# Gardeners - What Did I Do to My Tomatoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571 "2008-07-24T01:39:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/1 "2008-07-24T01:39:01Z")
I’m a newbie gardner, and I planted several tomato plants this summer. Two varieties - Early Girl and Sweet Millions have started to ripen. So, I picked the choicest red ones off the vine to use in my fajitas tonight - they looked fine. The taste, however, is disgusting. I can best describe it as “rotten”, though I’ve never had a rotten tomatoe. I water them regularly, but not overly (the soil is dry when I add water again), they get full south sun exposure, and I fertilize them monthly. The sweet million is growing in a plastic hanging basket, and the early girl in a large clay pot. Both have adequate drainage. So, any ideas why my tomatoes taste so funky? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/2 "2008-07-24T04:43:53Z")
What kind, and brand, of fertilizer is it? Sometimes tomatoes can get weird flavors from the fertilizer. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/3 "2008-07-24T13:01:06Z")
This happens with tomatoes sometimes - and I’m not sure if it’s soil characteristics, climate, disease (which you should be able to see), or what. I had one recent year where multiple different varieties tasted pretty much like nothing - not a bad flavor, but little tomato taste. Some were in containers, but not all. It’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/4 "2008-07-24T13:40:13Z")
Hey! a tomato thread. I was about to start one. I’m having an odd problem with my roma tomatoes. I don’t want to pick them before they turn red, but when they turn red, the bottoms get all black. Am I waiting too long, or is this a mold that I can take care of? Or is my entire crop done for? ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/5 "2008-07-24T17:26:32Z")
I’m not sure what’s going on with your tomatoes, **Jillyvn** , but I think the fertilizer is a good guess. **Maus Magill** , you’re likely dealing with [blossom-end rot](http://gardening.about.com/od/vegetablepatch/f/BlossomEndRot.htm), which is caused by calcium deficiency. I’ve dealt with it a few times; making sure to water adequately makes a big difference (at least an inch a week). If watering doesn’t help, you can take other steps, like adding calcium or moving the plants to new soil. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/6 "2008-07-24T17:35:01Z")
[QUOTE=Beadalin] **Maus Magill** , you’re likely dealing with [blossom-end rot](http://gardening.about.com/od/vegetablepatch/f/BlossomEndRot.htm), which is caused by calcium deficiency. I’ve dealt with it a few times; making sure to water adequately makes a big difference (at least an inch a week). If watering doesn’t help, you can take other steps, like adding calcium or moving the plants to new soil. [/QUOTE] I’m thinking they didn’t get enough water while we on vacation. I’ll water them a little more, then. If that doesn’t work, should I pour some limestone on the roots? ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/7 "2008-07-24T17:57:27Z")
Eggshells have a lot of calcium in them. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/8 "2008-07-24T18:03:32Z")
To the OP, did you possibly mix tomato and tobacco seeds and then irradiate them? And even though they tasted disgusting did you want to eat more? 😛 I’m not much of a gardener either but I would also guess the fertilizer is the culprit. Maybe you could try a more natural method, like composting, next time? [sub]There is a Simpson’s reference for everything.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/9 "2008-07-24T18:30:52Z")
[QUOTE=Maus Magill] Hey! a tomato thread. I was about to start one. I’m having an odd problem with my roma tomatoes. I don’t want to pick them before they turn red, but when they turn red, the bottoms get all black. Am I waiting too long, or is this a mold that I can take care of? Or is my entire crop done for? [/QUOTE] I’m having the exact same problem! ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/10 "2008-07-24T18:37:10Z")
I was able to correct it with my potted Roma last year by first working some eggshells into the soil, and then mulching with oyster and mussel shells. I don’t know that mulching it like that did any good, but the end rot went away and it was a lovely excuse for some yummy seafood grubbin’. And again, good, regular waterings usually take care of it. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/11 "2008-07-24T19:27:07Z")
I don’t think eggshells do any good once you’ve seen blossom end rot, by that time it’s too late for calcium uptake to do the fruit any good, but it’s an early season deformity that doesn’t affect later tomatoes, so I always use eggshells after I notice it figuring it gives me something to do while it goes away by itself. Back to the OP, I got nothin’ but wanted to get a post in so I’d get updates in case it ever happens to me. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/12 "2008-07-24T19:55:00Z")
The fertilizer I’m using is Shultz brand tomato fertilizer, and I was putting in about once a month. If I lay off fertilizing, will the future tomatoes be ok, or are the plants done for? If I discontinue this fertilizer, is there a different brand I can use to add to the potted soil? I’ve got three big tomato and two cherry tomato plants, so I really hope I don’t have to get rid of them all! Thank you to everyone who replied. The simpsons joke was especially funny 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/13 "2008-07-24T21:57:56Z")
Im not an expert, but what would throwing a dozen tums down do for immediate calcium deficiency? Is at as soluable for plants as it is for people? ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/14 "2008-07-24T22:25:24Z")
There is a quick acting way to deal with BER, but it is not a guaranteed solution to the problem, which as noted upthread can arise from sporadic watering. Mix one tablespoon of epsom salts in about a gallon of water, applied to roots, not foliar. Please note that I grow only indeterminates and have never used this for other 'maters, or those in pots. Eggshells will work but need application the season before. ``` OP, I suspect the fertiliser too if you're growing in pots. Simpsons aside, compost will help grow great tomatoes; a healthy soil is better than fert applications. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-what-did-i-do-to-my-tomatoes/457571/15 "2008-07-24T22:43:10Z")
Is it [this stuff here?](http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop/flypage&product_id=14023) With the multi-time-release formula? The sulphur-coated granules may be reacting oddly with your soil conditions. Get some ordinary complete plant food like Miracle Gro or something (it doesn’t have to specifically say “For Tomatoes”), in 5-10-10, 5-20-20, or 8-16-16 and use it.