Calcium for Tom plants? Dolomitic or Calcitic Lime?
Little confused, which kind of lime, Dolomitic or Calcitic is best for growing tom plants in 8 gallon containers? Iv'e had a minor issue with Bloss end rot, wonder if it is the problem, I've tried both.
- rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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At the beginning of this Tomato Forum is a Sticky on Blossom End Rot which is very thorough and educational. In general, the basic cause of BER is not often a lack of calcium in the soil, but a lack of the plant's ability to uptake and transport the calcium.
From the Sticky:
BER can be induced by a number of growing conditions, such as low soil calcium, low phosphorus, high magnesium, high nitrogen (particularly NH4), high potassium, high salinity, drought, water logging in the root zone, cold soil/roots, and also low humidity, high light, high temperature and high air movement in the leaf-shoot environment. When soil calcium is plentiful roots may not be able to take it in efficiently when the soil is cold or waterlogged.
I have rarely had any trouble with BER, but I started getting it a little bit at the very end of the season, when it was really too cold for the tomatoes. Often BER is a result of inconsistent watering patterns and the waterlogging mentioned above.
From the Sticky:
BER can be induced by a number of growing conditions, such as low soil calcium, low phosphorus, high magnesium, high nitrogen (particularly NH4), high potassium, high salinity, drought, water logging in the root zone, cold soil/roots, and also low humidity, high light, high temperature and high air movement in the leaf-shoot environment. When soil calcium is plentiful roots may not be able to take it in efficiently when the soil is cold or waterlogged.
I have rarely had any trouble with BER, but I started getting it a little bit at the very end of the season, when it was really too cold for the tomatoes. Often BER is a result of inconsistent watering patterns and the waterlogging mentioned above.
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- Green Thumb
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To answer your question directly either should be fine, you could also use gypsom (calcium/sulfer ground rock if you don't want to change the ph in the pots). The tomatoes aren't particular as long as they can get at it. Eggshells take too long for the calcium to really get to where it is needed, so they are better as compost additions.
Be sure to water consistently as alluded to above or you will have the problem anyway.
Be sure to water consistently as alluded to above or you will have the problem anyway.
Have you done a soil test to figure this out or are you just assuming your cal level is low?
To me a (minor) issue with BER (like one or two fruits a season) would not be an issue with low cal levels. It would seem to be an envirnomental issue, moisture stress, cold etc.
Dolomite limestone I believe adds magnesium in the process.
Hope you get the answer to your questions though.
To me a (minor) issue with BER (like one or two fruits a season) would not be an issue with low cal levels. It would seem to be an envirnomental issue, moisture stress, cold etc.
Dolomite limestone I believe adds magnesium in the process.
Hope you get the answer to your questions though.
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- Green Thumb
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