By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Tomato Blossom End Rot – a brown patch that forms on the base – is caused by the plant drying out. Regular watering is critical to success, when it comes to tomatoes. Another killer though, is over-watering.
While under-watering or irregular watering, with drying out in between, harms your tomato plants, over-watering can cause them to rot at the base, even when they are growing somewhat already and are no longer seedlings.
The biggest problem with tomatoes is that they can be – so at least I keep finding – somewhat of a bugger to grow, at least this year.
I have some here that are a new variety – though I cannot find the package and thus don't know what company they came from – that I received at the Garden Press Event 201, and they have been sitting there doing very little for the last two months or so.
I sowed them – singly – in plug pots and have now potted them on into bigger ones in the hope that they will grow, finally. So far they are no more than about two inches, maybe three, tall and have only got about a set or two of leaves each. That's about it.
They were started indoors and were later, about a couple of weeks ago, placed into a cold frame outside. They have not grown much since despite the fact that there has been no frost.
While I am rather fond of tomatoes, personally I am coming to the conclusion that they are more trouble than they are worth to grow and may start to concentrate on fruit and vegetables that actually do grow well at my location.
© 2011
