Showing posts with label lime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lime. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Tomato Blossom End Rot. 9.28.16

Roma Tomatoes with Blossom End Rot.  9.28.16

Roma Tomatoes with Blossom End Rot.  9.28.16
This is a good example of tomato blossom end rot.  I knew the soil was low in Calcium, having had it tested last year.  I did not get around to applying lime to this garden bed.  Not every tomato was affected, but this was about 1/3 of this crop of Romas. 

I cut off the bad end with about 1/2 inch margin, and cooked the good part.  The bad part goes to the chickens.

Meanwhile, this fall I should get a bag of dolomite lime.  Dolomite contains magnesium as well as calcium.  I have somewhat low magnesium, but the calcium is the main issue.  In the Pacific Northwest, calcium is leached by the constant winter rains.  Low calcium causes blossom end rot.  Inadequate watering, cold soils, and using high nitrogen fertilizer can also be an issue, and I should watch for those as well.  The main thing that I am aware of is that the calcium here is low.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Late December Gardening. Seedlings, Kitchen Garden Prep, Raised Beds, Lime. 12.28.13

Okra Seedlings

Seed and Cutting Setup
Today didn't do much.  In winter garden work can be when I feel like it.

Noted the okra seedlings have germinated.  That's 4 days.  See warming mat makes a big difference.  I had soaked them 1/2 day before planting.  That probably also helped.

I don't know how they will do inside.  That's why it's an experiment.

Chili pepper seeds have not germinated yet.

Opened fig cutting bags 2 days ago, and rinsed them.  Anticipate doing the same tomorrow.

Today -

1.  Spread lime in raised beds and around trees and shrubs.  I calculated the amount as 1 pound per 4 X 8 raised bed.  I estimated the area around the trees and shrubs, and orchard trees, and applied similar amount.  Two 25 pound bags.  Will need another later.

2.  There were some garlic plants and perennial onion volunteers that I pulled out a week or two ago when I cleaned up that raised bed.  I had set them aside.  Today I separated them into individual plants, and planted them.  They did not look the worse for wear despite sitting outside a week or 2.

3.  Spread blood meal around onion starts.  Something has been eating them.  Maybe the blood meal will be a deterrent.  The amount is the recommendation of nitrogen supplement.

4.  Cleaned up the strawberry raised bed.  Removed the fencing.  Raked out the deteriorating straw.  Pulled the few weeds.  Did not cut off dead leaves.  That can be later.  Plan:  Mulch this winter with compost.  Later this winter build a better fencing system, maybe a hinged box with chicken wire sides.  Wait until growth starts, to add straw again.

That's about it.  Sounds like a lot, but non of it was difficult and none took very much time.