Simple ways to control blossom-end rot disorder in fruiting vegetables

Blossom-end rot is a physiological disorder, not a disease prevalent in tomato, squash, pepper, and all other fruiting vegetables. It is easily identified as a brown, leathery rot developing on or near the blossom-end of the fruit. It starts with a dry brown lesion the size of a dime, generally increasing in diameter as the condition worsens.

With time, lesions often become covered with a black mould. Blossom-end rot is caused by calcium deficiency, usually due to fluctuations in water supply. Because calcium is not a highly ‘mobile’ element in the plant, even brief changes in the water supply can cause blossom-end rot.