I love gardening, especially when everything is going according to plan. The various diseases and pests that can affect your plants can be stressful. From the how to get rid of slugs to how to prevent tomato cracks and even how to fight tomato blight with pennies. Today, I want to share a few tips on how to fix blossom end rot.

This affects your tomatoes, melons, peppers as well as squash. It usually appears on the underside of the fruit as a dark leathery spot. Unlike other common plant ailments, the problem is actually in you soil and not the plant itself. Unfortunately you cannot fix the affected fruits, instead you can prevent any future recurrences on the same plant.

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What Causes Blossom End Rot?

The main cause is low calcium. Although calcium maybe present in the soil the plant may have difficulties accessing it due to low PH levels. Sometimes there is way too much nitrogen levels in soil that cause plants to grow faster than they can absorb other minerals. Also when you do not water your plants as often as it should, it forces it into dormant phase in order to survive.When there is not enough calcium, the plant cannot effectively produce cell walls and root tips.

How To Fix Blossom End Rot

1. Test The Soil PH

This should be done before planting. The results will show you whether you should adjust the soil PH or not. Also if more calcium is needed, adding eggshells will help boost the calcium levels.

2. Use Organic Compost

At planting you can avoid applying fertilizer, and apply an organic compost instead. Organic fertilizer tends to contain more nitrogen than compost.

3. Water Regularly

Ensure that your plants are kept well watered at all times.

4. Apply Mulch

Applying mulch in order to conserve water.

5. Drainage

Your plants should always have adequate drainage. If you water your plants well without good drainage there may end up being too much water. This will cause the roots to smother and lead to plants taking in less calcium.

When you identify any plants that have blossom end rot, the best cause of action is to remove the plant and then go ahead and throw it in your compost. Don’t worry throwing affected plants into your compost will not infest your compost.

You can get more information on Brown Thumb Mama blog, here…