Gardening News & Tips

Tomato Rot

Tomato rot or blossom-end rot often affects early season tomatoes. It starts as a tan patch on the bottom of the fruit and expands to a dark, sunken area.According to the United States Department of Agriculture, four out of every five people surveyed preferred tomatoes over any other homegrown vegetable. Garden-less Americans go so far as to grow tomatoes in backyards barrels, tubs, pots, or window boxes, anywhere they can cultivate a spot for the tasty fruit. The last thing anyone wants to see on the fruits of their labor is unsightly tomato rot.

Causes

The cause of rot is related to the way the fruit functions. This type of problem can range anywhere susceptible crops are grown. Tomatoes and peppers are affected by tomato rot.

A calcium deficiency in the plant causes of rot on tomato. Although, sufficient calcium may be present in the soil, not enough is reaching plant tissues. This may be caused by excessive nitrogen fertilization, extreme variations in the water supply made available to plants, or overly abundant plant growth. Watering extremes could be due to drought, floods, or injury to the root system. Tomato rot is worse in dry, hot temperatures.

Signs

A sign of tomato rot is when a water-soaked brown spot appears on the blossom end of the fruit. The spot will typically enlarge and turn into a black or leathery brown patch. If the problem is severe, the fruit will have a concave or somewhat flattened bottom end.

Best organic preventive method

Watering and mulching sufficiently during dry conditions prevents tomato rotting and wilts. Maintain an even supply of moisture with regular watering and deep mulches. Avoid over fertilizing with nitrogen. Protect roots by using mulch, rather than cultivation, to control weeds. Test your garden soil periodically and correct nutrient imbalances.At the first signs of tomato blossom rot, pay extra close attention to mulching and watering chores. Plants usually grow out of a problem later in the season when undesirable conditions are corrected. Spraying with seaweed extract may help provide the necessary calcium to affected tomato plants.

Non organic methods

A calcium deficiency may be corrected by the addition of agricultural lime to acid soils, aiming for a soil pH of 6.5. Add organic matter to the soil to improve its moisture-retaining capabilities. Avoiding plant damages is a lot simpler accomplished than attempting to adverse effects, so take corrective measures as soon as possible.

Botrytis Fruit Rot

This rot on tomato produces a fluffy, light-colored mold on a wide range of produce including greenhouse tomatoes. The fruit rot is caused by a fungus that affects crops worldwide. On tomato, infections appear initially as "ghost spots", small brown spots of dead tissue surrounded with an often slightly raised pale halo.

Other symptoms include the characteristic whitish, gray, or tan mold which grows on fruit that when disturbed causes a puff of gray spores to scatter. Infected fruits have water-soaked spots, which later appear light brown and crack as the fungus grows.

Prevention

Botrytis fruit rot develops under particularly moist and cool conditions. Typically where injury to tissues gives fungal spores an opening. Promote good air circulation by spacing and pruning plants in greenhouses. Increase ventilation and heating to dry leaves early in the day. To control the rot, destroy infected fruit or other plant material. Avoid injuring plants and control insect pests.

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