Now that we are in the dog days of summer, all the little hiccups that can affect your flowers and veggies have shown up. One of the most common things we see this time of year on tomatoes is blossom end rot. Don’t worry; you don’t have a disease that is going to destroy your crop. This is nothing more than a nutrient deficiency.

Calcium is used in very large amounts by tomatoes and veggies as they develop fruit. Blossom end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency in your soil. It always happens during periods of high heat and frequent watering or lack of water. Although it is most commonly seen in tomatoes, blossom end rot can also develop on peppers, squash, and eggplant as well. It usually starts out as small water soaked areas at the bottom of the fruit eventually covering the entire bottom with a large blackish lesion.

Correcting calcium deficiency is simple. Spray the plants with Bonide Rot Stop. This is a liquid form of calcium that will get into the plants via the leaves. It will not cure the tomatoes that already have the problem. I would suggest you cut those tomatoes off and discard them.

We also suggest you add to the soil Jonathan Green Magical. This is a granular form of calcium that you will add to the soil which will help build the calcium levels back to normal. Continue to follow your normal watering and fertilizing schedule for the remainder of the summer. Next spring when you plant your tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants please make sure you add the J-Green Magical when you are doing your initial soil prep. Then add a small amount mid-season and this should prevent this problem from even happening.

Now that you are seeing your first tomatoes of the season, the last thing you need is a rotten end. Inspect your plants every few days for a sign of this problem. If none exists, follow some of the steps mentioned above as preventive maintenance. You have nurtured your crop along this far, don’t quit now. Keep up the good work.