Rotting tomatoes
by
Toni
+8
This is my first time trying to grow tomatoes A) in Florida and B) in a container. Plus I truly am clueless to gardening it's always trial and error if it grows good if not I move on. I was so excited when I saw my first healty tomato, then more flowers and more tomatoes. As the smaller ones started getting bigger I saw they were rotten on the bottoms, and one had a hole as well. As you can see in the photos. I'm determined to make this mini garden work but for have no clue what went wrong? Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. I have used organic potting soil and spray them occasionally with soapy water with citrus. Someone suggested for bug repellant also so I added coffee grounds and crushed up egg shells for fertilizer.
The rotten bottoms
A blurry shot of the infamous hole.
10 answers
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Toni, Try this link. http://erec.ifas.ufl.edu/tomato-scouting-guide/id-keys/disease-key.shtml I hope it can help you find the answers you are looking for.
Shannon Driggers
on Jul 05, 2014
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http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/tomato/2000082444023571.html
Kitty Manuel
on Jul 06, 2014
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I am somewhat astonished you got you tomatoes to set fruit in Florida in the middle of the summer. It's generally regarded as too hot here in the summer to grow them. Your first photo shows blossom end rot, the incidence of which goes up greatly in hot temperatures. See more from the University of Florida extension service: http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Blossom.End.Rot.htm
Douglas Hunt
on Jul 06, 2014
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Blossom end rot. It starts from the root, lack of calcium, so nothing applied on the plant will help. I usually will have a few like this as they start ripening, then they get ok. Even watering helps.Those links will give you more info.
Pam Kaiser
on Jul 06, 2014
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Your infamous hole is a bird peck. My guess.
Jajohnsey
on Jul 06, 2014
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We've got the same problem with our tomatoes, I got great advice from Douglas Hunt! It started with the roma tomato and then Cherry toms, now we have the big beautiful ones that you are showing. Yes, we do get birds that love to peck on them when they first start to ripen, we have finally started picking them and putting them in a paper grocery bag and it takes a while, but they will ripen and you will still get the great taste you want! I hope you find this helpful.We too know the struggles of the heat and gardening in Florida!
Traceycater
on Jul 06, 2014
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All you need it 1/8 cup epson salt in a gal of water. Water twice in 1 week with this mixture and be sure you give it the same amount of water each day.
Debbie Dean
on Jul 06, 2014
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Thank you Everyone! this has been a most helpful resource for me. I have gardened a lot in the North East for many years and never had such problems. This is my first of any gardening in the heat of FL. I am pretty certain after reading the link Doug referred me to that I have Overdone the watering and basically did my watering all wrong. We were not getting much rain and it was in the 90's so I panicked I wount say how much I drowned my poor plants. @ Debbie Dean what benefit does the epson salt solution have on tomatoes? Again thank you ALL
Toni
on Jul 06, 2014
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You have Blossom end rot. basically caused by lack of calcium or having calcium bound up in the soil. You need to raise your Ph. This can be done with fast acting calcium, bone meal, gypsum. You must test your Ph to determine which product will help the most. check online advise.
Myrna Engle
on Jul 06, 2014
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Bud rot can also be a result of top watering, or over watering. I only bottom water once per week. My plants are huge and healthy.
Nene Jabczynski
on Jul 06, 2014
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