This year's tomato crop has been disappointing. All the plants developed blossom-end rot. My research tells me that it's caused by a calcium deficiency in the soil. I added a calcium supplement while watering but I'm afraid I was too late. Some tomatoes are fine, but the vast majority of the fruit has the rot.
A lot of this year's tomatoes are smaller than usual. Probably because it's been so dry; I need to water more.
The rotten ends of the tomatoes can be cut off if you catch it at the right time. I've done that and used the good part of the tomatoes to make sauce, but the quantity is way down. This is the worst year I've seen since starting the garden in 2004. Maybe I need to add calcium along with the usual compost and other amendments next spring.
You are not the only person in France who has suffered tomato problems this year.
ReplyDeleteWalt, unless you are on lime-based soil, it is custom to lime soil for any of the solanacae....
ReplyDeleteincluding spuds and peppers.
You have to be careful with spuds, though....
too much lime = scabby spuds!
There is also another reason for blossom end rot.... irregular watering....
so check your soil pH with one of the cheap little kits before liming!!
As far as I know, Tim, we are on lime-based soil. It's what grapes grow in. We've never had this problem on this scale until this year. It's something, at least in part, to do with the weather. Or the watering, because the weather has just been too dry. In past years, even relatively, dry ones, we haven't had the rot problem. I think what we need is a good cold winter, with hard freezes, to get things going again.
DeleteGood to know in advance of next year’s growing season. Too bad about the disappointing crop. Usually, tomatoes are abundant the processing seems endless.
ReplyDeleteI hope that helps for next year. I remember how disappointed you were the last time they got blossom end rot... was that two years ago, now?
ReplyDeleteFarming is never easy, is it? So sorry about your tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the taste? I like seeing that little bit of water on them.
ReplyDeleteAround here, one can usually buy quantities of produce from farmers for "putting up" (canning, freezing, eating!)
Check it out! I would guess it would be better than purchasing canned vegies.
Mary in Oregon
andrew, I have that impression.
ReplyDeletetim I've checked the ph, and the garden soil is slightly acidic. As for watering, I've been pretty good about watering consistently. I may have under watered a little, but it hasn't been at all irregular. It's just one of those years, I guess.
mitch, we've been inundated with tomatoes in years past, so I know the problem is likely not us, but weather and possibly soil conditions. I have, after all, been gardening in the same plot for 16 years.
judy, we did have some last year and the year before, but not on this scale. You may be remembering the year of the tomato blight, which is the result of a fungus, that pretty much wiped our our crop that year. Now I use Bordeaux mixture to help prevent that, and I haven't seen it recur.
bettyann, thank goodness it's just a hobby and not our livelihood!
mary, they taste fine. And canned/preserved tomatoes are not bad at all. It's the fresh ones that, out of season, aren't very satisfying.
It's been a disappointing year for my tomatoes, too. Applying the crushed calcium tablets in water treatment stopped the blossom end rot, but so many of my San Marzanos were deformed, and many of the flowers on the beefsteak tomatoes failed to form any fruit. I think the weeks of extreme heat were just too much for the poor plants.
ReplyDeleteWe save egg shells, crush them extremely fine, and add to the soil. This seems to help. Good way to recycle, also.
ReplyDelete