BER with Hearts

[TexasTomat0]

I'm growing hearts this year for the first time and I'm having my first problem with blossom end rot. Are hearts more susceptible? I know what to do to fix the problem, just curious if this is more common in heart varieties. It's really hitting my German red strawberry pretty hard.


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[Nan_PA_6b]

I thought hearts were less susceptible.

Nan

[NarnianGarden]

My (limited) experience with heart shaped varieties led me to believe they are more vulnerable to BER...
Which is such a shame, since the hearts I tried all tasted amazing. (Kosovo, FishLake Oxheart etc...)

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by TexasTomat0

I'm growing hearts this year for the first time and I'm having my first problem with blossom end rot. Are hearts more susceptible? I know what to do to fix the problem, just curious if this is more common in heart varieties. It's really hitting my German red strawberry pretty hard.


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Hearts and pastes are more susceptible.

[Worth1]

What is your watering schedule like?
Don't let the soil dry out I have never had a problem with BER on any tomato since I discovered what caused it.
The trace amounts of calcium in my water also helps.
Other experts can help you with this I'm not an expert by any means at all.
Just an old man that gets lucky against all odds and wisdom.
Worth

[carolyn137]

Of all the many hearts I have grown , and that's many hundreds, I have never seen BER once.

But that's just my own experience where I've grown them,what the weather was like in any given season,how I grow my tomato plants and many many other variables too many to even consider mentioning.

Off topic a bit, but I'm not the only one who has noticed that seeds processed and saved from hearts are not as viable long term than non hearts.

Yes,I agree that BER can be a problem with paste varieties,but not all, and not all the time.

Did I give myself enough wiggle room with my answers? If I did it was intentional.

Carolyn

[Gardeneer]

I have had BER with plum varieties like Roma and SanMarzzano.
It is not calcium deficiency but genetics and irregular soil moisture are to blame.
For this reason it happens more in container growing, cause being inconsistent soil moisture, especially when container size is on the small side.

[Spartanburg123]

Although I have limited experience with hearts, in 2015 when DLH first appeared amongst other Omar's Lebanese plants, only DLH exhibited BER- the oblate OL around it did not get BER. I treated it with a solution of 2 tsp Ca(NO3)2 pellets dissolved in 1 gallon of water- applied at the roots. The BER was so severe that I was only able to recover 2 intact fruit, which produced the seed that carries on today.

[PaulF]

More anecdotal evidence: having grown more than 50 different varieties of hearts and only once has there been a heart with BER. That being one of the first years for a garden not having been tilled...ever. Soil health and lack of how to water and care for tomatoes in a new situation was ultimately the cause. Several varieties that year, both hearts and non-hearts were victims of BER.

I feel BER is caused by circumstance and lack of understanding of the cause.

[NarnianGarden]

Originally Posted by PaulF

I feel BER is caused by circumstance and lack of understanding of the cause.

But what is the cause when every other variety, more or less in the same conditions, is doing well and no BER?
It has been discussed at various garden sites for years, and there have been many many suggestions as to what to do, still the condition continues to exist.
It is not always something one can cure.

[b54red]

I had never seen BER on a heart until a bit over a week ago after we went through a very dry time and I let the soil dry out too much. I was surprised to see BER on a Kosovo fruit. It was the first time I have seen any BER in my garden in years since I started using cypress mulch; but I guess the high winds, hot temps and unbelievably low humidity we had for about 4 weeks had an affect. Uneven watering has always been the culprit when I have the rare occurrence of BER. In over 40 years of tomato growing I have only noticed one variety that seemed more susceptible than others and that was Mule Team; but I have rarely grown any paste tomatoes because I find hearts fill the bill in that category without having to deal with so many small tomatoes.

Bill

[TexasTomat0]

I've got all my beds, except the one in question, on a timed soaked hose so I would venture to say it is the uneven moisture. I do check the bed every day for moisture, but it still could be uneven. I'll see about running another soaker to fix the problem.

I just put this raised bed together this year and I forgot/didn't add in any lime when I mixed up the soil for the bed so I was fearing a lack of calcium. So that combined with the uneven moisture are most likely the culprits.


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[PaulF]

Originally Posted by PaulF

I feel BER is caused by circumstance and lack of understanding of the cause.

Included in circumstance is that there are some varieties more susceptible to BER than others if conditions are conducive to BER. Slippery slope to make generalizations?

No BER in my garden for thirteen years and counting. Are temperature swings a contributing factor? Then watch out this year.

[taboule]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Did I give myself enough wiggle room with my answers? If I did it was intentional.

Carolyn

That's a definite maybe.

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by TexasTomat0

I'm growing hearts this year for the first time and I'm having my first problem with blossom end rot. Are hearts more susceptible? I know what to do to fix the problem, just curious if this is more common in heart varieties. It's really hitting my German red strawberry pretty hard.
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"Know what to do to fix the problem" ? That's information that is certainly widely sought, including my many commercial growers. [g]

Many say they haven't seen BER in hearts, but there was a thread within the last couple of years where several of us mentioned seeing it in hearts (but not just hearts and not all hearts growing in the same area) -- varieties that had never had a problem before and where there was no obvious cause . . . irregular watering, too much nitrogen, etc.

The first post in this old thread quotes one of the best short discussions of BER I've seen. Among other things, it clarifies the calcium issue that is often confusingly expressed -- that BER is due to calcium deficiency, of course -- but not necessarily, or even often, calcium deficiency in the soil, or in the plant -- just at the blossom ends of some developing fruits -- and discusses possible cause for this.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=8306

There's other good info in the thread, also.