Blossom End Rot - How Soil Testing Can Help Prevent It

You thought you were doing everything right. You bought the cages, the right size pots, waited for warm soil before planting, watched for signs of pests and meticulously watered your plants directly at the base with about an inch of water per week. You watched with pride as flowers became fruit, but before long you notice the bottom of your tomatoes seem to be turning brown, leathery and start to rot.

Sounds like you’ve got a case of Blossom End Rot. Unfortunately, this physiological disorder is all too common, and affects not only tomatoes but many common garden fruits and vegetables. Even when you’ve done everything right, there could be a big factor working against you and it’s easily overlooked.

It’s your soil quality. When you’ve eliminated all other issues, the nutrients in your soil can determine how your tomato plant bears fruit. Blossom End Rot is commonly caused by a lack of calcium being absorbed by the plant. In situations where there is plenty of calcium available, it is important to consider what could be preventing your plants from being able to absorb the available calcium.

Excess nitrogen levels in soil can block the absorption of calcium and other vital nutrients your tomatoes require to develop healthy fruit. Understanding this balance can make a world of difference to your plants, and we’re here to help.

Our Specialty soil testing package would be incredibly beneficial to help you understand the delicate balance of nutrients your tomatoes rely on by testing your soil’s Nitrogen and Calcium levels along with Cation Exchange Capacity, Base Saturation, Electrical Conductivity and so much more. We can provide you with a detailed Certificate of Analysis that’s easy to read and understand so you can supplement your soil properly without any guesswork.

You can find more information about our Specialty soil testing here.