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What is tomato blossom end

rot
A common tomato plant disease is known as tomato blossom
end rot. Learn more.
What is it?
Tomato blossom-end rot is a condition which occurs on tomato plants as well as
pepper plants, squash plants and watermelon plants. Tomato blossom-end rot is a
result of a calcium deficiency in developing tomato plant fruits which can result in
slowed growth of the tomato plant or damaged root systems. Many factors can
contribute to tomato blossom-end rot in the vegetable garden.
What does it look like?
Tomato blossom-end rot appears as round spots on the blossom end,
opposite the stem end of the tomato fruits. These sunken spots may appear as if they
are water soaked, and will start out as brown spots, rapidly progressing to black as the
area of tomato blossom-end rot increases. The tomato blossom-end rot spots will feel
leathery to the touch and you may also find moldy growths on the surface of the
tomato fruits where blossom-end rot is spreading.
How does it manifest?
Many factors contribute to the manifestation of tomato blossom-end rot, but at their
core is the same causative factor, a lack of calcium in the developing tomato fruits.
Rapid early season planting which is followed by a spell of hot, dry weather can be a
major causative factor as can extreme fluctuations in the moisture of the soil in which
the tomato plant survives. Soil can be problematic in another way as well, in the case
of excess salt in the soils composition. Additionally, extreme periods of rainfall can
smother the tomato plant root hairs which prevents adequate absorption of calcium
from the surrounding soil. The other major factor in a lack of calcium is cultivation
too close to the tomato plants. Usually it is the initial tomato fruit of the season which
has the most severe tomato blossom-end rot, and in severe cases tomato blossom-end
rot can affect over one half of the tomato fruits surface. Although bacteria or fungi
may enter the tomato plant through the sunken area of the tomato fruit, the rest of the
tomato fruit is edible. Simply cut off the affected area of the tomato fruit and make
sure to avoid any obviously moldy tomato fruits.
What can you do about it?
When you see the first signs of tomato blossom-end rot, the best you can do is
improve the surrounding soil quality around your tomato plants and cut spots off the
affected tomato fruits and salvage what you can of the crop. To improve the soil
around your tomato plants, and prevent future tomato blossom-end rot in your tomato
plants, make sure to maintain adequate, consistent soil moisture. This can be done
through proper mulching and watering. Additionally, avoid the use of high nitrogen

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fertilizers which can cause excess soil salts around your tomato plants. Large
concentrations of fresh manure may also cause this problem. Additionally, avoid
cultivation of the soil within 1 foot of the tomato plant, and when you do cultivate
make sure not to go deeper than approximately one inch into the soil.