Can you compost tomatoes or green peppers with blossom end rot? What if they’ve already started to rot on the vine from other organisms that have moved in in the wake of the blossom end rot? Does that change anything?
Yes, you can compost them. Blossom end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency and not by an infecting organism, so there is no reason why you can’t compost any and all of the fruit affected by it. Composting your rotting tomatoes, green peppers, or zucchini, will not affect the quality of future crops nor will it make your plants any more susceptible to blossom end rot next year.
The organisms that cause your tomatoes to turn nasty after blossom end rot has taken its toll are a natural part of the decaying process. They do not affect the suitability of your veggies for composting. So chuck them in and hope that next year you have better luck.
For information on how to control blossom end rot, click here.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to me at vanessa@gardenmuse.ca.
Originally posted on September 16, 2011.
