The Dawg Patch

[JayneR13]

Has Stop Rot worked well for you? I planted all my tomatoes with a handful of bone meal but it didn't help at all and I had BER everywhere.

I plant mine with gypsum, a fast acting source of calcium. I find that works very well, though I also use Stop Rot in a pinch. BER, from what I've read, is a calcium deficiency. I've also read about uneven watering being a possible cause but more commonly it's a lack of calcium. Gypsum and Stop Rot are fast acting sources. Egg shells take a lot of time to degrade. Here's a link for your enjoyment: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/article ... m-end-rot/ Interestingly enough, WI Extension also recommends bone meal. I've had better luck with gypsum though.

[GoDawgs]

I plant mine with gypsum, a fast acting source of calcium.

Do you mix it in with all of the potting soil or mix a little into the potting hole itself before putting the plant in?

[JayneR13]

I put it in the planting hole along with some chicken poo at planting. I use one of those Soil Savvy cups to measure so perhaps 1/8 cup.

[GoDawgs]

@JayneR13 , thanks for that info. I will do that when it's time to plant the few newbies I started for fall.

I was going to get out the Daconil last evening to foil the emergence and/or spread of powdery mildew. Then I remembered I had some neem oil which has both fungicidal and insecticidal properties and decided to try that first. It's a two-fer since I had noticed some of the small dreaded cucumber beetles out and about. I went ahead and treated everything in the garden since a few bean beetles were spotted too. It's a war, I tell ya!