I planted tomatoes in earthboxes and all of the tomatoes had bottom rot, why? Dolomite was included at the time of planting.
Thank you for your help.
Earthbox- tomatoes
Most THINK BER is a nutrient deficiency issue, but BER is more commonly a physiological problem related to the plant being unable to move enough Ca in the nutrient stream to satisfy growth needs, even when Ca is adequately present in the soil/soil solution. E/g., humid/cloudy weather slows nutrient transport through reduced transpiration and can cause BER regardless of how much Ca is available or how healthy your soil is. The same is true when soil water retention is excessive. Soggy soils reduce the root system's ability to function normally/efficiently, so the reduction in the volume of the nutrient stream means a reduction in how much Ca is getting delivered to organ (fruit) cells. Most BER occurs in the early rapid growth phase of the plants and 'cures' itself as the plant ages or the planting matures, even w/o additional supplies of Ca being added, which clearly points to the physiological realm and cultural issues, rather than to an actual nutritional deficiency.
To be clearer, plants don't need Ca and Mg in balance. They prefer a Ca:Mg ratio somewhere in the range 2.5-5:1 (respectively) to avoid deficiencies due to their Ca's & Mg's antagonistic relationship.
AL
I know this is way late but I used EBs for the first time this year and the directions that come with them say what to do if you have issues with BER. This is even if you have added Dolomite at planting time. Please don't give up on the EBs, just go by the directions or call EB customer service. I never thought they would work in Tx but I got some of my best veggies from my EBs not my in ground garden.