Young tomato fruit with dark bottom, what to do?

Question

I planted some heirloom tomatoes(black from tula) earlier this spring, every thing seems to be going well except that I found the bottom of all the new fruits coming out has this dark color and gresy touch to it. What kind of disease is this and is there anything I can do?

Answer 1

I had blossom end rot on my tomatoes last year.  Varieties like Romas are prone to it.  It comes from a calcium difficiency and uneven watering.  I put some crushed up eggshells in the soil.  I planted all my plants with about a 1/4 cup of crushed eggs shells this year.  Works well.

Answer 2

That sounds like tomato blight, a fungal disease. Make sure that there is good airflow around the tomato. Trim up the first 8-12 inches of leaves from the ground up and then thin out the top a little to allow for better air movement.

You might also ask your local nursery if they could recommend a product to spray the plant with. Make sure it is safe to do- check how long afterward you have to wait before you can eat from the plant!

Good Luck!

Answer 3

yes, blossom end rot is a problem.... your soil may need calcium..... or it's a watering problem.... read here...

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/31...

and...

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.e...

that fruit is lost.... but if you get some of the spray that is available(calcium chloride solution) you might save the next batch....the Epsom salts won't hurt,  but it's not the cure for this problem...

I saved mine one year with dissoved TUMS.... add lime to your garden area for tomatoes this fall so it will be in the soil for next year's tomatoes.... (and don't plant in the same spot as this year!)..... a good soil test would tell you how much and what else you might need there....

Answer 4

Is it possible they are getting too much water?

Blossom end rot can also affect the fruit. This is a round, brown, indented spot on the bottom of the tomato. It is caused by either uneven watering or a lack of calcium in the soil.

Here is a site that talks about this rot, It has a picture so you can see if that is what yours looks like

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/plantdiseasef...

Here are some sites that might help out:

http://www.geocities.com/green_cache/tom...

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/vegetable...

http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/to...

Answer 5

Sounds like blosson-end rot.  This is common in first fruits and results from a calcium deficiency that is brought on by irregular watering.

There is nothing you can do.  Pick off the diseased fruit and hope the rest of the tomatoes come out OK.  (They normally do.)

Answer 6

Sounds like blossom end rot. Try putting a heaping Tbls. of Epsom salts in a gallon of water, and watering your plants (Roots). Epsom salts has magnesium in it which is what your plants are lacking. If worse comes to worse, pick the tomatoes when they just start to ripen (before the rot sets in) and let them ripen in the shade, not in the sun. Do not store tomatoes in the fridge.