Please help! What is wrong with my tomatoes? This is my first attempt growing the tasty red fruits and so far my plants have been growing beautifully. A few days ago I was thrilled to discover the first few fruits turning orange and this morning I noticed a handful of ripe red tomatoes shining through the green.

Unfortunately, much to my dismay there was something drastically wrong with the little buggers once they had been picked! Their bottoms are all shrivelled and brown. To make it even more confusing, I am growing tomatoes in 3 different locations in my yard, just to see how they do and the problem seems to be afflicting every single stinking red tomato! Maybe it is the hot weather and drought-like conditions? I have been watering every three days in the morning, but perhaps once the fruits start to ripen they need water everyday?

Fortunately, once the ends are cut off the top half of the tomato is perfectly tasty and firm. On the other hand if this happens to all of my tomatoes, my sauce crop will effectively be cut in half!

Any tips? Suggestions? Is this a water issue? A disease? Help!?!

As you can see in the first picture, the tomatoes start out perfectly normal and healthy, but it looks as though the bottoms are starting to shrivel around the same time the fruits start to ripen.

I googled this problem and the only solution I came up with is blossom-end rot, which results in calcium deficient fruit and is caused by over watering…considering that it has been nearly 100 F every day for the last 10 days and my plants only get moderate watering, I find this answer hard to believe…any experts out there? Especially those who have experience growing tomatoes in dry, hot, conditions and clay soil?

My tomatoes need your help and they need it quick!