Got rotting tomatoes? The problem may be more than meets the eye

Gardening Advice:

Some tomatoes are cropping up with nice green tops and nasty bottoms. The culprit: Blossom end rot. The cause: A calcium deficiency in the plant overall.

"What happens is that the plant itself needs the calcium, so it borrows it from the tomato, and in turn that leaves the tomato deformed and inedible at the bottom," Garden expert Dave Jackson said.

If you start seeing this happening to your tomatoes, pick off the inedible tomatoes.

Jackson, co-owner of Jackson's Greenhouse, says to keep your tomatoes looking great the rest of this season make sure your plants are adequately mulched so that the roots system can better develop.

If you have a garden question, submit it below:

Whether you are an experienced gardener or a novice, KTKA and Jackson's Greenhouse wants to make it more fulfilling for you.

Submit your garden questions here.

See other interviews with a representative from Jackson's Greenhouse for more advice on gardening.

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Gardening Tip 23: Attack broadleaf weeds before it's too late (October 20, 2008)
Gardening Tip 22: Next spring's weeds are making plans for your yard (October 13, 2008)
Gardening Tip 21: Put your green thumbs to use in October (October 6, 2008)
Gardening Tip 20: Don't assume flower growing season is over (Sept. 29, 2008)
Gardening Tip 19: Lawn beautification starts with a simple test (Sept. 22, 2008)
Gardening Tip 18: Some pure seed bags are not that innocent (Sept. 15, 2008)
Gardening Tip 17: Got rotting tomatoes? The problem may be more than meets the eye (Sept. 8, 2008)
Gardening Tip 16: Don't waste your money on crab grass killer (Aug. 25, 2008)
Gardening Tip 15: Protecting your tomatoes (July 21, 2008)
Gardening Tip 14: Weeding out grass look-a-likes (July 14, 2008)
Gardening Tip 13: Combating plant-damaging beetles, bugs (July 7, 2008)
Gardening Tip 12: Freeze threat over; check for soggy ground before planting (May 10, 2007)
Gardening Tip 11: Don't get too anxious to start gardening (March 9, 2007)
Gardening Tip 10: Start caring for your plants before weather warms up (February 8, 2007)
Gardening Tip 9: Bring outdoors inside during cold weather (Nov. 20, 2006)
Gardening Tip 8: To preserve your blooms, cover perennials at night (Oct. 12, 2006)
Gardening Tip 7: Put down lawn seed by second week in October (Sept. 14, 2006)
Gardening Tip 6: Moisture, fertilizer critical to beautiful lawns (Aug. 24, 2006)
Gardening Tip 5: Soak your plants weekly (July 13, 2006)
Gardening Tip 4: Water, fertilizer crucial during summer months (June 9, 2006)
Gardening Tip 3: Hold off on planting fruits (May 11, 2006)
Gardening Tip 2: Sow your seeds on Mother's Day (April 13, 2006)
Spring time is almost here; get your greenthumb out (March 9, 2006)

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