Blossom End Rot is a common disease that affects the fruit of many of our favorite vegetables. While tomatoes are the vegetable most affected, peppers, eggplants, and even summer squash can all exhibit blossom end rot. This disease develops as a sunken area on the bottom (or blossom) end of the fruit. This area will be dark brown or black, and leathery. Blossom end rot is a bigger problem early in the gardening season, but fruit can sometimes be ruined throughout the season. Blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium in the plant. Since plants cannot move calcium around in their mature tissues, they need a constant supply of it while producing fruit. The fast leaf and stem growth of tomatoes and other plants in the spring often leaves little calcium for the fruit. Inconsistently watering during a drought or disturbing the roots of vegetables can also lead to this disease.

Plants often grow out of blossom end rot once their roots are established and the top growth slows down. Until then, damaged fruit should be removed so the plant doesn’t waste any more resources. If this disease persists throughout the year, a soil test is very helpful. Calcium may need to be added in the form of gypsum depending on the results of the test.
Be sure to always feed affected plants with a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus since this also helps alleviate the problem. Finally, Ferilome’s “Yield Booster” is a product specifically designed to give plants calcium they can absorb through their tissue and can be sprayed over the whole plant.