blight :(, but the others seems to be okay.
The last tomato you showed there looks like blossom rot to me and that’s usually because there isn’t enough calcium for the tomato plants. I had to fight that for two years. I think we are finally coming out of it this year as most all the tomatoes look super healthy.
Try to work in some calcium around the roots and pray that it absorbs some of it.
Kat D says
That looks like blossom end rot on that last tomato photo – you may be growing in too damp of conditions and/or without enough air space among the plants. You don’t appear to have any blight that I see – typically affects the leaves 1st. They turn brown and saggy (but maybe you pulled affected leaves before taking your photos?). Pull any leaves with blight and make sure you are watering from below, not with a sprinkler from above. Helps prevent blight from spreading. Know that it is carried on the air/wind as well, so there isn’t any perfect way to stop it, just to slow it down. Good luck!
Carin says
Mavis, that last photo looks like blossom end rot, not blight. Have you tested the level of calcium in your soil?
Mike says
Mavis, as you know I can’t grow a thing in Ohio. I did finally get out and see how the Amish neighbors are doing. They said they’re having a very hard time with everything this year. I did take some pictures and started a blog (mainly for my travels), if you’re interested it’s here: http://sequimandbeyond.wordpress.com/
Mavis says
Thanks Mike. 🙂
Kerrie says
Yeah, I’ve got a lot of blight too. The local organic center told me to pull off the affected branches and leaves, and water with compost tea once a week. I’m just trying to keep them alive long enough to harvest SOMETHING so it’s not a complete waste. It’s interesting that some of my tomato varieties are very “blighty”, but others aren’t. My celebrities are trashed, but my early girls are doing okay. I know what I’m planting next year! 🙂
sena c says
Someone told me that was the result of inconsistent watering…. I had to pull some of my tomatoes out…I think we got a bad batch from a local nursery….I am growing mine next year, because those we started from seed are more successful. We have a soaker hose for the maters….and it is working really well.
beckybeq says
I agree with those who say blossom end rot – that what I jumped over here to type. That started happening with my tomatoes while I was on vacation with the kids. Dear hubby noticed it and fixed it – I’m trying to remember what he did.
High calcium amendment, mulched with straw to keep soil damp and I believe he also applied epsom salt for quick calcium addition.
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Tomato_BlossRt.htm
Whatever he did, he saved my tomatoes this year! I’ve found 2 with the discolored ends so far and that’s it.
Christa H says
Yes- I had that on two plants last year. I crushed up some Tums (calcium tabs) and made a tea with it and watered it in for a quick fix and it worked. I cut off the individual tomatoes that had it and the remaining and new ones did not get it. Cut off the rot and use the upper half of your green tomatoes and pickle them or add to sauteed onions to go with chicken.
This year I added compost to the soil and crushed up a ton of egg shells and put a handful in each hole before I planted my 34 tomato plants. I do not have blossom end rot this year.
There is also a spray you can get but you also need to amend the soil.
Hope that helps.
Mavis says
Thanks Christa. 🙂
Pamela says
Mavis that doesn’t look like blight. It looks like blossom end rot and yes I am having a lot of problems with it this year because of the hot dry conditions.
Melannie says
I am in agreement with those above who say looks like blossom rot. I have had a few casualties this year, but the rest are now happy. It can happen with the first few fruits, even if well maintained. Especially in wet conditions.
My experience is they usually perk right up after the first few.
Personally I am fighting bugs this year because of the unseasonably warm and dry conditions.
Squash bugs, Potatoes beetles, cucumber beetles, Japanese beetles, raspberry cane borers and horned caterpillars have all be giving me a hard time.
Marla says
Blossom end rot got my tomatoes too. Serious tragedy. I lost most of the first fruits this season.
suzanne says
blossom end rot is also caused by lack of pollination in small fruits. A problem in greenhouses. but yes lack of calcium or calcium unable to be absorbed because of overly damp conditions (not likely in a greenhouse) Epson salts a re a rumored cure but ?
Sasha says
I put crushed eggshells all around my tomatoes to make sure they are getting calcium, I think it’s supposed to help prevent blossom end rot?
Mavis says
I have eggs! Thanks for the tip!
Sarah says
I did the eggshell thing too and it takes a long time for the calcium to get in. There is a calcium spray you can get at the store for the leaves and fruit which stopped my end rot (still have brown spots on the ends of ones that started before I sprayed) and my mom says she uses powdered milk!
Tali says
Please do not worry about a few bumps in your road to become the produce queen…..my 10 sheep broke into my garden and ate EVERYTHING……I found out they especially like: strawberries (plants and fruit), parsley, raspberries, stepping on lavender plants….if I had room in my freezer I would have lamb meat!
Lisa says
I’ll chime in with another ‘blossom end rot’ comment. Yep. That’s what you have. And everyone is correct. It is due to a lack of calcium. Now here’s the horticulturist info:
PNW soil naturally lacks calcium in the soil due to the rain. The heavy winter rains leaches the calcium out of the soil. The result is overly acidic soil (the over abundance of douglasfir trees doesn’t help the situation). Potting soil also lacks calcium because most potting soil manufacturers don’t care about the other macronutrients (calcium, magnesium and sulfur) or micronutrients (boron, copper, iron, molybdenum, chloride, manganese and zinc) plants need. The miracle grow fertilizer contains some of this nutrients (in small quantities), but calcium is not one of them.
Purple tomatoes and pointy tomatoes are also more susceptible to blossom end rot. In the many years I’ve grown tomatoes Paul Robeson is the only one I’ve grown that doesn’t often get BER. Every pointy tomato I’ve grown always gets it. I’ve completely given up growing any type of roma.
Many are correct that you can add calcium to the soil, but you are better going with a calcium spray. Another trick (that mostly helps with the blight) is seaweed extract. Miracle stuff!
Mavis says
I can get my hands on some free seaweed. Hmmm. Do you think a seaweed tea would work?
Lisa says
Seaweed tea would most certainly work. Whatever it takes to get the kelp onto the plants. There are lots of tutorials out there on how to make the stuff.
Mavis says
Thank You Thank You!!
Mara says
There is a product from a company called Fertilome too, that is made for Blosom End Rot. It’s called Yield Booster.
Lisa says
Duno if it works, but I have heard of people using diluted milk to water tomatoes with blossom end rot.
donna finchum says
sorry about the tomato problems but – i only wish i lived anywhere but in the desert, when it comes to growing tomatoes. my favorite garden item – tomatoes. what is failing this year – tomatoes. good luck with your greenhouse; maybe the matos will take a turn for the better.