Have 12 tomato plants we have abundant tomatos, but when the start to ripen they turn black on bottom. Why?

Question

Have 12 tomato plants we have abundant tomatos, but when the start to ripen they turn black on bottom. Why?

Answer 1

This tomato affliction is called blossom end rot.  The good news is that blossom end rot does not spread from one plant to another, nor does it affect the plant itself and in most cases it is preventable.

Blossom end rot is typically seen early in the season and often doesn’t affect fruit that is set later in the summer.  The problem is caused by a poor supply of water and calcium in the developing tomatoes.  Tomato plants that were planted out in the garden before the soil warmed up are susceptible to blossom end rot because their root systems don’t develop well in cold soil.  Without a good root system the plants cannot take up enough moisture and calcium for the developing fruit, resulting in blossom end rot.  Blossom end rot may also be a problem after dry periods followed by heavy rains.

Mulching your tomato growing bed after the soil has warmed up is a good way to prevent blossom end rot as the mulch helps to maintain even moisture in the soil.  You’ll also want to keep the plants well watered during dry periods and avoid cultivating too closely to the plants as this can disturb tiny feeder roots that are close to the surface.  

If you have tomatoes afflicted with blossom end rot, just remove those fruits from the plant, maintain even moisture for your plants and wait for the next set of tomatoes to ripen.  

Answer 2

The problem you have is blossom-ed dry rot.  It is a physiological disorder caused by an incomplete cell formation at the time of fruit development on the blossom end. It is common on early-setting tomato cultivars. The way to avoid a recurrence is to maintain an even soil moisture level as much as possible and avoid dry/wet cycles. Don’t cultivate too aggressively around the plants and damage the roots, and avoid overfertilization with high-nitrogen material. The cell tissue breaks down due to insufficient calcium and other minerals that go into cell-wall development, so rotting pathogens then set in. The affected part can be cut out and the rest of the tomato eaten, but the tomatoes would have to be discarded if they are intended for market purposes.

Also, next year when you are growing tomatoes, add a little Epsom Salts to the soil.  Apply one tablespoon sprinkled around the plant at transplanting, first flowers, and fruit set.  This will add both calcium and magnesium to the soil and prevent both blossom-end dry rot and cracking of the fruit near the stem.

Answer 3

I agree that it is blossom end rot. It is normally caused by one or more of these 4 things.

Irregular watering

Too much water

Too little water

and last but not least a calcium deficiency.

Pick off any infected fruit as soon as you see the symptoms,  and correct the problem and the rest of your fruit should be fine.  I personally do not like using salts to add calcium to the soil because if you use too much you can kill the plant. I would rather use a few table spoons of lime worked into the soil at the base of the plant. Normally lime is used for changing the pH of the soil, and this is a chemical change which can takes months to happen, but in the case of the plants needing calcium, it will be available right away. Also by using such a small amount it will not effect the acidity of the soil.

The cracking of the fruit near the stem (one person answering mentioned this) is not caused by blossom end rot, it is a result from the plants recieving too much water.

Answer 4

Ad lime stone to your garden and it will fix the problem. We had the same problem this year.

Answer 5

Blossom end rot lack of calcium. Try some stop rot it will help