{"id":12039,"date":"2024-06-01T09:44:31","date_gmt":"2024-06-01T13:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/?p=12039"},"modified":"2025-02-13T13:36:56","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T18:36:56","slug":"blossom-end-rot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Prevent Blossom End Rot in Your Vegetable Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nothing is more disappointing than picking a perfect tomato only to find its bottom soft, black, and rotten. Blossom end rot (BER) isn\u2019t limited to tomatoes\u2014it also affects peppers, eggplant, squash, and melons. Caused by insufficient calcium and inconsistent watering during rapid growth, BER is preventable with proper care and planning.<\/p>\n

Why Calcium Matters for Your Vegetables<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Calcium is essential for healthy plant development. When vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, melons, and eggplant don\u2019t receive enough calcium, the tissue at the blossom end of the fruit deteriorates. Testing your soil\u2019s pH and calcium levels, maintaining consistent watering, and avoiding excessive fertilization are key to preventing BER in your garden.<\/p>\n

Start Prevention Before Planting<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Soil pH directly affects how much calcium is available to plants. Vegetables generally thrive in soil with a pH of 6.2\u20136.8, but those prone to BER need a pH of 6.5\u20136.8. At lower pH levels, calcium becomes chemically bound in the soil, making it inaccessible to plants during critical growth periods. Even with the right pH, insufficient calcium in the soil can still lead to BER.<\/p>\n

The Role of Watering and Fertilization<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Inconsistent watering disrupts nutrient absorption. Without adequate moisture, plants can’t absorb nutrients, leading to small, weak plants that are vulnerable to diseases, pests, and deficiencies\u2014including BER.<\/p>\n

Excessive fertilization can also trigger BER by accelerating plant growth beyond its nutrient absorption capacity. When plants grow too quickly, they can\u2019t take in enough calcium, resulting in nutrient imbalances and susceptibility to BER.<\/p>\n

Can BER Be Fixed This Season?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Adding calcium to your soil won\u2019t immediately reverse BER in this year\u2019s crop, but it can improve soil health for the next season. Fortunately, we carry easy-to-use calcium sprays that can help save much of your current harvest.<\/p>\n

Need Help? Visit Us for Expert Advice and Supplies!<\/h2>\n

Visit your local Meadows Farms<\/a> for expert advice and a selection of products to combat blossom end rot. Our knowledgeable staff can help you choose the best solutions for your current crops and provide tips ensure BER is never an issue in your garden again!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nothing is more disappointing than picking a perfect tomato only to find its bottom soft, black, and rotten. Blossom end rot (BER) isn\u2019t limited to tomatoes\u2014it also affects peppers, eggplant, squash, and melons. Caused by insufficient calcium and inconsistent watering during rapid growth, BER is preventable with proper care and planning. Why Calcium Matters for… Read More <\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12040,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[197],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-garden-problems"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Causes Blossom End Rot & How to Prevent It<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rotten spots on your produce? Learn what causes blossom end rot and simple steps to prevent it for a bountiful harvest!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Causes Blossom End Rot & How to Prevent It\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rotten spots on your produce? Learn what causes blossom end rot and simple steps to prevent it for a bountiful harvest!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-01T13:44:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-13T18:36:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meadows Farms\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Meadows Farms\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#\/schema\/person\/84ed21dabe5357aae7be716af560772b\"},\"headline\":\"How To Prevent Blossom End Rot in Your Vegetable Garden\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-01T13:44:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-13T18:36:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/\"},\"wordCount\":359,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Garden Problems\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/\",\"name\":\"What Causes Blossom End Rot & How to Prevent It\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-01T13:44:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-13T18:36:56+00:00\",\"description\":\"Rotten spots on your produce? Learn what causes blossom end rot and simple steps to prevent it for a bountiful harvest!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Tomatoes on vine with one red tomato showing blossom end rot and two healthy green tomatoes\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Garden Problems\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/category\/garden-problems\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How To Prevent Blossom End Rot in Your Vegetable Garden\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/\",\"name\":\"Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping\",\"description\":\"A full-service Garden Center with 18 retail locations in Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/meadows-farms-tagline.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/meadows-farms-tagline.png\",\"width\":257,\"height\":190,\"caption\":\"Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#\/schema\/person\/84ed21dabe5357aae7be716af560772b\",\"name\":\"Meadows Farms\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Causes Blossom End Rot & How to Prevent It","description":"Rotten spots on your produce? Learn what causes blossom end rot and simple steps to prevent it for a bountiful harvest!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Causes Blossom End Rot & How to Prevent It","og_description":"Rotten spots on your produce? Learn what causes blossom end rot and simple steps to prevent it for a bountiful harvest!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/","og_site_name":"Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping","article_published_time":"2024-06-01T13:44:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-02-13T18:36:56+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Meadows Farms","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/"},"author":{"name":"Meadows Farms","@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#\/schema\/person\/84ed21dabe5357aae7be716af560772b"},"headline":"How To Prevent Blossom End Rot in Your Vegetable Garden","datePublished":"2024-06-01T13:44:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-13T18:36:56+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/"},"wordCount":359,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg","articleSection":["Garden Problems"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/","url":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/","name":"What Causes Blossom End Rot & How to Prevent It","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg","datePublished":"2024-06-01T13:44:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-13T18:36:56+00:00","description":"Rotten spots on your produce? Learn what causes blossom end rot and simple steps to prevent it for a bountiful harvest!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/blossom-end-rot.jpg","width":1200,"height":400,"caption":"Tomatoes on vine with one red tomato showing blossom end rot and two healthy green tomatoes"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/blossom-end-rot\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Garden Problems","item":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/blog\/category\/garden-problems\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How To Prevent Blossom End Rot in Your Vegetable Garden"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/","name":"Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping","description":"A full-service Garden Center with 18 retail locations in Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#organization","name":"Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping","url":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/meadows-farms-tagline.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/meadows-farms-tagline.png","width":257,"height":190,"caption":"Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/#\/schema\/person\/84ed21dabe5357aae7be716af560772b","name":"Meadows Farms","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12039"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17041,"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12039\/revisions\/17041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}