Can anyone tell me why my tomatoes are showing black spots and bottom rot? Is there a fungus in my soil? Is there too much moisture? Should I have my soil tested?
Hardiness Zone: 5a
By bob rainville from Colonie, NY
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I think it's a virus. Next year, use a different type tomato, plant in a different area, and don't put the diseased plants in your compost pile.
That is blossom end rot, and I do not know of any 'natural' treatments for it, but there are products at Walmart, and home/garden centers, and farm supply stores to treat it. Best of luck to you!
Your tomatoes are suffering from Blossom End Rot. Primary cause is a lack of calcium in your soil. Check with your local gardening store or google Blossom End Rot. You can also start adding your egg shells to your soil, or mix them with water for your watering routine.
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Not all my tomatoes have black on the bottom, but enough to be concerned. What do you think the problem is? Should I just pick the ones that have the black on the bottom or let them grow out as they get bigger? Thank you.
By William
William, this sounds like blossom-end-rot and if it is, check with your local nursery (any of them including WalMart) and ask for Dolomite or some type of calcium for amending your soil. Better yet, take one of the worse tomatoes in with you, and ask what your nurseryman thinks is causing the problem
Hope this helps,
MisMachado
I watch the Garden Guy on Saturday morning here in AZ and he claims it is from not giving you tomatoes enough water, they should have a gallon a day. Hope this helps. Good luck.
This won't help for this season, but next spring, plant some egg shells in the same hole/trench with your tomatoes and the calcium will help with the blossom end rot. Good luck!
It sounds like blossom end rot which is caused by uneven watering and lack of calcium. This can be prevented by watering often and spreading crushed egg shells around the plants. I keep an old oatmeal can under the kitchen sink and and drop in rinsed out egg shells all year. By planting time, I have emptied that can many times.
I've had those nasty spots on All my larger tomatoes in the past;last year & the year before-but not on my cherries! And they were in the same plot! I will definitely put eggshells in from now on. I've been putting them into most of my garden beds for my other veggies.My Tomatoes are in 2 Topsy-Turvy's this year-store bought plants.
What causes black spots on tomatoes?
By B
They may be caused by plant fungi. Keep them from spreading by lightly spraying vinegar over your tomatoes if they're still attached to the shrub. But, if they've already been harvested they may be a lost cause. Better ask an agriculturist about it.
The leaves on my tomato plants are turning yellow and dying and some of the tomatoes are black on the bottom. However, new leaves are growing up the side of our house. What can I do to stop the yellow leaves and black on the bottom of the tomatoes?
Hardiness Zone: 7a
Wanda from Chapel Hill, TN
Editor's Note: Here is a recent request about tomatoes with yellow leaves:
I have gotten the same thing on my tomatoes and it is caused also by a lack of lime. I sprinkle lime in the soil and work it in and it solves the problem. I found it mostly on my plants that are in container pots.
LI Roe (08/09/2007)
By Roseanna
Blossom end rot, not good. Yellow leaves early blight? Comes before tomatoes start ripening. Like the lady said, calcium for rot, also lime or broken dry wall. I also like spraying with Epsom salts.
For blight spray neem oil, copper spray, or other anti blight sprays. Can't say one works better. (08/11/2007)
I have a brother and sister that are getting tomatoes that have a large black soft area on one side of the tomato. What is this and what can they do to prevent this? Thank you in advance for your help.
Hardiness Zone: 6a
Stephen from N.E. Kansas
if it's on the end opposite the stem, it may be 'blossom end rot'.... and that's caused by a lack of calcium in the soil... it should be fixed early in the season before planting.... but for now and this year's tomatoes, there's a spray available at a nursery or feed store that will help...
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-28-d.html (07/17/2007)
By Linde
Blossom end-rot, which this sounds like it is can be caused by lack of calcuim but also can be caused by either too little water or too much water. I took have found this problem with my tomatoes and when I water correctly I don't have this happen, have only lost about 4 tomatoes to this. (07/26/2007)
By Melody