Top rot of tomatoes in the greenhouse and open field: treatment, control measures

Many vegetable growers who grow tomatoes are familiar with such a disease as blossom end rot of tomatoes. This disease most often affects young tomatoes and can cause even more dangerous diseases.

What does tomato blossom end rot look like

The disease is manifested by the appearance of brown spots on the tops of the fruits that grow. These patches are dry to the touch. With further development of the disease, the spots become larger and flat or depressed areas of dry rot appear. Affected tomatoes stop growing and ripen quickly. It is impossible to eat such fruits that were struck by the top rot of tomatoes in the greenhouse, since they have a bad taste and they will not bring benefits.

Five causes of tomato blossom end rot

Blossom rot appears on tomatoes for the following reasons:

1. Soil pH imbalance;
2. Increased content of nitrogen, potassium and magnesium in the plants themselves;
3. Decrease in phosphorus, calcium and manganese;
4. Frequent watering;
5. Mechanical damage to the root system.

For example, the lack of such an element as calcium. Very often, the plant is not able to absorb calcium from the soil, where there is a lot of it. What are the reasons preventing tomatoes from absorbing calcium when it is abundant in the soil? It is impossible to answer unambiguously. The most common reason for the occurrence of blossom end rot is a sharp and frequent change of dry and wet periods.

Classification and characteristics

Classify top rot of tomatoes by etiology. It comes in two types:

• non-infectious nature,
• bacterial nature.

Tomato blossom end rot can affect plants both outdoors and in shelters. Young tomatoes are affected by rot, especially the “cream” forms. Such tomatoes are more affected by the type of rot that occurs in tomato cells, without showing up externally. Initially, brown concentric spots appear on the berries, soft to the touch.

Gradually they grow, blacken and become depressed and flat. The tomatoes themselves harden, dry out and fall from the bush. At high humidity, dry rot turns into wet rot. Affected fruits ripen faster than he althy ones.When there is little moisture for the bush, the leaves take moisture from the tomato for themselves. The cell structures of the tomato decompose - this is how the top rot of the fruit occurs. In addition to tomatoes, other vegetables of the nightshade family are also sick.

Tomato blossom end rot of bacterial nature, wet and soft to the touch. The color is dirty green, the shade is closer to brown. The defeat has uneven boundaries. The rot spreads quickly and has a strong unpleasant odor. Fruits lying on the ground are affected.

What needs to be done

The appearance of vertex rot on the bushes is not yet a verdict. The crop can be saved. Control measures are known. The first thing to do is to remove the affected fruits and leaves near them from the bush. This will prevent complications.

Prevention and treatment

In fact, it is always easier to prevent a disease than to cure it. This statement is fully applicable to diseases of the tomato.

Prevention of blossom end rot disease begins with the proper preparation of the soil for planting, as well as with the observance of some rules of agricultural technology:

• Tomato soil should be slightly acidic to moderate, sandy, light.
• Be sure to maintain humidity within 65-70%. It is moisture fluctuations that play a decisive role in the development of tomato blossom end rot.
• Lighting should be uniform and continuous, about 18 hours a day.
• Air temperature for the normal development of a tomato 18-22 ^oC.
• For the prevention of diseases, on the 35-40th day, the seedlings are sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. They are also treated with this solution after each rain.
• In greenhouses, plants are sprayed more often than in the open field. To do this, use solutions of calcium nitrate or calcium chloride.
• Under each bush, powder the soil with wood ash, and also water the root with ash diluted in water or dolomite.

Tomatoes are treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid, as well as by spraying them with Brexil Ca, calcium nitrate, etc.

Use and folk remedies for the treatment of blossom end rot on tomatoes:

1. One liter of milk is poured into a bucket and topped up with water up to 10 liters. This solution is applied to the leaves and fruits of tomatoes once a week. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times.
2. Also use dried eggshell crushed in a mortar. It is crushed into powder, which is sprinkled on tomato holes before planting seedlings in them.
3. Two tablespoons of chalk, crushed into powder, mixed with one liter of warm water and watered on a bush with a defeat of tomatoes.

However, it must be remembered that excess calcium can lead to a lack of potassium in vegetables, and this is fraught with disturbances in fruit ripening. Therefore, an integrated approach and moderation in soil fertilization is needed.

Some recommendations

When studying the blossom end rot of tomatoes, it was found that in 90% of cases of this disease, irregular watering at elevated temperatures is the cause. The regularity of soil moisture, temperature and humidity should be optimal (temperature 18-22 degrees, humidity 60-70%). With an increase in air temperature, watering should be frequent and vice versa. The ventilation of greenhouses also plays an important role. The lower leaves of the plant are also best removed to improve aeration and prevent tops. Drip irrigation and soil mulching have proven themselves well, since an optimal microclimate is created near the root, and the plant develops normally and bears fruit.

Excessive application of manure and chicken manure can cause blossom end rot in tomatoes as soil pH is disturbed and becomes more acidic.

When loosening the soil under the bushes, the tomato should be careful, as injuries to the rhizomes can cause vertex rot. Due to damage, the plant cannot absorb the minerals it needs from the soil and becomes sick.

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