Is this blossom end rot?

[ctufano]

From what I've read and have been told by some people, this is BER.

When I got home, almost all of my small tomatoes on the brandywine plant are affected... I watered with plain water and then with some nitrogen fertilizer in my can ... wont water again until Sunday, I guess

Heres what I wrote in the other thread. :

Thank you so much for the info! I posted some pics on my facebook and my mom told me she thinks its GER.

This is only my 2nd time gardening -- I live in a loft in Atlanta, 6th floor, and have a large patio. I have buckets set up (was originally gonna fashion my own topsyturvy) but decided on just setting the home depot buckets down, fillin with soil, and take a run at planting. Last year was alright -- I grew mostly peppers, but didnt put drain holes in buckets, so things didnt grow that well.

This year I did, and I started my plants from seeds and transplanted in and they have grown very nicely (I think so at least! )

Could you tell me if this is GER? If so, I will start doin some research on how to get them the calcium and such.

The growing conditions are heavy sun during the day and I've been watering in the AM before I go to work (I have a two gallon water pot that I use between two tomato plants, a small money tree, a jalapeno plant, two things of broccoli and a few things of chives, but most goes to tomatoes). I've been watering again in the late afternoon (6 or 7pm) cuz they look wilted and the soil was all dried out. Should I cut this back to once every few days?

Here are some pics. These are all off my Brandywine tomato plant.

[img]https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs488.ash1/26677_679199541639_12815781_38005819_3636186_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs106.snc4/35650_681161390079_12815781_38083281_5598576_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs017.snc4/34195_681161410039_12815781_38083282_7895828_n.jpg[/img]

[img]https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs150.snc4/36878_681161454949_12815781_38083286_906777_n.jpg[/img]

[Kisal]

I would say it's blossom end rot. The plant doesn't need nitrogen, it needs calcium. I saw your post in the BER sticky. Did you find the information for treatment?

[ctufano]

I would say it's blossom end rot. The plant doesn't need nitrogen, it needs calcium. I saw your post in the BER sticky. Did you find the information for treatment?

No, I guess I haven't... I read in one of the 'solutions' that was provided (#3 I believe) magnesium or a nitrogen fertilizer. Should I crush some tums up around the base and water in when I water next?

I'll have to do some research on ways to get them calcium

[rainbowgardener]

Don't stop watering! Your plants are in small containers and rooftops are a very challenging environment. Your plants probably need to be watered twice a day. And that means you are flushing all the nutrients out, so they need to be fertilized about weekly with a good tomato fertilizer (not high in nitrogen), like tomato tone.

Did you read the BER sticky? BER is a calcium deficiency IN THE FRUIT. It is unrelated to calcium deficiency in the soil. Plants under stress (as yours clearly are, per the picture) have difficulty uptaking and using the available calcium. Fix the stress and you fix the problem.

What temps are you having there in Atlanta (and especially what temps are you having on the rooftop! )? If it's over 90, your tomatoes will do better I you put a little shade cloth over them, filter the sun. Then when you water in the AM you could mist the shade cloth and create some evaporative cooling.

[ctufano]

Yup I read it. Temperature has been anywhere from 90 to 95, humidity at a wonderful 60% or more.

I chopped off some branches and leaves off the bottom, I read that will increase the root to leave/fruit ratio and help the issue.

I'll look into shade cloth and how to apply it.

The fertilizer I have is miracle gro tomato food, found here [url]https://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg1/R-100077406/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053[/url]

[Gary350]

Mix some lime or sheet rock mud or any calcium product into your water and give your tomatoe plants plenty of water. Quick fix.

[ctufano]

Got some lime today at the store and gave them a watering. Will cut off all affected fruits and hope for the best!

[ctufano]

I put 4 tbsp of lime into my water can and mixed up some water and fed the plants the other day.

I've since watered em just once a day, and this morning cut off all affected fruit.

There are some new small ones that don't yet show signs of BER.

If it keeps popping up, I'm just gonna toss the plant. I read that only the first few fruits will be affected as the plant balances itself, but I've cut off at least a dozen baby tomats.

[lakngulf]

I was hit early with BER in my plants as well. They were in good new topsoil from some farmland, and grew very well. It may be that they grew too well and put on so many fruit that BER was inevitable. I had to pull off several fruit, but these plants produced more tomatoes per plant than I have ever had.
Hang in there with the plants. They may surprise you, especially with the TLC that you are giving them

[Ozark Lady]

Add a little bit of powdered milk to your watering can!

It is a fungicide, nitrogen and calcium source!

[ctufano]

Is it possible to give the plant too much calcium? How often should I be giving them calcium additives?