If you have been reading Martyn's blog you will know that he has been repeatedly lamenting the state of the tomatoes in our garden greenhouse. Every ripe tomato grown in there so far has suffered from blossom end rot.
We are not alone in this problem as a friend is having just the same problem in his greenhouse. One reason given for this is erratic watering which is strange as the tomatoes on our plot greenhouse are not suffering even though those of a plot neighbour are. If anything the plants in the plot greenhouse are watered more erratically than the ones in the greenhouse in the garden.
To be honest we are assessing how we use our garden greenhouse next year and may reduce the priority given to tomatoes!
Happily some things in the garden greenhouse are faring far better. For instance the aubergines. We haven't really had a lot of success with aubergines in the past and this year tried a mini variety called Jackpot. The plants are compact and earlier in the year made beautiful decorative plants.
Then fruit started to set - not just one or two but lots of them.
These can be allowed to grow on or be used as baby vegetables.
Also after it looking as though we were going to be pepperless the pepper plants are now also producing.
They would benefit from some extended growing time having been off to a slow start but hopefully we should manage a harvest of sorts.
The grapevine is just carrying on unperturbed. We don't thin the grapes as it used to be a neck aching job. It does suffer severe pruning throughout the season as otherwise it would fill any available space in the greenhouse and then head out of the window in an attempt at world domination!
So not everything in the greenhouse is blossom end rot - thank goodness. How are your tomatoes doing this year - is it just our part of Yorkshire that has been seeded with tomato rot?
Posts
Sorry to hear about your Blossom End Rot woes, Sue. Thankfully I haven't been affected much by it this year - just one or two fruit have had it. Apart from the erratic waterng theory (to which I don't subscribe, since I am almost religious in my watering habits, yet I still get it sometimes), it is also suggested thar BER is caused or at least exacerbated by a deficiency of calcium. Anyway, you have certainly compensated for the poor tomato crop with a bumper crop of Aubergines! They look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI read that too Mark. It sort of ties the two things together saying erratic watering can affect calcium take up. The mystifying thing is both lots of tomatoes are growing in the same type pf compost and are being fed in the same way.
DeleteHi Sue I am new to your blog, but will enjoy some enjoyable posts for sure, I have never encountered BER as tomato blight is my biggest problem, but I am moving to a new allotment plot next month where I hope next year neither problems will occur, all the best David
ReplyDeletePS some fabulous pictures on show who takes them?
Hi David - you are very welcome. I hope that you are disease free on your new plot too.
DeleteAs for the photos - I take most of them on this blog with some from my husband if he has some photos I haven't. On the whole he takes the video and I take the stills. I also take lots of stills for his steam blog and he 'steals' some of mine for his weather blog too so it's a two way sharing process.
Oh good just my cup of tea the steam blog will have to follow that
ReplyDeleteThe link is on the sidebar, David. Believe it or not it is the one labelled Steam Days. :)
DeleteI haven't been affected at all so far, touch wood - but mine do get watered regularly - it's just that this year I don't seem to have that many tomatoes to worry about in the greenhouse - I've never known a year like it for lack of fruit.
ReplyDeleteThat's the strange thing Elaine our garden tomatoes are watered regularly and suffer and the plot ones less so and don't. If it was the other way round we could understand it!
DeleteHi Sue, I remember attending a talk by an RHS expert who puts it down to calcium deficiency which can be linked to watering. I always put crushed eggshells in when planting but not sure if that makes a difference of not as I've not had the problem so can't compare. The aubergines look great, I've not got as many as you!
ReplyDeleteI've read similar things, Damo but why is this year different when the plants are getting the same treatment as always?
DeleteHi Sue, erratic watering can aid blossom end rot but lack of calcium is the main problem. A good feed with some tomato feed over a few days could solve the problem if its not been affecting the fruits for long.
ReplyDeleteThey are getting a regular feed with Tomorite already, Rooko - just the same as the plot tomatoes are.
DeleteI've been lucky with tomatoes this year, touch wood. I grow lots of Sungold, which I find the most reliable, as well as Ferline which supposedly have some blight resistance. I tried Stupice this year as well, and they are doing okay, although my tomatoes are limited by being grown outdoors I think. Having said that, the little Sungold ones are doing really well this year - there are a few to pick every single day.
ReplyDeleteOurs are taking ages to ripen this year CJ which is odd given it has been warmer and sunnier. I know poor weather earlier meant they were late getting going but they don't appear to be catching up. The plants themselves look very healthy.
DeleteSorry about the blossom end rot, I have also heard that calcuim defficent soil is one of the causes. I had it one year outside so started chucking my egg shells into my compost bin and since no rot. Love your egg plants, I have never succeed with them, except for the long thin asian ones, so this year going to try them in the greenhouse.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first year our aubergines have done well Sharon as we usually have few fruits on them too.
DeleteThat's the first time I've heard of blossom end rot, thankfully I've never had it.
ReplyDeleteOh my, your aubergines are to die for, and I'm most jealous of your grapes, my vine has only just started growing, along with my peppers. The chilies are doing well though.xxxx
The vine is quite an old one now, Snowbird and gives us plenty of grapes each year,
Delete