Rotting of tomato fruit tops is often caused by calcium insufficiency. We come today with 3 methods to properly fertilize tomatoes so that this disease passes from your garden and crops.
1. Vinegar + eggshells
Take a jar with 500 ml of 9% vinegar and add about 20 eggshells which, by gradually dissolving, convert the calcium into calcium acetate. It is an effective fertilizer for plants. Simply dilute the solution with water, using the following quantities: 1 glass of solution per 10 l of water. Fertilize the tomatoes via the leaves or under the root (0.5 l per 1 bush).
You can also add chalk instead of eggshells.
2. Solution of slaked lime or ash + vinegar
The use of slaked lime or ash solutions is not a successful idea to combat rotting of the upper part of tomato fruits, as they block the assimilation of phosphorus.
Lime and ash can be used for soil deacidification, but only for crops whose consuming part is not fruit (for example, cabbage), and for fruit crops phosphorus deficiency is a very important problem.
However, if you plan to fertilize tomatoes with lime or ash solutions, you must necessarily quench them with vinegar. For 1 bucket of water, take 1 tablespoon of slaked lime and 2-3 glasses of 9% vinegar. If the lime is of good quality, foam and bubbles should not appear. Vinegar has the function of protecting the phosphates present in the soil and does not allow them to transform into insoluble forms.
3. Superphosphate
Superphosphate contains a significant amount of calcium, being a compound of calcium and phosphoric acid in soluble form. This is a wonderful way to saturate your crops with calcium and phosphorus at the same time.
Another very important aspect is high temperatures. During the hot season, the assimilation of calcium from the soil is disturbed, even if crops are fertilized constantly and in sufficient quantities.
A preventive measure is aeration of the greenhouse. If, however, it is hot both in the greenhouse and outside, use weakly concentrated solutions of dimethyl sulfoxide. Add 1/0 teaspoon of dimethyl sulfoxide to 5 buckets of water. The solution will significantly increase the ability of the roots to absorb calcium and a complex of nutrients. Irrigate the plants (1.1l-<>l per <> bush) and sprinkle them, even during the fruit formation period.
Don’t forget the microflora too. Use diluted solutions of green fertilizer so that the tomato bushes not only develop vegetative mass, but also enrich the soil with organic substances.
Happy gardening!