I'm really hoping there are some advanced gardeners on this forum. We're Oregonians, Willamette Valley, and new to home gardening. Last year we planted Roma and Cherry tomatoes. The plants nearest our porch did spectacularly while the plants in our raised beds developed rotted looking bottoms. Asking for info and advice from our local nurseries produced little by way of care and/or prevention. We were told that many varieties of plants do this due to plant strain and nothing can be done to salvage the plant (much akin to family heritage - we may be novices but, honestly, we feel there's got to be more info out there!) So, after we pulled the plants and the season ended, we removed all the soil and replaced it with new soil and an organic compost mixture that a local website recommended. This year, fearing a repeat of last years fiasco, we put our tomatoes in planters on the opposite side of our property... however, we have the same problem. Please, can anyone explain what we're doing wrong? The plants that flourished last year are flourishing this year, too, and in the same placement. Argh!