The Old-Time Method For Preventing Blossom End Rot That's Sitting In Your Medicine Cabinet

There's nothing more frustrating for a gardener than spotting blossom end rot ruining the fruits of their labor — literally. It usually starts as a tiny mark near the blossom end of a green fruit, darkening from light to deep brown as the tissue dries out and sinks in, forming a sunken, leathery patch. In some cases, the blemish can spread across the entire bottom half, leaving the fruit's base looking droopy and defeated. Tomatoes, squash, and peppers are most susceptible, and once it takes hold, the fruit can't be rescued. Luckily, there's a surprisingly simple solution: Tums. Yes, the same calcium-rich antacid tablets from your medicine cabinet that ease heartburn can also support healthy fruit development and keep blossom end rot at bay.

While pests or diseases are usually the culprits in gardening, here it's the environment to blame; especially anything that messes with water or calcium reaching developing fruits. During a sudden stretch of heat and dryness, fast-growing plants can't pull up enough water, and calcium never makes it to the fruits, creating the sunken blemish gardeners dread. Anything that makes it harder for the plant to hydrate can make the problem worse: too much fertilizer, over watering, under watering, root rot, compacted soil, nematodes, planting against the roots of another plant, and salty soil. All these factors can cause or worsen blossom end rot. 

Though you can't save the fruits already affected, you can make sure the ones not yet affected get their daily C. Tums is one of those old-school gardening tricks that you wish your grandma told you about, and it's as easy as dropping a tablet into the soil at planting time.

Tums can help your tomato plant, and other plants, flourish by adding a necessary boost to the soil. This of course works best if soil tests show a lack of calcium. A lack of calcium early on in plant and fruit development has been linked to blossom end rot, so it's important to make sure your plants have sufficient nutrients from the jump.

First, you'll need to prepare your solution. Toss eight to ten Tums tablets into a gallon of water and let them dissolve completely. Use the solution to water your plants, or spray it onto the leaves early in the morning before the sun gets too hot. For plants already showing signs of blossom end rot, you can also place a couple of tablets around the base so they slowly dissolve with regular watering. Tums contains calcium carbonate, which is a slow-release version of calcium, but you can also use calcium nitrate to prevent blossom end rot when your fruits are still small. This is a more water soluble version of calcium that allows for faster absorption. Mix 4 tablespoons into a gallon of water. Rather than spraying the leaves, target the fruits directly, and repeat two to three times a week. This method works particularly well on tomatoes when they're about the size of a dime.

Other ways to prevent calcium deficiency include making sure your plants are thoroughly watered on a regular schedule, especially during hot spells. A rule of thumb: Vegetable plants should get at least an inch of water per week. To help retain moisture and protect shallow roots, cover the soil around your plants with mulch. For long-term care, feed your plants a dose of bone meal. Think of this as a proactive, long-term fix. Avoid giving them too much nitrogen, a common fertilizer mistake, which can make blossom end rot worse.