5 reasons your tomatoes have black bottoms

Gardening

5 Reasons Your Tomatoes Have Black Bottoms—And How to Fix It Fast

Drescription

Growing tomatoes is an ideal option for beginner vegetable gardeners. They’re pretty easy to cultivate and, when you get conditions and care right, you can enjoy a bumper crop. However, poor practices can lead to problems with tomato plants.

There are several possible reasons why your tomatoes have ugly black spots on the bottom. Learning about the causes, whether your fruits are salvageable, and how to prevent the problems going forward will help you yield the most handsome, healthy harvest.

5 Reasons Why Your Tomatoes Have Ugly Black Spots on the Bottom

Being aware of some of the common reasons for tomatoes developing unsightly black patches can help you take steps to prevent inedible fruits.

Anthracnose: A common fungal rot that ripe and overripe tomatoes are particularly susceptible to, especially when they’re close to wet ground. The black spots start small, circular, and depressed, growing over time until the entire fruit rots. The spores can spread to other tomato plants.

Bacterial spot: The fruit develops small, brown to black spots that can fall away, leaving a hole. This infection can spread, and you shouldn’t eat the fruit as it can host secondary pathogens.

Bacterial speck: This infection commonly occurs during persistent cool, wet weather. The raised spots that appear on the fruits are smaller than those caused by bacterial spot—around the size of a pencil tip.

Blossom end rot: Irreversible water-soaked lesions caused by calcium deficiency. It doesn’t spread to other tomatoes, so you can just remove the blackened fruit.

Early blight: This fungal tomato plant disease causes brown to black, leathery, sunken spots with concentric rings developing on the fruit. If you don’t take prompt action, early blight can result in significant crop loss.

7 Ways to Prevent Black Spots on Tomatoes

Preventative measures vary depending on the type of tomato plant problem that’s causing the black spots. Below are some cultural best practices and other tips that can help reduce the risk of many diseases or fungal infections from developing.

Select the right cultivar: Some tomato varieties are better suited to specific conditions, and others are more resistant to certain diseases.

Plant at the right time: Avoid transplanting tomato seedlings too early. If the soil is too cold, it can affect root development and essential calcium uptake.

Get it right with spacing and air circulation: Don’t have your tomato plants crowded too close together. Staking and pruning tomato plants can also help. Poor airflow promotes pathogens.

Provide the right nutrients: Fertilize heavy-feeding tomatoes regularly, especially when growing in pots. Testing your soil and checking formulas helps, as overfertilizing (especially during early fruiting) and excess nitrogen can promote disease-related black spots.

Minimize stress: Avoid over- or underwatering and water tomato plants at the base rather than overhead to prevent wet leaves. A layer of mulch can help to promote even moisture. Use shade cloths to protect your plants from the scorching summer sun.

Keep weeds at bay: Pull unwanted interlopers out of your tomato rows. Weeds can encourage pests, cause airflow issues, and use up nutrients that heavy-feeding tomatoes will appreciate.

Rotate crops: Allowing two to three years in between planting tomatoes (and other species in the nightshade family) in the same location can help prevent pathogens from recurring.

How to Fix or Revive Tomatoes With Black Spots

Once your tomatoes develop black spots, you won’t be able to reverse this problem. However, in some instances, changing watering practices, pruning away problematic fruit and leaves, improving airflow, or treating with a fungicide can help prevent the problem from worsening or spreading. Sometimes, you’ll need to remove all infected plants.

Don’t leave infected plant material to decompose in the ground or on compost piles, as this can increase the risk of spreading disease.

My Brother’s Playful Shared Kids Bathroom Reveal (Including Cute Double Vanities)

