Tomatoes like acidic soil, and mine need some calcium (some green romas have black end rot). What are some safe sources of calcium I can use on them? Is calcium chloride for melting ice ok?
What about bentonite? I hear it also has calcium.

*****

Chuck, tomatoes grow well at pH values from about 4.5 to 6.5 and I'm pretty sure being in MI that your soil pH is within that range.

The connection with BER is that if soils are VERY acidic the Ca++ in the soil can be bound up but that's easy to reverse by raising the soil pH.

Strictly speaking BER is not due to lack of Ca++, it's due to maldistribution of Ca++ within the plant that's induced by a variety of stresses, uneven water delivery and too much N or growing in too rich soils are maybe the two most common stresses but there are others.

Paste tomatoes, such as your roma's, are the group of tomatoes most susceptible to BER.

if you go to the top of this page and click on the FAQ link there's an srticle on BER. And if you have other questions please do post them here in your own thread.

Carolyn