Blossom-end rot

This troublesome disorder is caused by climatic conditions. Initially young fruit bases discolour and flatten, eventually turning black. It frequently occurs on plants grown under glass, at the start of the season. At this point the plant’s immature root system often can’t support the rapidly developing fruits. Irregular watering, excessively high temperatures and over-application of high-potash fertilisers can exacerbate the problem. If these triggers are addressed, plants will recover once their root system matures and becomes more extensive. Larger-fruited varieties are more vulnerable (in our trial only ‘Roma VF’ and ‘Ferline’ showed some blossom-end rot).