While this house has a lot of contemporary lines (with hits of traditional vibes throughout), it’s still a house for a family with two elementary school-aged kids (6 and 9). They share a hall bathroom that is a nice size and Max and I were able to design it to be happy and playful, and yet use high-quality material that will last (and obviously grow with them). I honestly never pictured this bathroom like this – it’s really sweet and charming and full of layers that are far from “contemporary”. Some of this is in the styling, for sure, but whatever it is I love looking at these photos and every time I walk in I get that surge of, “Oh this is so fun”. Where Are We In The House? Ok, we are on the second floor and you can see the kid’s rooms are nearby. The bathroom is pretty big – although I see that the floor plan has changed since this above version to NOT have a separation between the vanity area and the toilet/bath. It’s part of the house that was designed to be vaulted so it has high ceilings. When they did the window plan they chose a huge window in here – so it has a lot of natural light. Three Different Tiles Max Humphrey and I chose the tile (we co-designed many of the bathrooms together), but this tile is more him, I’d say (and I love it). That guy is a master at selecting and mixing tiles. He generally takes more risks than me but still stays within a restrained palette which you all know I love. We worked within Ann Sacks Made line (made in Portland, which we are big fans of) which has a huge variety of colors. What I love so much about it is the variation of the color at the edges in both the penny tile on the floor and the shower tile – it gives it a lot of dimension and texture (the outline isn’t the grout, it’s the tile). I should back up and say that my brother and SIL didn’t want a tub in here – their kids take showers so they didn’t see the point of a tub (and thought it would be hard to get in and out of). But as an avid bather, I pushed back hard saying how bad for resale it would be not to have a tub for kids. So they chose the most shallow tub (one that would be easy for the kids to get in and out of as a compromise. At times I feared that it would look too basic and not special enough, but as we built the rest of the design elements now I hardly notice that it’s just an alcove tub. The shower surround that we customized (with much agony, more on that later) really helps it feel more elevated. Also a huge shout out to Anne Usher, the architect who planned the skylight in here – the light that it brings into the shower is incredible and makes this area of the room come alive. We used a leftover Caesarstone slab for the niche (making it as big as possible to be in scale with the shower wall). The tray and little pot are from a local resin maker, Swift and Stone who I found at a market and immediately reached out to for this bathroom (you can see her work on the vanities as well). Mixing Tiles We mixed three different scales – the larger blue vanity wall, the medium shower tile and the small penny on the floor. The tones of them all looked really cohesive together and it feels highly customized and yet really cohesive. Purist Faucet Line FTW Always and forever I love the Purist line from Kohler. Of course, you have a variety of finishes (we chose vibrant brushed moderne brass) and different handle profiles (we chose the cross for this bathroom). It’s just simple, modern, streamlined, and timeless. We have this line all over the mountain house. It feels more contemporary there and here it leans more transitional – it’s really easy to mix in most styles, IMHO. The toilet is tucked on the other side of the vanities. We hung embroidery art from the OG Portland project by local artist Annie Odorisio and then styled the opposite wall with robe/towel hooks and a cute wicker hamper to warm it all up. You’ll see in here a circle motif everywhere, which I think really helped it feel more playful and fun for kids. Alright – a his and hers vanity that I seriously wish we had for our kids (who share and quibble and it’s a thing). These are two Tresham vanities that have a simple (and even shaker) vibe to them and then we made them more modern with the wood handles (from Etsy). If you are wondering why they are so close, we did too. In the plans, they were 18″ apart but the room just didn’t allow it so somewhere something was off. At first, I was like “uhhhh…” and then we just worked with it and now I barely notice that they are so close and I even think it’s really sweet. They both have their own storage and counters. With the more traditional tilework and vanities, I wanted to finish the room in a way that went more modern and contemporary like the rest of the house. So once I found these sconces from Worley’s I showed them to my SIL and we both were like, “these are them.” I love that they are graphic, with these playful round glass shades (which also provide great soft light), and you can choose from a variety of metals and wood tones (we chose brushed brass to match the faucets and cornsilk oak for the wood). The three of them flanking the pill shaped mirrors. I like how they call back to the penny tile, the shower faucet shape, the rug, and even the bench. The backsplash tile goes from floor to ceiling (although it originally didn’t – it stopped at 7′ which felt weird so we had to order more tile and cross our fingers the color would match perfectly). The pattern and color make this room come alive – it’s a pattern mixed with three different tiles, stacked in a repeat (this is a Max Humphrey move that I am into). The Tresham vanities also come with an integrated countertop and sink, making it a really easy one-and-done situation. I have this vanity in our mountain house guest room and love the joinery of the base. It comes in a couple of different sizes (I wish it came in 60″ or 72″ TBH – I think it’s awesome.) If you are opening up the walls and changing plumbing (or in this case, building a new house basically) definitely think about wall mount faucets. They really do free up space and I think give a more custom look (we didn’t do this in every bathroom – I like to mix it up). The room is pretty wide in a great way and we were able to add something opposite the vanities. The pocket door was custom (and white oak) and I hung a piece of art that I’ve had forever that worked perfectly in here. I continued with the circle/scallop motif with the rug (from Etsy), wicker pot (from The Container Store, can also be a cute trash can) and bench (from AllModern). We bought a lot of these resin (not pottery, which is nice for kids) bathroom accessories from Swift and Stone which she makes in a variety of colors and sells both locally and on Etsy. Top Down Bottom Up Window Treatments Opposite the vanity is this large window with black frames and while I’m so grateful for the natural light, these kids needed some privacy. So we had Decorview make the same shades that we have in our guest room that I love. They are modern Roman shades that as you can see can be used from the top down or bottom up (therefore letting nice light in through the top). It turned out to be far more of a mix of modern/traditional than I had predicted 3+ years ago, in such a good way. It’s really spacious, airy and bright with playful elements, but executed so well by a great team.

