Have you ever wondered why tomatoes turn black at the tips? The mystery has been revealed. We’re guessing it’s not due to lack of water. Here’s the real reason.
You too may have witnessed the deterioration of the quality of a tomato . You will have seen that these vegetables often turn black at the ends . Why does this phenomenon occur? It is not the fault of a lack or poor watering.
How to best care for tomato plants
It’s impossible not to love tomatoes . Their strong yet sweet flavor is appreciated by gourmet palates around the world. Italy is one of the nations that produces, imports, and exports the most of these tasty fruits abroad, which are consumed especially in summer.
Harvesting tomatoes
If you have the opportunity to grow a tomato plant in a pot or in the garden , we recommend you do so: if you follow a few tips, you will be able to enjoy this unsold and tasty vegetable garden product throughout the summer season.
But how do you care for a tomato plant? There are a few things you need to know. To grow it well and produce plenty of fruit, you need to:
water the plant every two days;
bury it in moist, well-drained soil so the roots can take root well;
expose it in a very bright place;
prune it frequently by cutting off the buds that appear under the leaves and the stem;
Feed the soil with natural fertilizers if you notice that your plant is struggling to grow.
You realize that your tomato plant is not growing in the right direction not only if it produces few fruits but especially if the latter start to color the tips black . Why does this phenomenon occur? No, it does not depend on the lack of water.
Why do tomatoes turn black at the tip?
You may also have noticed that not all tomatoes are the same. Of course, there are different varieties that define the shape, color, and flavor of the fruit.
However, there is surely something that all tomatoes have in common, regardless of the variety: the black color that often appears on their tips. What is this curious phenomenon? Why does it happen? We answer these questions.
Black tomatoes at the tip
The main reason tomatoes turn black at the tips is a calcium deficiency , a rare nutrient in the soil. A lack of or too little of this nutrient, which is essential for fruiting, manifests itself as necrosis on the lower part of the fruit (the tip, to be clear) and internal rot , which makes the tomato clearly inedible.
This being established, we can therefore exclude that the black color at the tip does not depend on the lack of water . At least not completely. We must also establish specifications in this regard.
To grow healthy and strong, plants must absorb the calcium that is present in a well-fertilized soil . All the nutrients the plant acquires through the roots which in turn absorb them from the soil substrate in which, among the different nutrients, calcium is also found.
What happens if you overwater or underwater a tomato plant ? There are two consequences:
If you overwater the plant, its roots drown and are unable to absorb the most important nutrients such as calcium;
If you water the plant too little, the roots will not grow and will not be able to absorb nutrients and therefore also calcium.
This is why it is more correct to say that tomatoes turn black at the tip because they are unable to absorb calcium as they should , but also because of poor irrigation .
Is it possible to fix this? The answer is yes. How? By incorporating calcium into the soil . This can be done either by fertilizing the soil with supplements containing this essential plant nutrient or by using natural ingredients.
Milk , for example, which is a calcium-rich drink , can help the plant absorb the right amount of this nutrient . Pour 250 ml of milk into a liter of water and water the soil and leaves of the tomato plant.
You can also use powdered milk if you prefer. In this case, you will need to spread a generous amount over the substrate and then water the plant.
However, according to some studies, there are also other causes responsible for so-called apical necrosis , namely excessive growth of the plant having received excessive nitrogen supplementation or poor water drainage.
The solution to all these problems is therefore to feed the soil with natural calcium supplements but above all to pay attention to irrigation: so-called water stress must be avoided.