Tomatos getting sick and the first pumpkin plants for the HWC2024

Still looking good. So let's have a look at the bottom.
This tomato looks good right? Lets get rid of the stem.

Now this doesn't look good at all.

If I cut it open it doesn't look good either.

I checked and it seems that my tomatoes either got too much water or the soil has a bad pH-value. or the plant did not get enough calcium.
It is only one of the two plants so far and I hope to set the soil straight and have at least a few I can harvest.
I got rid of quite a few fruits that have these disgusting brown rings on the bottom.
I checked and probably what my tomatoes are suffering from is something called "blossom end rot"
To fight this rot I have to stabilize the Calcium in my soil and with the acute illness, I need marine algae and stone dust to get the much-needed calcium to the fruits.

So all the ripe tomatoes I had have this sickness now. Unfortunate but one lives and learns.
The problem also might be that I did not water the plant while I was away or that it got too much water during the summer storms.
Could be both. One thing is for sure irregular water supply is not the friend of healthy tomatos.

I had a little talk with AI Chatgpt about blossom end rot and here is everything you need to know:

"

• What is Blossom-End Rot?
  Blossom-end rot affects ripening tomatoes, causing brown, rotten spots at the blossom end. It's not a disease but a calcium deficiency.

• Causes of Blossom-End Rot
  Blossom-end rot happens when tomatoes don't get enough calcium. This can be due to:

• Irregular or insufficient watering

• Over-fertilization with nitrogen, ammonium, and magnesium

• High humidity reducing water uptake

• Dry soil lacking calcium

• Imbalanced fertilization blocking calcium absorption

• Fast-growing tomato varieties are more prone to this issue.

• Recognizing Blossom-End Rot
  Look for watery spots on the bottom of tomatoes, which turn brown and leathery. The tissue collapses and darkens. Symptoms usually start with the lowest fruits and sometimes affect young leaves.

• Affected Plants
  Besides tomatoes, zucchinis and some peppers can also be affected. The symptoms are similar.

• Prevention
  To prevent blossom-end rot:

• Ensure regular and consistent watering

• Ventilate greenhouses to reduce humidity

• Avoid over-fertilizing with magnesium and potassium

• Use balanced fertilizers and incorporate organic matter into the soil

• Prune vigorous tomato varieties to reduce excessive growth

• Edibility
  Tomatoes and peppers with blossom-end rot are safe to eat. Cut out the brown spots before consumption."

Good news on the pumpkin side

This has been taken on saturday morning and the plants have grown quickly.

This is a shot of today.

Seems like all seeds have come to sprout. So now I have ideal conditions to plant not only one but multiple pumpkin plants into a bigger pot.
I will go with the 3 strongest plants for the big pot and will also plant a few other plants in smaller pots.
If any of our hiveans from Vienna want to join in they can hit me up and I can give them a small pumpkin plant to plant on their own.

Check out the rules by der-prophet: AnnouncementIf you want to participate in the HIVE WORLD CHAMPIIONSHIP 2024 mention the account @hive-world-champ

Thanks all for reading my irregular updates and hopefully I will have some good news on the tomato front soon.

Posted Using InLeo Alpha