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We need water. They need water. We need sunlight. They need sunlight. We need calcium and so do they! Not to be excluded from the parallels between human and plant needs is the essential chemical element calcium. Without it, some of our most cherished garden plants like tomatoes and peppers would be left at risk of developing blossom-end rot.
Blossom-end rot is a physiological disorder resulting, as the name suggests, in the end of the fruit rotting. This is not uncommonly observed on the first fruit of the season. Symptoms are often viewed on fruit that is one-third to one-half formed. As we have entered May, monitor for a yellowing of the skin on the end of the fruit opposite the stem. This yellowing progresses to tan, brown, or black and may also be found on the sides. The discolored areas are sunken and the skin is leathery. These affected areas are susceptible to secondary pathogens which could result in decay.
Do you see it? Fear not! There is hope for your tomato, pepper, eggplant, squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Blossom-end rot is caused by an insufficient amount of calcium being available to these plants. There are multiple reasons for a calcium deficiency. Plants may be unable to take calcium from the soil because the soil does not have the calcium needed. Low soil pH, below the ideal 6.5 for the referenced plants, may be a factor in calcium being unavailable to plants, as well. Definitively know the level of calcium, the pH, and more by testing your soil. Our Acadia Parish LSU AgCenter has soil test kits available.
These fruits may also not have the calcium necessary for appropriate growth due to fertilizing with too much nitrogen. Excessively applying fertilizers with high nitrogen rates create a proliferation of leaf and branch growth. The fruit needs calcium for cell wall production creating the outer skin.
If the described lesions are present, consider treating the plants with calcium nitrate or calcium chloride. Begin applying as soon as the symptoms appear and continue every seven to ten days for a total of three to four applications.
Apply calcium nitrate as a sidedress fertilizer at a rate of 2 pounds per 100 feet of row. Continue every 2-4 weeks, being sure to apply six to eight inches from the base of the plant.
Calcium does a plant good!Article for publication May 4, 2023
