This year i added ground up egg-shells to the soil for added calcium. Made sure to bake them in the oven to at least 250 degrees to kill any salmonella on the shells them. At 170 degrees the majority of bacteria that can make you sick would die.

Then if you have antacids that are made of calcium carbonate you could crush them and incorporate them into the soil but do have the affect of making the soil more alkaline.

Wouldn't you have already added a lot of calcium when you limed?

After having the same problem 10 years ago, I started adding a small hand full of bone meal to the bottom of the planting hole. Not one case of ber since !
Ymmv ...

Will and the furry ones in the OC

After having the same problem 10 years ago, I started adding a small hand full of bone meal to the bottom of the planting hole. Not one case of ber since !
Ymmv ...

Will and the furry ones in the OC

First you need to understand what actually causes BER - and it is NOT a lack of calcium in the soil. There are literally 100 discussions here about the cause of BER and why hole additives such as egg shells, bone meal, TUMS, and the many other weird things folks claim prevent it have nothing to do with actually preventing it.

While having a proper soil pH is very beneficial for many reasons, including help in preventing BER, you have already accomplished that. From the point of transplanting on the key is stabilizing the soil moisture to a consistent level and allowing the plant's root and circulatory system to mature to the point it can provide the needed calcium that is already in the soil to the fruit.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: BER discussions

I use Epsoma Garden Gypsum and Hi-Yield HYDRATED Lime. The gypsum will raise your calcium level without affecting your ph if you've already worked on that.. I have a severe calcium deficiency in my soil where even my peppers get blossom end rot if I don't heavily amend the soil. I tilled the gypsum in, and then right before I plant, I dig down deeper than I normally would, mix lime in the hole with the existing soil, and place a layer of regular soil on top of that and then place my plant on top of that layer.

Dave,

Thanks for helping to debunk the BER myth. It's exactly as you said it.

It is not unusual for a few of the first fruits to have BER, not because of calcium deficiency in the soil bit because the plant temporarily is unable to use the calcium efficiently. The problem quickly goes away with no intervention. It will also go away if treated, which helps to perpetuate the myth.

To further confuse the picture, calcium deficiency is a possible cause of BER. But few of our gardens have calcium deficiency to that degree and a few crushed egg shells aren't likely to help in such a case.

Jim

This post was edited by jimster on Fri, May 17, 13 at 17:40

Use botanicare cal mag @2tsp per gallon twice a week for the first month and @1tsp per gallon rest of the season.
My eggshells go in my compost pile un-baked.

This post was edited by pasco on Sat, May 18, 13 at 9:15

I just save my eggshells all winter and then pulverize them in a food processor.

Just add a spoonful or two in the bottom of the planting hole and your tomatoes will be very happy.

I also place a small pile of coarsely ground eggshells in my garden beds and birds visit every day and polish them off in no time flat, especially during breeding season.

I have experience BER in the past. It heppened mostly to my ROMA plants early on. Then it was also a very wet period.

Tottally agreeing with Dave and Jimster and now with Seysonn too I just wanted to add that under the best of conditions there have been a few varieties I tread carefully with. Red Zebra and Marzano types, especially Super Marzano, have been problem varieties. Granted that the problem almost always goes away with time but the agrivation can be frustrating. This year I'm giving Pozzano a try as a sauce variety less prone to BER. Likely I'll not see any BER on other sauce types this year to compare.

Consistent watering is important in preventing BER. Larger tomatoes such as beefsteak are more likely to get it than tiny tomatoes because of the structure of the tomato.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blossom end rot