My tomato bush is loaded but as they rippen the bottoms are like a brown scab what causes this?

Question

Have had three ripen but bottom is brown can you help?

Answer 1

Hi.

I'm a former WSU Master Gardener of 9 years and a commercial U-Pick gardener of 40 years and I have had experience with this problem, too.

 

This one is easy. It's called Blossom End Rot.  It is not a desease, but, a deficiency.

Just add some calcium in the form of bone meal into the soil and water it in. That should do it.

Next year plant your tomatoes in a different location and put a handful of bone meal in the bottom of the hole.  And plant varieties resistant to Blossum End Rot.  I'm partial to hybreds because they have often been bred resistant to a lot of conditions and deseases.

The Tomato Lady

Answer 2

If you use bone meal, use a mask and gloves.  I also use lime & horse manure in the fall and work that in with a machine.  We rotate where we plant tomatoes.  When you take those plants out have a plastic bag ready and trash them.  I don't mulch them because of the possible fungus that could get into the soil.