[Anton]

A couple of my beefsteak tomatoes had the dreaded brownpatches on the bottom. I threw them in the bin. Is there anything I can do? I have been treating them weekly with a mixture of baking soda, soap and water, apart from one week's holiday?

Anton

[mumofstig]

It's lack of calcium in the plant - usually caused by insufficient or irregular watering. If they start to get dry they can't get the calcium up from the soil and the newly set tomatoes suffer.

Then as the tomatoes develop it can be seen as the brown patches we call Blosson End Rot.

[Anton]

Is there anything to do to stop the rot?

Anton

[gavinjconway]

It's lack of calcium in the plant - usually caused by insufficient or irregular watering. If they start to get dry they can't get the calcium up from the soil and the newly set tomatoes suffer.

Then as the tomatoes develop it can be seen as the brown patches we call Blosson End Rot.

 

[mumofstig]

You can't stop the rot once the fruits have it. All you can do is water regularly so that the new fruit doesn't start to rot in the first place.

[Anton]

Thanks. And the business with epsom salts, is that worth the trouble?

Anton

[mumofstig]

epsom salts is for only magnesium deficiency, as far as I know 

[DD.]

That's two of us then!

[GreyScales]

I water regularly/daily and yet my first two beefsteaks got it had to throw a nice chunky one away.

Frankly blaming the weather, the heat sucks the water out all the pots.

[JayG]

A couple of my beefsteak tomatoes had the dreaded brownpatches on the bottom. I threw them in the bin. Is there anything I can do? I have been treating them weekly with a mixture of baking soda, soap and water, apart from one week's holiday?

The week they had without water which you referred to in a recent thread is almost certainly the cause of your current problems.

Not sure what the kitchen chemicals are for - regular watering and feeding with tomato fertiliser should be all they need.

Full description from the RHS HERE which also mentions how high humidity can reduce the rate of water movement through the plant (interesting!)