John is right, of course, but the problem is also made worse by uneven
moisture in the soil. I have been growing all my tomatoes through black
plastic mulch for several years now and blossom end rot is no longer a
problem.
Bill, if you follow your plan to use the black plastic, you might try
doing nothing else the first year. If the problem still exists, then try
a calcium spray. Do you suppose your soil is deficient in calcium? Do
you ever test your soil to see if you should be adding lime?
One more thing, if you live where it gets very hot early in the season,
then using the pine mulch over the plastic is good. If you live where
the season starts out rather cool, you might leave the pine mulch off
until the soil has a chance to warm up a bit.

Steve



GA Pinhead wrote:
Bill:

Sounds like blossom end rot.

Calcium deficiency. You can spray calcium on the flowers as well as using
soil additives.

John!


"Bill Orr" wrote in message
nk.net...

Each year, my tomatoes have a black rotten spot on the lower side that

ruins

half the crop. Does this indicate some kind of soil deficiency; if so,

what.

Also this year, I plan to use black plastic sheet mulch with pine bark

mulch on

top of that. I haven't ever did this before so I can't predict the

results. If

nothing else, it looks good and keeps the weeds out.

Bill

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