Bottom of Peppers and Tomatoes turning brown and mushy
This is the first year that we have our garden and the bottom of our bells and some tomatoes are turning brown and mushy. Can anyone tell me what this is and what we can do about it? They aren't touching the ground and I have thinned some leaves out to let sun get to them.
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rainbowgardener
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Crobi is right, sounds like probably blossom end rot. Type blossom end rot into the search box at upper left of most pages, there's been a lot written here already, but here's a basic summary:
See https://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3117.html for information and pictures of what that would look like, in a severe case. Blossom end rot is caused by calcium deficiency in stressed tomatoes. The stress can be caused by fluctuations in soil moisture, going from dry to very wet, from over fertilization, or soil that's too acid. It's not a disease and if the conditions are corrected, the plant and future tomatoes will be fine, but the ones already affected are a loss.
Suggestions: Maintain a uniform supply of soil moisture by watering plants during drought and mulching to retain soil moisture. Tomatoes want to stay pretty steadily moist, not go through fluctuations. Avoid using excessive amounts of ammonia forms of nitrogen, which reduce calcium uptake. Avoid overfertilization during early fruiting. Maintain neutral soil pH. Liming helps supply calcium, if soil is acid. Do not subject plants to sudden and severe hardening off before transplanting. Avoid setting plants in the field too early when the soil is still too cold for rapid growth.
Let us know if this looks like what your tomatoes have. If not, post pictures...
See https://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3117.html for information and pictures of what that would look like, in a severe case. Blossom end rot is caused by calcium deficiency in stressed tomatoes. The stress can be caused by fluctuations in soil moisture, going from dry to very wet, from over fertilization, or soil that's too acid. It's not a disease and if the conditions are corrected, the plant and future tomatoes will be fine, but the ones already affected are a loss.
Suggestions: Maintain a uniform supply of soil moisture by watering plants during drought and mulching to retain soil moisture. Tomatoes want to stay pretty steadily moist, not go through fluctuations. Avoid using excessive amounts of ammonia forms of nitrogen, which reduce calcium uptake. Avoid overfertilization during early fruiting. Maintain neutral soil pH. Liming helps supply calcium, if soil is acid. Do not subject plants to sudden and severe hardening off before transplanting. Avoid setting plants in the field too early when the soil is still too cold for rapid growth.
Let us know if this looks like what your tomatoes have. If not, post pictures...
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stella1751
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Three summers ago, I experienced blossom end rot for the first time. It was my first garden at a new place, and the bone meal hadn't had time to work its way into the soil. A fellow gardener recommended epsom salts as a quick save for the unaffected peppers and tomatoes. It worked like a charm. I sprinkled it around the base of the plants and watered it in thoroughly. The remaining peppers and tomatoes were just fine. Of course, that could be because the bone meal had decomposed by then, too 