Look for
The main symptoms of this prevalent disorder are large, black/brown, leathery sunken pits on the base of fruits. This is especially common on tomatoes and peppers.
Plants affected
Peppers, tomatoes, squashes, aubergines and watermelons. Plants with soft, succulent fruits suffer the worst from this condition.
About Blossom-end rot
- Blossom-end rot is not a disease but is the result of a number of environmental and physiological factors.
- It’s most common for the disorder to arise as the fruits are half way through their development.
- The disorder develops if the plant’s water intake is not sufficient for example in drought, and consequently the plant cannot extract enough calcium from the soil.
- Plants grown in acid soil are at a higher risk of developing these symptoms.
- Over-watering can also cause the disorder.
- Blossom-end rot can cause considerable fruit/crop damage, sometimes with large areas of the fruit affected.
- The rot is not transmittable from plant to plant or fruit to fruit.
Treatment
Chemical
Products containing the following chemical ingredients are all effective on Blossom-end rot
Calcium carbonate
Organic
- Use Organic fertilisers with added plant nutrients, especially those containing calcium.
- Try to maintain a constant soil pH around 6.5.
Prevention
- Thorough checks of crops during the fruiting season will reveal the presence of this disorder and enable the growing conditions to be corrected.
Original Article Here