The Best Hair Products to Travel With, According to Stylists

Traveling is one of life’s great pleasures. But trying to have good hair on the go is about as challenging as getting through the TSA line these days. While we would all like to bring our entire product arsenal, travel and suitcase size restrictions make that impossible. So going with travel-size and double-duty products will help ensure your hair looks good when taking all those cute vacation pics. Here are the hair care products the pros like to take along with them. 1. K18 Hair Mask Celebrity hairstylist Anthony Pazos is a big fan of traveling with K18 Molecular Repair Hair Mask. The bottle is small, the product is highly concentrated, and best of all, you aren’t supposed to use conditioner with it, so it’s one less thing to bring. “Hands down, the best product to travel with is the K18 Mask. I like it because it helps repair brittle ends and prevents any breakage.” 2. Virtue Travel-Sized Shampoo and Mask Skip the big, leaky bottles and travel smart. Sharon Dorram, celebrity colorist and owner of Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger, tells me, “I wish all companies would think to make travel sizes because it is truly the hardest part of packing. I always travel with travel-size Virtue shampoo and Restorative Treatment Mask as my conditioner.” 3. Mason Pearson Pocket Mixture Brush Jennifer Nast, senior stylist at Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger, tells me she likes to travel light with a Mason Pearson Pocket Brush. “When you are on the go, you need a good brush to keep the fly always at bay. Brushing can also help to distribute the oil from your scalp. “ 4. A Claw Clip Easily and cheaply purchased, Nast suggests traveling with a claw clip to quickly style your hair. “It's an easy way to elevate a look, put up hair after the beach, and day-two travel hair." 5. T3 Compact Travel Flat Iron Who wants to lug around a big, heavy flat iron? Nast recommends using the T3 Singlepass Compact model instead. “So cute and tiny! Refresh your blow dry or simply touch up your hairline. A quick fix when you are on the go.” 6. Phyto 9 Nourishing Day Cream Looking for a double-duty product that can work on wet and dry hair? The Phyto 9 Nourishing Day Cream is a great choice according to Matthew Monzon, celebrity hair stylist. “It can be used on wet hair before blow drying to give you what you need to help control frizz and give you amazing shine. Or, as a finishing product to help give some texture to your hair. The big plus is if you're flying, you don’t need to put it in your checked luggage since it’s under the limit.” 7. Curlsmith Moisture Memory Reactivator It's specially important to have the right products for curly hair. Sharley Butcher, textured hair care specialist and lead educator at Curlsmith tells me, "Wherever I go, I pack my haircare essentials in travel size, so I don't need to compromise luggage space. Curlsmith Moisture Memory Reactivator is perfect for refreshing my curls and bringing them back to life between wash days.” 8. Luisant6 Hair Primer Whether you’re exploring a city or lying at the beach, celebrity hair and makeup artist Pamela Brogardi likes to use Hair Primer by Luisant6. “This product is CBD-infused and a hydrating leave-in spray. The hydrating bonding leave-in spray reduces blow drying time and transforms texture resulting in a sleek, glass-like shine. Spray before hitting the beach and after to keep your hair looking beach fabulous!” 9. Oribe Mini Gold Lust Dry Shampoo Dry shampoo is great when traveling, but bringing one of those massive cans is a big no. Brogardi likes Mini Gold Lust Dry Shampoo by Oribe. “Dry shampoo helps to absorb excess oil and refresh your hair between washes, making it an essential product for maintaining clean and voluminous hair on the go. The mini size is convenient for packing and adheres to airline travel regulations.” 10. Epres Bond Repair Treatment Damage and frizz can be frustrating, which is why stylist Bradley Leake likes Epres Bond Repair Treatment. “It keeps hair smooth and frizz-free while also fighting damage. It is also super easy to take with you as you can bring just the vial of concentrate and bottle in your travel bag,” he explains. “One other hack I recommend to clients is to spray this on before going on a plane or traveling so that you can treat as you go, then wash out and have gorgeous shiny hair once you reach your destination.”

