If you’re reading this you have most likely noticed that the ends of your tomatoes looks like something that happens in your garden nightmares. They ends are rotting off at a very fast pace and seem to be spreading to the rest of your tomatoes as well. Well don’t worry what’s happening to your tomatoes is not contagious to your other tomatoes are plants. What’s happening is called Blossom End Rot.

What Is Blossom End Rot?

Blossom end rot is when the tomatoes start to rapidly rot from the end where the flower of the fruit use to be. The process is very fast and as mentioned is not contagious and it can also be stopped.

Why Does It Happen.

There is really only one reason blossom end or happens but there are couple of ways it could happen. Firstly it happens because the tomato plant is not getting enough calcium.

5 Main Causes Of Blossom End Rot

Here are some of the common reason that cause a calcium deficiency in the soil.

1. To much water. This is a even more common in areas where it rains a lot or in plants that are grown in containers. All the rain washes all of the nutrients out of the soil including calcium.

2. Not enough water. This happens a lot in areas wit to little rain or in container grown tomatoes thats aren’t being watered enough. When soil gets to dry it loses all of its nutrients and even if you water it, it will not come back.

3. Soil is to cold. Some people will say the soil was to cold when the plan was planted but that isn’t always the case. It could have gotten to cold right before the fruit started to grow, or even before the fruit started to rippen. Tomato plants love heat and warm weather so cold is never good.

4. Root damage. This could be cause by a few things. Transplanting to rough that breaks the roots, cultivation near the plant that damages the roots, or a very bad pest problem where they are eating the roots very aggressively.

5. Susceptibility. It could be that the poor little dear is just a variety of tomato plant that is more prone to blossom end rot.

How To Prevent And Cure Blossom End Rot.

1. Maintain consistent moisture levels. Tomatoes plants love water so try not to let them dry to much. A good rule of the thumb is to soak them in serval inches of water and then leave them alone for two to three days. It really depends on how cool or hot your area is on how often you would need to water them, but two to three days is pretty standard everywhere.

2. If it rains to much. If you are in an area where it rain to often or where you have been getting some freak rain storms, make sure to go out and fertilize your tomato plants as soon and as often as you can. Make sure not to over fertilize but if you get a lot of rain normally then you will need to fertilize more often then normal, or more often than your fertilizer package says to.

3. Plant you tomatoes where you will not have to dig around them or transplant them. They don’t like being moved or having their rots messed with. Try to find a good spot and leave them there.

4. Pest. Plan an simple you will need to get rid of the pest. In order to try and save your tomato plants.

5. If you have tried extra fertilizer and it hasn’t help you can get calcium antacid tablets, or crushed eggshells mixed into your soil before you plant your tomato plants. You can also use garden lime which can be sprinkled right over the soil before watering.

7. Most importantly if you live in a rainy or cool area try to get a tomato variety that isn’t prone to blossom end rot. The best way to do this is to find varieties that grow best in your area. An example would be not to try to grow tomatillos if you live in the North Pole ;).