Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Sometimes when I get flowers on my tomatoes plants in my aquaponics system, only one flower out of six will actually turn into a tomato. The rest of the flowers either fall off or turn brown. I`m also getting some blossom end rot appearing on my tomatoes.

What causes theses problems and what product do you recommend for my tomatoes in my aquaponics system?

PH 6.4 Ammonia 0ppm Nitrate 5.0

High range 7.8 Nitrite 0ppm

The blossom drop can be a lot of things but I'd start by looking at temperature and pollination. On the pollination, try pollinating the tomato blossoms yourself and see if that helps.

Blossom end rot is usually a calcium deficiency. You can add calcium when you adjust your pH by using CaOH or you could use CaCO3 in the form of shells to help keep the pH higher and provide calcium. Sometimes if it's early in the tomato season this will go away after a tomato or two without having to add calcium. I've never had BER in the AP system, only in soil but I keep some shell bits in a mesh bag under one of the taps as part of how I adjust the pH.