Knowledgebase
Tomato small and brown bottom #874368
Asked June 24, 2024, 6:48 AM EDT
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
From our veggie expert:
Remove affected fruit. Don't overdue the N fertilization. Add one 1/4 cup of gypsum (calcium sulfate) per container and water it in.
Blossom end rot is a response to a variety of plant stressors, not just low available calcium and inadequate water. Plants could be space-stressed. Most varieties need at least a 5-gallon container. Some patio and container-type tomato varieties can be grown in 3 gallon containers.
From the Extension website on tomatoes:
https://extension.umd.edu/resources/yard-garden/vegetables/tomatoes/
From me, just to check:
1. Be sure size of container is adequate
2. The container needs drainage holes
3. The container should have been filled with new potting soil mix at the start of the season (after cleaning the container of old soil and washing it with soap and water or dilute bleach to kill any diseases in the old soil)
4, Grow tomatoes varieties suitable to the container's size and plant deeply to develop more roots from buried stem
5. Water only if dry to the touch at 4" soil depth. Watering too often leads to poor root growth and other problems
6. Add calcium as discussed above; I use a handful of agricultural lime when I plant
7. Add fertilizer if you did not start with new soil mix this year and have not added any this year; follow label directions
8. Remove lower leaves (up to 1ft on stem) if yellowing.
Your plants should recover and produce fruit.
Good luck
Len
Thank you very much!
On Jun 25, 2024, at 10:34 AM, Extension Foundation <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
Insofar as transplanting, you do not say what type of tomato you're growing or the size of your current container. I assume it's 3 gallons or larger. If patio or determinate type (e.g. plum), a smaller container is likely ok. Transplanting a larger plant at this time can be damaging unless it's in a really small (1 gallon) container. If it is 1 gallon, carefully transplant and add new potting soil to the larger container (holes open on bottom). Just keep checking moisture and fertilizer needs and expect a smaller yield if the container is too small for a larger size tomato. Read about suckers and watch a video or two first.
I appreciate your fast response. Thank you!
On Jun 25, 2024, at 2:40 PM, University of Maryland <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
Montgomery County MG (google.com)
Len
Good morning Len,
On Jun 25, 2024, at 11:36 PM, University of Maryland <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
Len