Hey Susan....That's Awesome! I'm glad to hear that. It's very validating hearing someone is so pleased with something we here at PlantSense, maker of EasyBloom, have worked so long on. Thanks again....We look forward to hearing more about your experiences....Robby

hello, i have now the easybloom in italy. i get it as a gift from vendor because they wrong delete order. Now i use it fot test my light and umidity and take the data for use in my home. I have see that the clock is set for state. here is gmt +1 whats for easybloom? so i'm know when sun touch my plat :) thanks.. Regards Simona

Hey Bonnie...Horsetail reed, or scouring rush, or Equisetum is an attractive plant, but I have to admit, not one of my favorites. :) The only reason why is because it can be so invasive. Regardless, I will push my emotions to the side and give you an honest answer. These are bog plants, although they can survive short periods of drought. I am assuming that you are asking how to prevent the tops of the stems from snapping and falling (this is often called "lodging"). I would recommend pruning the lodged stems all the way to the ground. Don't worry about doing too much damage to the plant. Horsetails have underground stems where the aerial stems will grow back from. When you prune high on the aerial stem, you will cause the the aerial stem to branch. When it branches it is more likely to become top-heavy and lodge. Also, if the aerial stems are damaged, this too can cause the stem to branch out and make the problem worse. I would provide the plants with plenty of water...they can survive being submerged in water. Additionally, they have a high concentration of silica in them, which gives the cell walls some strength. (Rumor has it that early colonists used scouring rush to scour their pans. The high concentration of silica gives it the properties that make it strong and scratchy.) The silica allows for the aerial stems to grow tall and have a long life. If you feel that you need to supplement your horsetail with silica you can compost the broken horsetail stems (also grass clippings; grass uses silica much like horsetails). This compost can be used to provide silica to the rootzone of the plant. I hope this is helpful. Happy Gardening!!! Robby

Plants use calcium in a similar manner as animals do. The calcium in our bones make them strong. Plants use calcium in their cell walls, which provides them with added strength. You can see why a lack of calcium will cause the bottom of the tomato to be soft and gooey. It is also an easy way for pathogens to enter the plant. I would argue that the tomato that already has the blossom end rot is not salvageable, but if you follow what I recommended you may be able to prevent this disorder for the future fruits on your plant. I hope this is helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Happy Gardening!!! Robby

I would also fertilize using a balanced liquid fertilizer applied to the soil right as the fruit sets. (Fruit set can be defined by when the petals drop from the flower). This will provide calcium to the plant when it needs it most...when the fruit is developing. When using a fertilizer, I strongly suggest following the directions on the fertilizer's label. It is definitely possible to fertilize too much. I would also look for the source of nitrogen as primarily being nitrate and not ammonium.

Another problem could be that the soil was inconsistently watered. In order for the plant to absorb and move that calcium from the soil, into the roots, up the stem and then into the fruit, a consistent supply of water is necessary. The calcium is dissolved in the water and moves up the stem in the water. If the soil gets very dry, the plant will stop moving water through the plant in an effort to keep from drying out and dying. As a result, the calcium also stops moving up the stem. Since tomatoes need LOTS of sun and a bit of warmth to make great tasting fruits, the soil that they are growing in can easily dry out. I would recommend using a mulch over the soil to decrease the rate of evaporation of water from the soil.

Calcium deficiency in the plant can occur because of a number of things. First off, plain and simple, your soil may be deficient of calcium. Maybe a previous crop removed the calcium from the soil. There is a difference between calcium deficiency in the soil and in the plant. You can have a soil that is chock full of calcium, but the plant is still deficient in calcium. One reason why this could be is because of the soil pH. The soil should have a pH of around 6.5.

Hey Willie...you can tell your wife that she is correct. Blossom end rot is a disorder that is found often in solanaceous plants (in other words tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc.). Luckily, it is not caused from a bacterial or fungal infection. It's not because a worm decided to nest inside your tomato fruit. It is caused by a calcium deficiency in the plant when the fruit is developing. When I was in grad school, we had a visiting professor come into the lab who did some research that showed that a manganese deficiency exacerbates the problem and causes the calcium deficiency threshold to be higher than normal. Lucky for tomato growers, manganese is needed in such low quantities this is rarely a problem. In the following post I will tell you how to treat it.

I plugged my new EasyBloom sensor in for the first time (it was a gift from my son) and let it run 24 hours and I was so pleased to have it record the data and give me an abundant list of plants to plant in deep shade.

the first tomato to come of a heirloom tomato plant I bought to try out had a large rotten spot right on the bollom and my wife called it "blossom end rot". What is this and what do I do about it?