Question
Chicago, Il.

Dear Mr. Mascio:
1) I have 8 tomato plants.  One and only one in the middle has blossom end rot.  Why?

2) I cannot seem to get sun flower seeds to germinate.  Are they a problem?

Thanks in advance.  

Answer
Blossom-end rot is caused either by a lack of magnesium and calcium in the soil or because a plant is too weak to draw in the nutrients necessary to produce healthy fruit. In this case, the reason is obviously the latter since the other seven are doing fine.

I would not worry about it since this problem is always temporary and only affects the first harvest on the plant. It always corrects itself as the roots go deeper into the soil. You can spray the plant with a solution of 3 tsp. of epsom salts per gallon of water to more expediently correct the problem.

I had the same problem with sunflower seeds for years. They would either rot in the soil, get eaten by birds or voles, or would not germinate due to the hardness of the seed shell. Many gardeners stratify the shell by nicking it with sandpaper or a small knife. But if I were to bet, the seeds were eaten.

I now start my sunflowers indoors in mid-April. I grow them in peat pots because they do not like to have their roots disturbed, and will suffer transplant shock if removed from a pot and get transplanted into the soil. Peat pots are made of organic material which allow you to plant the entire peat pot into the ground. I wait until the plants develop their third set of leaves before setting them out. I now enjoy healthy sunflowers every year.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike