Calcium nitrate and BER: how much??

[RomanX]

I have an assortment of contasiners for 8 tomato plants. I gave them all calcium nitrate (The Treat) about a month ago, when they started flowering.

This evening, I discovered that about a third of the green tomatoes in one EB (used as only a container for two plants) had BER - I picked the effected fruit and tossed them to the squirrells.

I can't remember how much calcium nitrate I should use.

(FYI Strange but true - none of the other containers of tomatoes had BER, not even the other EB! )

[amideutch]

What was the name of the affected variety. Also Unsulphured Black Strap Molasses is a good source of calcium and other micro nutrients.

http://patioofpots.blogspot.com/2013...-molasses.html

Ami

[zipcode]

If the plants wilt sometimes (due to heat, or lack of water or whatever), calcium will not save you, you will get BER on the susceptible varieties, especially on the first fruits. Some varieties are a lot more susceptible than others, next year you shouldn't plant those anymore in containers (unless you really like them).
Also in my observations, using fertilizer with much N will help plants wilt in the heat, a definite bad idea (especially ammonium based N). I don't fertilize when it's hot.

[ginger2778]

In all my 43 Earthboxes, I use 1 teaspoon down the chute before watering, then just water it in. Leave it sit for about 20 minutes to dissolve so that the watering spreads it around. I do this once per week. This season, the mix was about 2-4 years old, and replenished with dolomite/lime, and with the snack, not one incident of BER. My point being that EBs and other SWCs are notorious for getting BER the first year, on the earliest fruits, but after that there is enough lime in the mix, that the Calcinit addition will do the job.
Keep them hydrated and they will grow out of the BER anyway.

[RomanX]

The effected EB held Ace 55 zad Bush Big Bpy.

BER fruit ran the sizes from almost full size to golf-ball size (ie not new fruit. Both plants had it, with Bush Big Boy having a bit more. The strange thing is that one fruit in a cluster would have it and those of similar size, too, would be fine.

Plus, thwe Bush Big Boy is rather sickly-looking, withstrange leaves (wilted, curled, half of leaf pointing straight down) and the plant itself isn't growing as well as the others or flowering as much. I don't think I'll plamt it again.

[loulac]

Suggestions for fighting BER show up on the site from time to time but as far as I know the search is still open. There can be no calcium in the fruit but plenty in the leaves so adding some more is useless. It's often said tomatoes should be protected from stress but it's easier said than done...

[digsdirt]

Suggestions for fighting BER show up on the site from time to time but as far as I know the search is still open.

Very true. The factors that contribute to BER are many and the web abounds with claims of "cures" when none actually exist. 9.9 times out of 10 the BER coincidentally ceased because the plant matured and the weather settled not because of something the grower did. Some studies even show ample Ca+ is in the fruit it is just maldistributed throughout the fruit and that is usually an inconsistent moisture problem

Personally I have never had to use any CalNit in any of my Earthboxes yet I normally have minimal if any BER. 3 fruits this year out of 12 Earthboxes with 2 plants each. It is more prevalent with my inground plants than with any of the containers.

Why? Who knows. Maybe because I don't rush my spring plant out and wait for the weather to settle, maybe it is my drip irrigation on an auto timer, maybe it is my ProMix BX, maybe it is the way I mulch the plants, maybe it is because I don't aggressively prune, maybe it is the fertigation I use, maybe my weather, etc. Shoot maybe it is all the hummingbirds that perch on my cages and poop on the leaves.

But I sure cannot claim that any of those things prevents BER much less cures it.

Dave

[amideutch]

This is a pretty good read on BER.

Ami


http://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadas...iles/86509.pdf

[Winemaker]

Thanks Ami,
I got hit pretty good with BER in my new Earthtainers this year. I am in the California foothills so that read from UC Davis and Placer county is right next to where I live. As stated in the article no problem with my Cherry tomatoes and really none with Big Beef but ACE, Roma, Brandy Boy and Green Zebra all got nailed and they are all on the same automated watering system. Temps here are really hot now and I am sure that is causing some stress on the plants. Supposed to be 106F tomorrow.

[Dewayne mater]

Did you put in lime as per the Raybo's instructions? Think it was 3 cups per tainer. If so and considering the heat you have, it is possible that a too hot root zone is inhibiting uptake of calcium (and other things) leading to more BER. My first year with ETs I had a serious issue with that and we had a good long exchange of ideas, suggestions, etc. from Ami, Raybo and others - that is worth searching. In my case I added CalMg to the watering tube on every refill and that helped. However, ultimately, I realized that the sun hitting the container directly which was also sitting on a concrete driveway was just too much heat on the roots for success. I tried shade cloth and putting up bamboo shades to block the sun. That helped more.

Ultimately, what I did the next year and have done every year since is when it gets hot, by that I mean about 93-95 plus daily, I move the containers off the driveway onto the grass in an area that starts getting shaded around 3 by the house. This resulted in the majority of the plants being able to make it through the summer heat here - something I'd never accomplished before, and they they start producing again in fall. So, if you have an option to do something like that, you may end your BER woes and increase production without have to add Ca. or anything else. I still have the left over bottle of CalMg from about 4 years ago because I've never had to use it again and don't have issues with BER. Maybe I've seen 3 or 4 tomatoes out of hundreds with BER this year. Good luck.

Dewayne Mater

[Winemaker]

Thanks DeWayne,
After reading a number of posts, I am thinking that the first year with Earthtainers, coupled with the heat here in Sacramento has put a lot of stress on the plants. My Earthtainers are all on SWC and are each sitting on furniture dollies. They are sitting on a concrete basketball court and I have had them all separated to maximize sun. I have now changed that and put them all close together as I was also seeing some sun scald. My shipment of Texas Tomato food just arrived so they got their first diluted dose this week. I think I will move them to the other side of the court where there is some partial shade. Fortunately I left the lines long on the watering system. I did add the 3 cups of Lime when I built them up but growth was really rapid here from April 1 on. I also think that I will be a little more selective in plant choice to pick varieties that are a bit more resistant to the various diseases and BER. Not sure if there is such a thing as a BER resistant Roma. Hopefully my San Marzano will work through this. BER on a Roma pretty much takes out the whole fruit.

[Dewayne mater]

That sounds like a good plan to me. Still, I would consider putting something as a sun block on the "front line" of containers that the sun hits directly for a number of hours, i.e. those that face south. For me, the cheapest bamboo 3 foot wide shades at Lowes worked well and are very durable. Early in the season, the sun hitting the containers warming the grow medium results in earlier growth and production. Later, when its hot that same effect is too much heat on the roots and has to be dealt with. San Marzano has had exactly 1 tomato with BER for me this year out of probably 100 picked so far. (2 plants). Good luck.

BTW - I'm a forever believer in TTF! Amazing results for me. Good luck.

DM

[Cole_Robbie]

I second the "inconsistent moisture" theory. I get BER when I don't water enough, and I also get it in low spots when it rains a lot. And paste tomatoes are the worst, which seems to be a common experience.

[Winemaker]

So, should I drop the fruit that has heavy BER in hopes the plant is now more mature and receiving TTF in addition to the original Calcium addition. Seems like with the San Marzanos I might as well drop the fruit since they are pretty much unusable. I have installed some barriers to protect the containers from direct sun. I will be checking soil temps later today.

[Cole_Robbie]

I say yes, always pluck BER fruit off as soon as you see them. Sometimes you have to bend down and look upward into the plant, bc the BER is on the bottom. You can spot it on green fruit. Fruit that have it also ripen prematurely.