GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - bottom-rot tomatoes

06-01-2004, 01:33 AM

(FarmerDill) wrote in message ...

I don't know the soils in Colorado, but BER is more often caused by stress.
This can be due to a lack of any of several nutients even by water deprivation
(drought). Some varieties (cultivars) are very prone to BER while others are
relatively unaffected. Check your soil pH. Most soils contain sufficient
calcium, but high acidity can impede the uptake into the plant. Ground
limestone (prefereably dolomite which also contains magnesium) is the best long
term solution. Crushed seashells, eggshells etc also are primarily calcium
carbonate and work the same . Wood ashes are a great source of potasium not
calcium but will quickly but temporarily raise the soil pH.

actually wood ash is in all cases 30 to 50% Ca. In fact, Ca is the
most abundant nutrient in wood ash. All you have to do is a web search
to find out. that is one of the reasons why it is so good for
tomatoes, cabbage and lettuce amonst others. It has both (K-Ca), plus
it helps raise the pH.