Romas and BER

[rainbowgardener]

I've never grown roma tomatoes before. I have one roma plant this year and it is COVERED in tomatoes. They are just starting to ripen up, but today I saw two very small ones turning color. When I looked, they both had Blossom End Rot. I've never actually seen it before, but we hear about it here all the time so I recognized it right away.

My question is, the Roma plant is in the same bed with two other tomato plants (non Roma) that have received exactly the same care, watering, etc. and show no sign of BER. Are the Roma's more susceptible to it?

[applestar]

Yep. I am just about ready to give up on the elongated "sausage" fruit types -- I wanted to find the best tasting and over the years, tried growing San Marzano (3 different varieties), Jersey Devil, Jersey Giant, Cow's Tit, Polish Linguisa, another Polish variety that escapes me ATM -- Opalka!, Orange Banana, Green Sausage.... They ALL get the BER while others in the same bed, same row, right next to them look perfectly fine, or else will suffer first one or two, then nothing.

This year, I have Roman Candle and that's it, I think. Some of my Maglia Rosa crosses are elongated fruit types, but it remains to be seen whether they are susceptible. As far as I remember, Maglia Rosa wasn't too badly affected.

There ARE other shape fruit varieties that are also susceptible. I'm guessing if you HAD to grow them, it's best to plant them in a separate bed and concentrate on giving them the early and special care they need.

I did hear that foliar and liquid doses of calcium nitrate does work as calcium pathways bypass.

[Allyn]

I've been growing romas since I started using SiPs. I haven't had BER on my romas. I did have lots of BER last year on my Heat Waves, but that was because the containers were getting too warm, as it turns out. (Soil that is too warm inhibits the plant's ability to use the calcium available in the growing medium.) Every single tomato on the Heat Wave plants had BER. I have San Marzanos this year. I had been growing Corleones in prior seasons. I feel like the SiPs, by gving the plant consistent moisture, thwarted BER for me since a common cause of BER is inconsistent water availability.

[rainbowgardener]

Thanks, good to know. The first two that ripened up were full-sized and fine. Then two stunted and BER. Have to see what happens with all the rest.... Many of them are already considerably bigger than the two BER ones were. Hopefully that's a good sign.

[Allyn]

If something happened during the development of those two tomatoes and that condition was rectified, it is entirely possible that the rest of the fruits will be fine. Give us a report.

[applestar]

I'd be curious to hear how it goes, too. Maybe it's the annual summer drought that makes it so difficult for me. I guess I should try them in SIP. BTW I am actually GROWING Opalka -- three of them -- this year.

[applestar]

@allyn -- doesn't the name "Heat Waves" suggest they are Heat tolerant? Sheesh!

[imafan26]

I think the tomatoes with heat resistence usually fair better with BER. I have rarely have issues with BER and I don't add any extra calcium to my pots and I water them once a day all year long except in July and August. In the hottest months I may get some midday wilting and then I will water the plants twice a day. I do have large pots, 18 gallons for one tomato so it can make a difference especially if I mulch with plastic and if the tomato decides to send out roots from the drain holes into the ground.

I do plant mostly heat and disease resistant varieties.

[rainbowgardener]

Well so far I have found one more full sized tomato blushed and healthy and one more stunted one with BER.

It looks like anyway the ones that are already almost full sized are going to be OK....

[imafan26]

Has it been especially hot or dry lately that would explain it?

[rainbowgardener]

No, we've been having a mild, wettish spring and early summer. Now in July it is starting to get hot. I did water some, between rains and they are well mulched, so shouldn't have dried out.

[Gary350]

BER is very unpredictable and no rime or reason why 2 plants side by side 1 plant gets BER and the other does not. I always plant about 25 tomato plants about 4 to 6 different varieties no matter what the crazy weather does I will have at least 10 plants that make good tomatoes. I always give my tomatoes pellet lime to head off BER even then 1 or 2 plants may get BER anyway. This year garden was mud I planted tomatoes in the mud under a shade tree so they get morning sun and full shade after 12 noon to dark. This year I did not give any of my plants pellet lime for BER and so far no BER. LOL. My shade tomatoes are doing better than ever. Once your plants get BER best thing to stop it quick is mix, lime or some type of lime product in water then water the BER plants. Baking Soda dissolved in water even works for BER. Sheet rock mud works. Cement dust works for BER. Wood ash contains a lot of lime it works for BER. Put some type lime produce on your tomatoes BER will be gone in 2 days it will not repair tomatoes that already have BER but no more tomatoes will get BER.

[Allyn]

@allyn -- doesn't the name "Heat Waves" suggest they are Heat tolerant? Sheesh!

LOL I guess they're not that heat tolerant. They're tolerant in that they'll set blossoms up into the mid 90s whereas 'regular' varietys will quit in the mid 80s, but hot soil still affects them. It was the containers that got full sun that had BER last year and the sun here is hateful-hot in the summer. The plants in the containers that were shaded in the hottest part of the day didn't have BER. This year, I have them in bigger containers (33-gallons) and use reflective bags (foil-like dog-food bags, split open and laid with the shiny side up) as mulch and so far so good this year. No BER yet, though I don't expect many more tomatoes until the temps cool down in October.