Tomato Bottom Rot

Also known as Black bottom, Bottom end rot, and Blossom End Rot.  Im sure there are more but this is what i have heard locally.

This is an example of the very start
of bottom end rot starting on this tomato.

So what is it?

well according to the Texas Aggies: Blossom end rot can affect fruit at all stages of development. The characteristic symptom is a progressive deterioration of the blossom end of the fruit, from a water-soaked appearance to a sunken, black, leathery lesion. While secondary fungal infections may occur, blossom end rot is a physiological disorder caused by calcium deficiency induced by water stress.

I can only speak to what I have encountered and I encounter it every year.  Every year the tomatoes I grow in pots get this.  Unfortunately I'm reactive instead of proactive.  So I wait until they show signs of bottom rot before I treat them.  Kind of as if maybe this will be the year that it doesn't happen.

Every oldtimer i ask tells me its missing calcium.  Just add calcium. So every year when it shows up, I add calcium and it always fixes my issue with bottom rot.  So lets go thought the simple step i do to help my tomato plants that have this.

1. First i take my bottle of Tums or other antacid relief tablets.   These are just about 100% calcium. 
2. I pour as much as i feel im going to need for this application depending on how many plants i plan to treat.
   
   
   
3. Smash it up to a powder.  I allow some chunks.  I think of it as a slow release form of calcium and the powder as a fast acting.
   
   
   
4. Last i just sprinkle it around the base of each tomato plant.  usually they are always the potted ones.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

This is what i have been told and what i practice.  You can continue to let the grow and they are still edible.  Just cut the bottom rot off and the rest of the tomato is fine to eat.  In fact i made salsa the other night and i used 2 tomatoes that had bottom rot.  I just cut it back until it looked like healthy tomato.

Next is to figure out why the leaves are turning yellow and falling off on the bottom of these potted tomato plants.?!?

Overview 2 "whats growing"

Whats growing?

Whel that changes kind of often around the house.
Quick List:

Tomatoes

• Sarah Black
• Beefsteak Heirloom (my uncle in law's)
• Cherokee Purple
• Green Zebra
• My Fat Cherry (there is story behind this name ill get into later)
• Jubilee
• Unknown Tomatoes being a Topsy Turvy- im testing these contraptions
• White Wonder (all season it has struggled to live, i doubt i will get my one white tomato)

Corn

• Sweet Corn
• Red Sweet Corn

Okra - the seed packet i had just said 'Okra' so that is all i can go on.

Squash

• summer squash (again this is what the packet said)
• Heirloom Lemon Squash
  

Cucumber

• Space master
• Emperor Alexander
• pickling
• cucumber (its what the packet said)

A variety of Hot peppers and Bell pepper. (ranging in all colors)

Eggplant -- what ever the most common North American variety is? assuming 'dark purple' I bought these plants at a farmers market

Ground Cherry - This is my new favorite thing to grow. This year was just a tester but next year I will plant much more of these.

Dwarf: Meyer Lemon, Orange, Lime, and Tangerine

Dwarf 5-on-1 pair tree: Bartlett, Kieffer, Moonglow, Orient and Ayres (this is still small and in a bucket. When i got it in the mail, it was about 24 inches long. I planted it like the instructions tole me to. Then with it came to life all the new growth start from the base. So i have new growth and 24 inch stick in the middle.)

Basil:

• Holi
• Sweet
• Lettuce Leaf
• Thai
• Lemon

Stevia

Prescott fond blanc melon

Oregano

Many of the above are planted multiple times. I am able to squeze all of this down the side of the town house, under the back porch and on top of the back porch. Good news is that soon we are getting a fence put in and then the garden can really spread out.

Cherokee Purple

One of the new varieties for me to try this year was the Cherokee Purple tomato.

It had a semi ish sweet flavor. This is quickly turning into one of my new favorites tomatoes to grow.

When i find pics

I will be posting more pictures of my garden this year as i find them. So with that said, my posts for this years garden probably will not be in chronological order.

Overview 1

After the success of sowing some tomato seeds, I decided to start growing as much as possible in the little space that I have available to me.

Im going to sum up the past 2 years in the next couple of posts until i reach my present time.
I like pictures so enjoy the pictures and less of my typing. On thing I have a difficult time spelling and making sentences that aren't run ons.

above: eggplant

above: Green Zebras, Cherry Tomato, and Heirloom Beefstake

above: Okra "i love some Okra"