Dear Gardeners,

Many gardeners have been experiencing problems with their tomato plants this year.  One common problem Community Gardeners are having is BLOSSOM END ROT.  Another issue that is occurring is that the tomato plants are not producing a enough flowers.  Due to the heavy rains, many of the nutrients in the soil have washed away.  Here is a list of ORGANIC products available to help these common tomato problems.  You can find the products at Chalet in Wilmette, Pesche's in Des Plaines, or Reds in Northbrook.

BLOSSOM END ROT- This is caused by a calcium deficiency in the soil.  There is a product called ROT STOP by BONIDE you can use.  This product comes in a spray bottle or in a concentrated form you can mix with water in your watering can.  You can also add crushed egg shells to the soil but this will only add calcium to the soil after the shells break down over time.  Bonemeal is another product you can use to add calcium to the soil.  It is perfectly fine to eat tomatoes with blossom end rot if you cut off the rotten part.

NOT ENOUGH TOMATO BLOSSOMS?- You can use a product called BLOSSOM SET SPRAY (also called blossom set hormone) by BONIDE.  This product helps your tomato plant produce flowers even in poor conditions.  Blossom set spray can also be applied to beans, cucumbers, melons, peppers, and strawberries. 

GENERAL FERTILIZING- If you have not already applied a general fertilizer yet this month, you can apply a general organic fertilizer such as DR. EARTH TOMATO, VEGETABLE, and HERB FERTILIZER or TOMATO TONE by ESPOMA.

Feel free to contact me if you have any other concerns about your tomato plants.

Happy Gardening!

Alyssa Tadelman

Community Garden Plot Coordinator

Historic Wagner Farm