There is no limit to the human imagination … nor to far-fetched ways to treat our plants. Here’s one example among many, the belief that giving antacid pills, specifically Tums, can be useful to tomato plants.
The tip suggests placing a Tums antacid pill at the base of the tomato plant, then watering well afterwards. Exactly what this is supposed to do to help the plant is rarely mentioned. Just do it: it’s good for your plant. And I’m sure plenty of people blindly follow this advice.
I can, however, tell you where the idea originally came from and also why giving Tums or any other calcium-rich antacid tablet to your tomatoes won’t work.
Preventing Blossom-End Rot
Tomatoes often suffer from blossom end rot (read Tomatoes and Peppers: How to Avoid Blossom End Rot for more details on this disease). The tip of the fruit becomes brown and sunken and the fruit begins to rot. And blossom end rot is known to be caused by a calcium deficiency. And that’s why Tums pills are supposed to come to the rescue, as they are mostly composed of calcium carbonate. Calcium, in other words, and in a highly soluble form to boot. That should solve the problem, shouldn’t it?
But that’s misunderstanding the situation. Blossom end rot is rarely caused by a lack of calcium in the soil, but rather by a lack of calcium in the plant. Calcium is abundant and available in almost all soils, even in artificial soils or poor quality ones. In fact, it’s one of the most abundant elements in soils all over the world. Almost any soil contains more than enough calcium to satisfy a tomato plant. And essentially all fertilizers also contain calcium as well. As a result, the average tomato plant has an abundance of calcium in the soil in which it grows: you don’t need to add more.
In fact, blossom end rot is really due to the inability of the plant to absorb the calcium present in the soil. And this is related to moisture stress and uneven watering. If the plant lacks water during the critical period of fruit formation, the roots can’t absorb all the minerals that are available and therefore what little sap now reaches the fruit will be carrying less calcium than it should. Since the fruit isn’t getting sap of the quality it requires, a calcium deficiency occurs … and blossom end rot sets in.
Just Keep the Plants Moist
So, if you water your tomato plants more regularly, thus avoiding moisture stress, the fruits won’t suffer from blossom end rot. Applying Tums won’t be necessary, nor will using a fertilizer rich in calcium. Just keep the plants evenly moist and all will be fine.
So, if you apply a Tums to the soil at the foot of a tomato plant and you water it, as the garden myth recommends, true enough, that will cure future cases of blossom end rot … but because you watered, not because of the Tums.
Just skip the Tums and go straight to step 2, watering. It’s as easy as that!
Worked for me too in NC, I also add coffee grounds. It seems this article is based on a 20 year old plus study and only one???? I’ll take my chances on what I’ve seen and works for me; I do agree with consistent watering but that’s with most everything.
You fail to mention the 1st thing they teach you at any master gardening class. Soil test! Dolomitic Lime addition for tomatoes/peppers is almost always need needed, especially container gardening. Often tomatoes are missing crucial magnesium with calcium to help prevent, but not eliminate blossom end rot. Lack of water, excessive watering, and periods of high temperatures cause rapid water uptake and dilute mineral absorption. But start with a soil test to actually know what your soil needs.
Tums have worked great for me, I crush them up in a gallon of water and spray on the leaves. It ends blossom end rot as quick as it starts. Sounds like who ever did the study on Tums didn’t do a very good job!
If you spray water alone on the leaves, you’ll get the same result.
Simply not true…I have consistent water irrigation .slow drip every day 2 minutes, never seen soil dry. Drought situation here. It is calcium defintantsy .
For the last 10 years at least, I have always had blossom rot issues with my San Marzano tomatoes, up to in some years, 25% of the fruit. Last year, I placed a single tum in each hole before putting in the tomato set. Guess what–out of 30 plants, I had maybe a dozen tomatoes TOTAL with blossom rot.
While the Laidback Gardener claims that Tums–calcium carbonate–doesn’t work, I say they do. While LG says the issue has been studied, I don’t see any such study on the internet. In any event, only a double blind study could settle this issue once and for all. Until such a study is made, what do you have to lose by trying Tums if you have blossom rot problems? Tums are dirt cheap, especially if you get the generic ones at Wal-Mart.
P.S. My sister saves egg shells–another form of calcium carbonate–and puts them under her tomato sets. She swears by her shells.
Glad to hear it works for you. But make sure you keep watering your plants!
DO YOU REALIZE HOW LONG IT TAKES AND EGG SHELL TO DECOMPOSE.IM SICK OF THESE INTERNET HACKS..
Great info but in some cases maybe having the extra readily available calcium is the reason you see results because the soil life web isnt built up well enough to allow for the plants roots to up take the nutrients already present but take a bit to transfer.
Everything is possible, but is the soil situation is that poor, i.e. so bad the roots can’t absorb available calcium, which is a pretty basic and easily absorbed mineral, any added calcium would probably be “locked up” chemically anyway.
I had blossom end rot many years until I started giving them anti-acids (Tums) I have not had it since I started watering in ground up Tums when I plant. I water regularly so I don’t think watering is the problem. Again, this year I’m using Tums and hoping for the results I’ve gotten in the last 3 years…..no BER.
Good for you… but the use of Tums on tomatoes has been studied and it was found to be ineffective. Of course, your conditions could be different.
Where is the study? My experience tells me it works. Still using the same watering techniques. Been 8 years since I started using Tums (calcium carbonate) and have not had blossom end rot again. I’ll keep doing what works.
I first read about that study about 20 years ago in a book about garden hoaxes. That said, I’m sorry, but I just don’t have time to dig into research over older subjects. Producing a blog a day is time consuming.
Do not send wrong information because you have no time to study new studies. What a rediculouse response
I water very regularly. As the plants are just starting…every day….when they are better established, every other day…in heat sometimes every day. So my blossom end rot clearly has little to do with watering.
Have you ever dug up a tomato to look at its root system? If the roots have a problem, are too few or weak, they won’t be able to absorb soil minerals. Have have you ever applied mycorrhizal fungi to young plants (they help roots absorb minerals).
If the above thoughts don’t apply, the obvious question is whether it is really blossom-end rot. Is it possible that this is a disease of some sort, for example, late blight? It results in similar dark brown depressions.
Solving tomato question is verrrrrrry complicated!
im running a RDWC and very strict with the nutrient and ph levels … definately not water issue .. i had a couple of my tomatoes start to turn and started spraying the leaves once a week with a crushed tum on a gallon of water no more from then on.
Well, I have no idea why that might have worked, but I’m glad your tomatoes recovered.
i water religiously and still got bottom end rot. After using tums i got amazing fruit. i grow ton of tomatoes and tums are my go to. never fails. I run soaker hoses and water my tomatoes at least twice a day so watering is not an issue. Not sure why so many folks are against using tums since there is no adverse effects to using it .
Asia, I had the same experience. Even with careful watering I still got blossom end rot. But after using Tums, I’ve not lost even one tomato to blossom end rot, now for 5 years.