How to Plant a Tree the Right Way So It Thrives for Decades to Come

Trees are important landscape components that grow slowly but often outlast most other plants. They offer visual height, shade, and a habitat for birds, and well-planted trees could very well outlive you. Adding a tree to your property is a bit more complex than adding a small shrub or garden bed, but that doesn't mean it's too difficult for a DIY. You'll just need to invest time and resources into doing the job right if you want to leave your property more shaded and beautiful than you found it. Here's how to plant a tree the easy way and help it flourish for future generations. How to Plant a Tree Select Your Tree Type The best way to set yourself up for success is to choose a tree that will thrive in your local climate. Look up your region's USDA Plant Hardiness Zone and select a tree that is likely to grow well under local conditions. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Choose a Location Aesthetics isn't the only thing to consider when selecting the best spot for a tree. To figure out where to plant it, start with the process of elimination. You'll need to consider the following: Underground utility lines: Make sure you research your state laws before digging and contact the proper agencies and utility companies to mark underground lines. Sunlight: Most trees need six to eight hours of full sunlight to grow well, so avoid any shaded areas in your yard. Mature size: You'll also want to consider the full size of the tree when it matures, so don't select a location that's too close to structures like your home or other mature trees. Prepare Your Starter Tree If you're relatively new to gardening, planting a starter tree rather than a seed can help give you better results. You'll get to bypass the initial growing stages where more things can go wrong. Before planting a bare-root starter tree, you'll need to soak its roots in a bucket of water for a couple of hours to help them stay moist during the process. For potted starter trees, make sure to water the tree as soon as you get it home. Place it outside near its future dwelling place to allow it to acclimate to the conditions for a week. When you're ready to plant it, gently remove it from its container. Prepare the Hole Adjust the soil: Start by checking your soil's acidity and assessing its health. Most trees prefer loose, loamy, and well-draining soil with a neutral pH. However, you'll want to research your specific tree's needs and adjust the soil accordingly to make it more acidic or to raise the pH. Incorporating organic matter via compost can make the soil looser, more loamy, and better-draining, but it also raises the acidity. It's all about balance. Dig the hole: Dig a hole in your yard that's at least twice the width and about one inch deeper than the starter tree's root system. Set the excavated soil aside: Don't discard the extra soil you've removed from the tree. You'll need it in the next step. Transplant the Starter Tree To transplant your tree, place it upright in the prepped hole. Shovel the excavated soil back into the hole, tamping it gently as you go. Reposition the tree as needed during the process to ensure it stays upright. Add extra soil to the base of the tree in a mound shape, and create a moat around the perimeter for extra water to collect and keep the tree moist as it matures. Apply a thin layer of mulch, leaving a three-inch ring around the base of the tree to allow for air flow. How to Care for a Newly-Planted Tree While a young tree is establishing its root system, it needs some extra attention. Follow these care tips for the first two to three years after planting your tree. Water frequently:Water the tree daily for the first two weeks to prevent root shock, and slowly reduce the frequency after to every other day and then weekly. Once your tree becomes more established, you only need to water it every two to three weeks during dry periods. Keep it mulched: Keeping a young tree mulched will help its roots retain moisture better. Reapply the mulch on an annual basis. You can drop the frequency to once every two years when the tree matures. Stake it: Sometimes, a young tree's root system isn't established enough to support it. If you notice your transplanted tree bending, stake it to prevent it from snapping from the top weight or heavy winds. The Best Time to Plant a Tree You'll want to plant a starter tree into the ground when the weather is mild and when the plant is entering or just starting to end its dormancy period. For most regions, this is during fall or early spring. Both seasons have their pros and cons for planting a tree. Planting a Tree in Fall Planting a tree in the fall gives it ample time to establish its root system before the summer heat kicks in. Since the tree is on its way towards entering dormancy, it can channel its energy into root growth rather than leaf growth. However, you want to make sure you don't plant the tree too late in the fall, or you run the risk of below-freezing temps causing damage to the tree's root system. Planting a Tree in Spring Local nurseries often get a fresh supply of trees delivered in spring, so you should have a great selection to choose from. Just be sure to wait until after the ground has thawed from winter, but don't put it off too long. The warmer temps of early summer can cause the tree to go into shock.

