Sorry to hear about your BER troubles. My own crop of tomatos (container and ground) has been BER free, but the cool summer has not helped them ripen. Some of the early varieties started to ripen early August which is when I usually expect the mid season varieties to ripen.

It seems it's only now we are getting some summer weather and various heat lovers that grew like snails are finally taking off.

I am curious if your tomatos plants in containers that are having BER issues are ever wilting? That your in ground plants aren't getting BER, but your container plants are kind of rules out the weather and points more to a soil issue. Either lack of calcium (is this a new peat mix or a reused mix? Was lime added at all if it's not a first year mix?

I would look at either watering or potentially calcium if it's not a first year mix and no lime was added.

Cross pollination isn't all that common with tomatos and it certainly wouldn't affect the current fruit.

Rob,

After 3 seasons in SWCs (both EarthBox and EarthTainers), I have personally concluded that Potting Mixes straight out of the bag do too good a job of wicking and moisture retention. I am experimenting now with various combinations of Potting Mixes, and adding in Perlite, Cactus Mix, and Turface to bring more aeration and less moisture content to the growing media.

I'll have a better real-life result matrix in the October timeframe, but I do believe there is a mix combination that would be better for your containers as compared with straight Potting Mix out of the bag.

Raybo

Rob, I know this is cold comfort, but many of us who use containers are having BER issues this year. I've never had a problem before - about 20 years of growing in the ground and another 8 in containers. This year one of my tomatoes, a Momotaro, has yet to yield one tomato to me. I've tossed 15 to BER. I do have a few maturing, but as gardendoc2 said, it's not been that warm, so everything is very behind.

I am not having problems with all varieties, which is good. I've only lost a few of the grape tomatoes I'm growing. But for someone who's never had BER issues, it's very uncomfortable. Like you, I kept saying it would go away (it always has), but it's been over a month of picking off the BER fruit with none of them getting to maturity.

Justaguy, I watered them faithfully, but then I got to thinking maybe to much. So I cut back till visually or the finger told me to, or the plants did.. LoL .... But whether their thirst was satisfied or I let them wilt a little the BER continues! First year for the mix.

Raybo, I was going to look into as stated, this winter on what and how to mix something into the current mix. I was thinking maybe some sand. Why I think that,,, Well the ones that went in the ground, the gound where I planted them only had a few inches of top soil and then sand! The plants were in 16oz cups, I dug a hole around 3 or 4 times the size of the cups. Put them in threw in some miracle grow covered with what I dug out. And their thriving, And I never expected them to live LoL Just thought I would give them a chance.. and they did! Just not as big as the container plants. Which I was thinking was do to going in the ground a month an a half late. But I will be waiting with bated breath for your results!

Lathyrus, Most of my Romas look like super sized cherrys and my mamas look like romas, some like beef steaks! LoL Only a couple came out on the beef steak and BER got them!
Man did I pick the wrong year to get into the mater business! LoL.

So I am wondering if it is one or the other, or a combo of potting mix and the cool summer? The bummer is I have to wait a year to try again. "sigh".

Thanks for the replies guys. has given me some insight on where to direct my thought...

Rob

I would chalk it up to bad luck at this point, Rob. It doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong and sometimes stuff just happens. Tomatos are quite prone to BER.

I used to consider tomatos my never fails crop as it didn't seem to matter what variety I grew or how I grew it, they always did really well. Then one year I lost every plant in ground and in containers to disease. It was quick too, one day plants were perfect, two weeks later every one was dead. Didn't get a single ripe fruit from any of them.

Just for kicks, why don't you prune away 25-50% of growth from one of your indeterminate plants? Remove all suckers regardless of whether they are in flower or developing fruit. If you wish, chop off a few branches from the main plant too. See if this doesn't 'shock' the plant into getting it's act together. Just do it on one, for kicks, if you care to. No promises, but doesn't sound like you have much to lose.

I thought I should probably elaborate a bit on my reasoning for suggesting a significant pruning of the plant.

Calcium is primarily needed on developing plant tissue.

Let's say the plant requires 100 units of calcium per day to meet the needs of all the developing plant tissue/fruit and let's further say that currently the roots/environmental conditions are able to supply only 75 units of calcium per day.

Obviously this will result in the fruits developing abnormally which results in BER.

By removing a significant portion of the growth we lower the total number of calcium units the plant requires making it more likely the developing fruit get what they need.

No guarantees, but until someone comes along and pokes holes in my logic I am sticking with the idea ;)

This is temporary as pruning the plant will eventually result in a flush of new growth, but at this point in the season I doubt it will become an issue.

It IS hard to want to be kicked again, isn't it? The good news is that for the most part, tomatoes have been to me as they were to justaguy2. Never worried about them at all.

While I have had my share of struggles since moving from in in-ground garden to a deck and containers, most of my problems were poor choices because I was trying to grow containers like my garden. Even so, I had a year not dissimilar to justaguy2's; I think it was a whitefly transmitted disease in my case.

The whiteflies came (something I'd never seen in 20 years of in-ground organic gardening), so I wasn't prepared. By the time I figured out what was wrong, those tomatoes were very, very unhappy. That year I think I ate 3 or 4 tomatoes out of 6 plants. On top of the systemic disease that plagued them (a slow death that kept me thinking I should keep trying), I had them in heavy, wet soil.

It really hurt to lose all that, mainly because I felt I was golden! I'd never had tomato problems.

Now, I have gratitude again. I understand that I'm not always going to have stellar years. But, I do know that I'll have some stellar years.

You don't know that yet. But, you will next year. :-).

justaguy..thanks, yea, I understood what you meant. Thanks for elaborating. Not just for me, but any others that may be reading. Can't never learn to much... as far as I know... Think I'll try that on the beef steak it isn't producing anything.. But you know, now that I think about it. I have pruned lower growth earlier in the season to keep it clear for watering.. That wouldn't have the same affect as a main branch or stem?

Lathyrus... LoL I say for me, it is hard to have to wait a year to be kicked again! " I coulda been a contender "....
The bummer is I started everything from seed, anticipating having atleast a dozen jars of spaggetti sauce canned by now!.. "sigh".. On a high note though... The Mrs.made some fresh spaggetti sauce yesterday with what we did have. And the peppers bells and KN's are doing good, have had some good omlets with them! Thanks for the encouragement!! Appreciate it!

I think I have the fever!! LoL ... I envy those in the warmer regions that can get two growing seasons in a year!!

Could be worse I reckon.. The blight didn't wipe me out!! Atleast were getting a few! Even if they are small! LoL

That wouldn't have the same affect as a main branch or stem?

Good question. Since the calcium is going to go to the developing tissue I would try to get rid of that tissue. Older tissue not growing much won't be using as much calcium.

I haven't had BER, but my tomato tree has been difficult. Yes, tree (over 7+ feet now).

She's the daughter. My first tomato (better boy) was started late last year. I know my climate is different, but still I have problems. It is container grown from cuttings of the momma. (Who takes cuttings from an unhappy plant, right?) Well I did.

It has yielded the best tasting 8+ tomatoes the state of Florida has ever produced! It did take a looong time. I'm still trying to save the daughter tree for the proper season down here: September.

Today, I cut, trimmed, and pulled everything that didn't seem desirable. I didn't know the reasoning behind it until now: thanks Jag =D. I've also saved some of the cuttings just in case. I feel very lucky to have another chance in such a short period of time.

Even in a container, I've always had to keep the bottom branches from growing to deter pests. Maybe I only learned that after the first plant died....

Shannon