Your soil/less mix this year?

[squibT]

I'm kinda interested in what soil or soiless mixes everyone is using for potted or HEB tomatoes this year. What has been successfull/trouble free or what has been a disaster/not so good.

I tried compost/potting soil/manure last year but with the heat it was really hard to keep potted plants on concrete properly watered (with work and all). Too much...too little...not enough drainage....

This year I have some HEB's and potted plants and I'm using barkfines (pine?cedar?fir?)/compost/MG potting soil/perlite. Drainage is great, no BER, easily watered and holds the right amount of moisture. BUT...I'm not impressed with the plant growth...fertilizing regularly...almost every time I water...with compost tea, or seaweed or fish fertilizer at 1/2 strength. Growth is good but not really vigorus...nice and green...lots of fruit it seems...but I would expect a lot more growth from ML and Brandywine and some others.

I'm thinking it may be b/c I am using "salted bark fines". I live in the PNW and that may be all the stores are selling. Doesnt say on the label what kind of bark but we transport a lot of wood in the water here. Guess I will go to a reputable nursery next year for bark mulch fines. Or it could be a lack of sun...only getting 4 or 5 hours a day her due to shading.

Anyway...STILL waiting for some non-cherry fruit to ripen. So much rain and cloudy weather here it put a lot of us behind.

How are you all doing and how are you doing it?

squibT

[feldon30]

I know there are some soil recipes here on the forum. And I have seen a distinction made between the soil you put in containers and the soil you put in an earthbox.

In a ~17 gallon container, I do 60-40 Pro-Mix potting mix and shredded pine bark and then mix in 2/3 cup each of TomatoTone, Pelletized Lime, Bone Meal, and 1/3 cup Epsom Salt. This was my first year doing this and I only grew peppers this way but I was happy with the results (~30 peppers per plant).

In an Earthbox, because the top is sealed, apparently it is much better to have the pelletized fertilizer arranged in a band or strip on the surface of the soil, that way every time you water, it distributes more fertilizer into the soil.

[bcday]

I would blame the slow ripening and lack of vigor on the limited amount of sun rather than on the potting mix you are using. You really need more than 4 or 5 hours of sun a day, and the cloudy weather is reducing the sun exposure even more.

I have plants in MG potting mix in 5-gallon buckets in a sunny area and they are keeping pace with the plants in the garden. Can you find a better spot for your containers?

[squibT]

You may be right bcday,

No place to move them but there is a nasty apple tree slated to come down. That would give me 7 or maybe 8 hours of sun.

Still...it may be interesting to find out the different soil mixes all are using....

Tim

[bcday]

Originally Posted by squibT

No place to move them but there is a nasty apple tree slated to come down. That would give me 7 or maybe 8 hours of sun.

That will be a big help, I'm sure you'll see a difference if you can keep up with the watering -- they sure do dry out fast.

The soil mix I use is MG potting mix right out of the bag with nothing else added, and I have had good results so far.

[squibT]

Originally Posted by feldon30

In a ~17 gallon container, I do 60-40 Pro-Mix potting mix and shredded pine bark and then mix in 2/3 cup each of TomatoTone, Pelletized Lime, Bone Meal, and 1/3 cup Epsom Salt.

I have tried a mix of MG and compost...in the past...maybe a little too heavy. Had to really work at watering/not overwatering in hot weather (in pots). A real pain. MG and pine bark and perlite was a good mix this year. Gonna try Pro-Mix next year. Lots of people comment about it. Actually I may try a few different mixes next year in the pots and HEBs...just for fun.

Still waiting on green tomatoes here (sigh). Got some lushious Gallina and Sugary already and lots of cukes.