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Post by bluelacedredhead on Sept 8, 2010 7:24:25 GMT -5
I've two rows of plants in one corner of the garden that are riddled with Blossom Endrot. Both large varieties of Italian heritage. I had such high hopes for them. Why is it always the ones you have the highest expectations of that succumb to something like this? The most common cause of BER seems to be calcium deficiency. I applied liquid Calcium to the garden when preparing it for the season. I'm wondering if I missed this corner when spraying or perhaps skimmed over it lightly with the hose? It is also the end of the garden where I added to last years plot by about 3 feet. New=less nutrients than the previously used areas? This is a good example of why one should do soil testing on more than one part of a garden plot, no matter how small. I've mulched the rows with leaf mold. I've watered with Epsom Salts 3 times during the blossom/fruit production stages. We haven't had a wet summer like last year, although we have had regular rainfall alternating with lots of sunshine. And on the few occasions when the ground was thirsty, I emptied the rainbarrel to give it a good drink. What about predisposition to this pathogen? Is it found more on beefsteak types or ribbed varieties??
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lee
Tomato Gardener
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Tomatopaloozer?
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Post by lee on Sept 8, 2010 7:44:07 GMT -5
I wonder if the pH in that spot is off. Perhaps that would explain why your remedies didn't have the effect you expected. The soil test would confirm that, although by now, perhaps the Epsom salts have adjusted the pH, thus masking the root cause....
Just thinking out loud on this one.....
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Sept 8, 2010 7:51:13 GMT -5
Thinking out loud is what I was hoping for!
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peppereater
Breeder in Training
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Post by peppereater on Sept 8, 2010 11:55:44 GMT -5
Have you had any indication of significant calcium deficiency from past soil tests? While calcium deficiency is ultimately the cause, it is a deficiency within the developing cells of the fruit, and not nescessarily a deficiency in the soil. You can have plenty of calcium in the soil and still have rampant BER. What often happens is the plant gets too much water...the calcium in the water is dilluted, the water is taken up and delivered to the developing fruit, causing rapid growth without adequate calcium to allow proper tissue structure. Often, fruit growing during rainy periods may have BER, while subsequent fruit may not be affected at all. Repeated drying/wetting of soil is especially bad. Calcium delivery is limited by the lack of water, then when the plant is watered, it rapidly takes up water to rehydrate cells faster than the plant can utilize and efficiently deliver calcium. As you probably know, some fruit types are much more prone to BER than others. I don't recall the explanation, but plum types and paste types have more tendency to get BER. Beefsteaks are less prone to it. In general, relatively dry soil is good for tomatoes, as long as they're not allowed to repeatedly wilt. Epsom salt is often said to reduce or prevent BER, but I think this is more myth than fact. Epsom salt's main value to plants is the magnesium it provides. Magnesium is usually only a recommended amendment when it is deficient in soil...as it's a trace element, it's often adequate in soils with loamy organic content. There have been claims made for the benefits of epsom salt forever, but little substantiation for those claims. Also, don't believe the claims for products like StopRot, a solution of calcium sulfate used for foliar application. Others here could probably correct some of my statements, but this should be fairly accurate info.
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jcm05
Administrator
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Post by jcm05 on Sept 8, 2010 13:58:53 GMT -5
BER is not a pathogen. It is mostly an environmental disorder. It is more moisture-related then just a CA deficiency in the soil. That specific section of the garden maybe has significantly better or worse drainage then the rest of the garden. Additionally there is also a genetic component which makes some varieties more susceptible to it.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Sept 8, 2010 15:12:19 GMT -5
TY both. I'll keep amending the soil and have it tested next spring. It's an abominable garden plot at best, but this is only Year Two of my correcting the evils done by generations of another family.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Sept 8, 2010 15:26:29 GMT -5
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Sept 8, 2010 18:28:36 GMT -5
So if it is distribution of water in the garden, would making raised beds for those few varieties help?
Or should I just continue with my soil amendment (addition of leaf mold), low tillage and possibly a green manure? I always rotate crops so they won't be in that section next year anyway.
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Post by rintintin on Sept 8, 2010 21:08:43 GMT -5
Another thought: If you use a fertilizer with an ammonium nitrogen component, that will suppress the plant's ability to uptake calcium.
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jcm05
Administrator
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Post by jcm05 on Sept 9, 2010 5:52:31 GMT -5
would making raised beds for those few varieties help? Raised beds always help. Just mound up the soil into a row where each row of plants will go.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Sept 9, 2010 7:41:09 GMT -5
No, JT, not just raised rows, but actual raised beds with plywood frames. There were 3 in the garden when we bought the place last year, but the planks were rotten so we removed them. The only thing I don't like about raised beds is, it makes tilling difficult. Hard on my old arms and my Mantis when I get too close to the framework.
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jcm05
Administrator
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Post by jcm05 on Sept 9, 2010 9:45:25 GMT -5
The only thing I don't like about raised beds is, it makes tilling difficult. Hard on my old arms and my Mantis when I get too close to the framework. Well, thats the thing about raised beds...you dont NEED to till. Maybe just a little turning over of the soil with a fork is all i do. I am a big proponent of raised beds for sure.
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Post by ozarklady on Sept 9, 2010 11:19:27 GMT -5
We had a terrible drought in August.
Most of my tomato plants in raised beds, just survived and didn't try to do more.
The ones in containers, were very mixed results: The Peach Blow Sutton and the Risentraube had constant BER unless I cut the water in half, and applied it morning and evening, instead of just one big watering, then they did okay. And they did fight to produce.
OSU, Hillbilly, and Pink Oxheart didn't care, they just kept growing, and producing, some better than others, but they did produce without BER.
The Belgian Giant, Cherokee, Grueso, Brandywine, and Rutgers each produced 2 tomatoes and they were not good tasting, and the second one had BER. These 5 are on my low chance of growing again list.
Banana Legs and Yellow Stuffer were under the worst conditions, and they both managed to produce, tiny little fruits, but big enough to have seeds, neither had BER either.
Other than the worst 5 all of these will get a new try next year. I have alot of tomatoes to try still, so I will try some that I haven't tried yet. If I have room I will try 3 more of each of them. It really isn't fair to judge a tomato by a drought. But it is informative.
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