Question
Hello, I have a 35' x 17' vegetable garden that my wife and I take care of. We grow a few different kinds of vegetables but mostly we grow Roma style tomatoes. It's been up and running for about 5 years now and the first 2 years everything was great. Now we are getting cucumber leaf mold and blossom end rot on our tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and even our pees are doing something weird. I have good drainage and i think I'm doing good on watering, so my question is: How much of a calcium fertilizer should I use for a garden of this size???, and if you have any other suggestions I would greatly appreciate your input. If you need any other info let me know. Thanks for your time and input.
                                     Mike LePage

Answer
Hi Mike, First check your pH.  It should be as close to 6.5 as possible.  If you need to raise it, 40 lbs of pelletized lime applied to 1000 sq. ft. will raise the pH about 1/2 point.  Blossom end rot is a calcium deficiency and most often caused by excessive water.  Calcium is not available in wet or poorly drained soil.  You can purchase a liquid calcium at any garden center to quickly correct the problem.
For leaf diseases, avoid overhead watering.  Avoid working in the garden when the foliage is wet from dew to prevent spreading disease.  You may need to spray with a good fungicide for serious problems, check with your local garden center for an appropriate product.
Till or turn your soil every year and incorporate some organic matter.  It will help improve your drainage and correct the calcium issue over time.  Jim