Blossom end rot can affect many plants in your vegetable garden, such as pepper, squash, eggplant, and watermelon, but it is especially common in tomatoes. It is easy to identify but impossible to stop.
Late bloom rot is best managed with proper soil maintenance and proper amount of watering. But even then you may lose a few fruits to the disease. Keep reading to learn the signs and causes of blossom end rot in tomatoes.
The most dangerous diseases of tomatoes
What is late bloom rot?
Late bloom rot is less common on smaller cherry and grape tomatoes and is more likely to threaten larger tomatoes such as pasta and plum varieties. The disease causes the end of the fruit to develop a black, rotten spot, rendering it unfit for consumption. Once late bloom rot infects your fruit, it is impossible to stop the disease.
Signs of the disease
Several other tomato diseases can be confused with late bloom rot, but none have exactly the same set of characteristics. Signs of the disease are sunken, leathery, or rotted areas near the end of the fruit blossom. It appears when the fetus is still developing or has reached a certain size.
Other common tomato plant diseases are late blight and sunscald.
What are the most dangerous tomato diseases – here’s how to protect yourself
Causes of rot at the end of flowering
The main cause of tomato plant disease is calcium deficiency. Low calcium levels in the fetus destabilize cell walls, allowing them to break down. This often happens in early or mid-summer when more water and nutrients are needed for rapid plant growth. If the roots do not take up enough calcium, it goes to the new leaves and shoot, not fully reaching the developing fruits.
In addition to low calcium levels, late bloom rot can also be caused by environmental factors. Low soil moisture, drought or irregular watering, soil compaction, root injury, vigorous plant growth, hot weather, strong light. All this can contribute to the development of the disease.
