homemade insect repellent for tomatoes

bostonbaker

Does anyone have experience with mixing up an insect repellent at home?  We've got some kind of bug eating our tomatoes (they look rotted out in the bottom).  I googled and found some with dish soap, water, and oil, and some with chopped tomato leaves.  I'm wondering if either of these (or something else) has worked for anyone.  Thanks.

~NB~

It doesn't sound like an insect to me. I think you're headed down the wrong road.

Catlawdy_____

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Tomato_BlossRt.htm

bostonbaker

~NB~:

It doesn't sound like an insect to me. I think you're headed down the wrong road.

What do you think it could be?  Our back yard is fenced so the only animals we get back there are squirrels and birds.  I'm not familiar with plant disease or anything.  I will try to take a picture tonight.

dirtyred

It sounds like your tomatoes have blossom end rot.  It's caused by a calcium deficiency due to uneven watering and high nitrogen fertilizer.

You can sprinkle some crushed eggshells or powdered milk around the base of the plants, mulch well, and feed with a high phosphorous fertilizer (like Miracle Gro Tomato Food).  Water a couple of times a day to keep soil moisture consistent.

bostonbaker

dirtyred:

It sounds like your tomatoes have blossom end rot.  It's caused by a calcium deficiency due to uneven watering and high nitrogen fertilizer.

You can sprinkle some crushed eggshells or powdered milk around the base of the plants, mulch well, and feed with a high phosphorous fertilizer (like Miracle Gro Tomato Food).  Water a couple of times a day to keep soil moisture consistent.

Interesting, thank you!  Currently I water daily in the morning, unless I know it is going to rain that day or if it rained overnight.  Should I water when I get home from work, too?

We have been using Miracle Gro for vegetables and flowers.  Is that okay for tomatoes?

dirtyred

Yes, you should give them some water in the evening as well.  It's the wet-dry-wet cycle (along with too much nitrogen) that makes it hard for the plant to take up calcium (don't forget to mulch--that helps to keep the soil moist).

I don't know what the nitrogen and phosphorous content of the vegetable and flower fertilizer is, so  I can't comment.  But you want something with more phosphorous than nitrogen.

bostonbaker

Thank you so much.  I googled blossom end rot and that definitely looks like what we're getting.  I hope I'm catching it in time to save the crop! 

dirtyred

You can just cut off the part of the tomato with the rot and eat the remaining fruit. If the rot's too big it wouldn't be worth the trouble, though.