Growing Things: Tomato blossom rot is a common problem

Q I’m having the worst luck growing tomatoes this year. I grow them in five-gallon pails and have been diligent with the watering, sometimes twice a day in hot weather, giving them a really good soaking each time. I’ve had about six with blossom end rot and a couple had a black sooty powder as well (on the end rot). Today I was trimming some of the long shoots back and found some that looked like they started with blossom end rot but half the tomato was gone. I’ve never had thi