Eliminate perennial weeds near the garden. Plant resistant varieties such as Celebrity and OG 50. Affected plants are usually stunted, discolored and may die. Knots or galls develop on the roots. Use nematode resistant varieties.
Symptoms are water-soaked spots on the blossom end of the fruit.
These spots enlarge and become black. Secondary infection by decay-causing organisms usually follows. The cause of this disorder is a calcium deficiency in the developing fruit. Extreme fluctuations in moisture, root pruning and excessive nitrogen fertilization can also enhance blossom end rot. Soil should be limed according to recommendations of a soil analysis report.