blackheart

Blackheart is a non-parasitic disease of the fruit of cultivated plants, such as tomatoes, that causes them to rot from the inside. External signs of the disease may or may not be present. The internal blackening develops in plants exposed to environmental pathology such as drought conditions or poor soil. Blossom-end rot Blossom-end rot is another sign of plant disease that may accompany blackheart in the same plant. A black rot originates opposite the stem area of the plant fruit (the "blossom-end"), and spreads over the fruit as a dark, hardened area. The causes of blossom-end rot and blackheart are the same. Causes and treatment The most common cause of blossom-end rot and/or blackheart is exposure to a prolonged hot, or drought period. These plant pathologies may also be caused by an extremely low calcium mineral content in the soil.