[AT] Question OT

[Mark Greer]

Mulching around them with old straw or hay, or fresh grass clippings will help. It will hold the moisture in the ground and keep down the weeds and require less watering. It kind of evens out the moisture content in the ground so the plants don't go from dry to wet to dry again so fast. It also makes your soil better each year with more organic content as it rots up. I also put pulverized eggshells (near powder) around the base of each plant for calcium. I have a couple dozen hens and we eat lots of eggs at our house.
Mark

----- Original Message -----
From: "Al Jones" <farmallsupera at earthlink.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 10:49:30 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Question OT

A calcium (lime) deficiency in the soil will contribute to blossom end rot.  I do believe that hot, dry weather makes it worse, seems to here at least.  I recommend soil testing yearly (use your state's lab, not the do-it-yourself kits) and following the recommendations from the lab based on the results of your test.  Also, if I side-dress any nitrogen, I use calcium nitrate "just in case" to provide a little extra calcium.  

Al


-----Original Message-----
>From: Spencer Yost <yostsw at atis.net>
>Sent: Jul 10, 2011 9:33 PM
>To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>Subject: Re: [AT] Question OT
>
>The hot and dry probably is forcing you into heavy watering.  My father in law, a much better gardener than I will ever dream to be, helped me cure by mulching and regular bone meal.  Mulch helped prevent leaching of  nutrients, such as calcium, by reducing heavy watering.  The bone meal was fast absorbing and seemed to save the last of the crop.   He then instructed me to increase my use of  dolomitic lime in the fall tilling.
>
>Haven't seen blossom end rot since.   Of course this is old school stuff and nowadays on the Internet I am sure there are more up-to-date solutions.  But it worked for me.
>
>Hope this helps,
>
>Spencer
>
>Sent from my iPhone
>
>On Jul 10, 2011, at 18:46, "Richard Fink Sr" <rfinksr at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> I believe that there are many on the list that know about farming. 
>> I have a problem with tomatoes, growing ok, but when they get about the size of a 50 cnt piece they get a black spot where the blossom would be. Have been told this is blossom rot and to treat with lime????. Have had no luck with that, it has been dry and hot here this summer all help wanted.
>> Thanks
>> R Fink
>> PA
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