What You Bought and Loved Last Month (Spoiler Alert: It Includes The Best, Insanely Affordable Sweatshirt Ever)

We recommended HUNDREDS of products in the 28 days we had in February, but there were 10 products that everyone unanimously loved and bought a lot of. So it’s true, our “what you bought last month” post is BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND. Lots of them are beauty/self-grooming products which is probably a mix of our human desire to perform “self-care” and also the desire to smell good (glad I’m not alone in that) BUT THAT’S NOT ALL. My favorite zero-calorie beverage may have also made the list. So if you’re curious about what everyone bought and loved, scroll through and see the top sellers in February. Starting out in last place at the big double-digit #10, we have… 10. Mallory’s Aerin Beauty Perfume I was shocked to see this make the list because I didn’t think people buy perfume on the internet often (and a pretty pricey one at that) but it turns out if someone tells you it smells amazing and the reviews also tell you it smells amazing, you have a pretty good shot at loving it. I got a sample of this in the mail and boy oh BOY was I into it. If you’re looking for a good perfume rec, check out the link up where I recommended this in because the comments tell you everything you need to know about every single perfume on the internet. AD 9. Emily’s Favorite Workout Jacket Ever Em has had this jacket for 3 years and counting and she STILL wears it on the reg. I totally get why this sold so well…a chilly weather-approved workout jacket that you also love wearing for most outdoor activities is one of those things everyone should invest in and it doesn’t get much better than this one. 8. Paper Towel Holder This paper towel holder is not only cute, but it’s affordable and I believe it makes home a better place. This came from our post about our favorite practical household items, check it out if you missed it! There are some REALLY useful items in there I never knew I needed. 7. Peach Honey AHA AHA I mean HAHAHA. I had no clue this would get so many purchases, but YOU GUYS. Peach honey AHA is the best sparkling water ever. It beats the shit out of any Spindrift, La Croix, or Buble flavor I’ve ever had and that says a lot because I’m obsessed with all of those sparkling waters. Take it from me, the sparkling water connoisseur…you gotta try this one! OH and side note. When I said I drink 12 cans of these a day in this link up, please know that was an exaggeration. I don’t actually drink that many. It was a joke :) 6. Caitlin’s Body Oil If you missed Caitlin’s how to take the best shower ever post, then please run over to read it (and fair warning: you will pee yourself laughing). It’s one of the most epic posts to ever have been featured on this blog and it includes the very amazing. PS This was first an Emily recommendation so that’s TWO huge stamps of approval. 5. Caitlin’s Underarm Soap Caitlin swears by this $8 underarm soap from Megababe –– especially after switching to natural deodorant –– she’s on an eternal quest to make them smell like nothing all the time and she said this helps A LOT. I just bought it too and cannot wait to try. AD 4. Groovy Luna Jewelry I was so happy to see my friend’s new Etsy shop made it on this list!! If you haven’t yet, check out Groovy Luna Jewelry. They have such cute earrings…I have the square hoops on the right and wear them every single day but I also love these moon/star earrings. Sooo cute. 3. Mallory’s Midi Dress This dress is on a MAJOR sale ($108 to $64) and it’s one we’ve all been eyeing for a looooong time. 10/10 in the midi dress department and perfect for spriiiiiing! There aren’t too many sizes left, so snag this QUICK. 2. Caitlin’s Wellness Journal Caitlin’s products are all over this list because everything she recommends is so good and this wellness journal is no different. They have about 1,000 different designs and they’re all SO cute, so you can pick the one that’s the most “you.” I just ordered one and I can’t wait to use it. 1. Jess’s $18 Cropped Hoodie As the greatest steal in 2021, we’re not too surprised to see this $18 ball of comfy up here at the top of the list. It’s cute, it’s cropped (but not too cropped), makes you feel cool without trying, and comes in A TON of different colors. Jess, no joke, now has FIVE. They’re all so good and the price is truly unbeatable. Way to go, Jess! Oh and if you are into tie-dye you are in luck:) Thanks everyone for reading this post. Short and sweet…we’ll see you next month for March’s top sellers! So long, farewell.