Bottom Water Liquid Fert Suggestion

[whoose]

Trying bottom watering my greenhouse toms this year and need suggestions for an organic liquid fert.

[Cole_Robbie]

I'm looking in my Morgan County Seed catalog. They sell a "tomato maker" from Organic Laboratories, 4-2-6. 3 pounds of it for $10.75. I have not tried it yet.

I bought a bag of tomatotone, and I am going to experiment with seeing how much of it I can get to dissolve in water.

www.kelp4less.com has a lot of great stuff. I am currently using their "extreme blend." I also bought fulvic and humic acid separately just to play with. These products will not give you the NPK that tomatoes need, but they are intriguing supplements.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I'm looking in my Morgan County Seed catalog. They sell a "tomato maker" from Organic Laboratories, 4-2-6. 3 pounds of it for $10.75. I have not tried it yet.

I bought a bag of tomatotone, and I am going to experiment with seeing how much of it I can get to dissolve in water.

www.kelp4less.com has a lot of great stuff. I am currently using their "extreme blend." I also bought fulvic and humic acid separately just to play with. These products will not give you the NPK that tomatoes need, but they are intriguing supplements.

Cole they are (Espoma) making a scent free liquid now that is 2-2-2.
I tried the dissolving thing it didn't work out so well.

I think it would be the cats meow for bottom watering.
So they make a liquid Start that is 1-2-2.
A liquid Grow that is 2-2-2.
And a Bloom that is 1-3-1.

You know how I feel about BLOOM fertilizers already.
http://www.espoma.com/liquids/

Worth

[TexasTycoon]

My vote will always go to Texas Tomato Food (TTF).

[RayR]

Texas Tomato Food is mostly not organic.

Organic ferts are not entirely soluble, that's all there is to it. I prefer to top water liquid organic ferts with dry organic ferts mixed into the soil.

[Uncle Doss]

I am planning on trying to make a bunny berry tea this year. The plan is to fill a 30 gallon barrel about 2/3 full of rabbit manure, then topping it off with collected rain water.
If I do that and put a lid on the barrel and let it sit for a few weeks, then drain the water off, my hope is that would make a nice liquid fertilizer.
Do you have the resources to try something like that?

[Gerardo]

Neptune's.

[MissionGardens]

I like Kellogg's Fish and Kelp fertilizer when I need something soluble. It can be found at Home Depot and other stores for less than $10 and I've found it to work great for what I use it for.

[kath]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Cole they are (Espoma) making a scent free liquid now that is 2-2-2.
I tried the dissolving thing it didn't work out so well.

I think it would be the cats meow for bottom watering.
So they make a liquid Start that is 1-2-2.
A liquid Grow that is 2-2-2.
And a Bloom that is 1-3-1.

You know how I feel about BLOOM fertilizers already.
http://www.espoma.com/liquids/

Worth

That's great news- good for a non-smelly option for transplants still in the house. The fishy stuff sometimes attracts ants!

[Barb_FL]

I was at Walmart today and bought the Espoma Liquid Organic. I need more fertilizer like I need more tomato seeds.

They were each priced at $12.86; it was 24 oz. I bought the Grow (2-2-2);

BTW - Walmart is selling Tomato Tone 8 lbs, for $9.88 - They had the entire line of Espoma products - all good prices.

----
Also, Jobes has a soluble organic product specially for Tomatoes/Vegetables.
This fell in my cart as well. It was $5.86 and in powdered form.

----
I opened up the Espoma Liquid and it doesn't have any organic smell. It does have an odor but not organic.

I did the cap thing over a measuring cup. A Capful is 1/8 cup (that is 2 Tablespoons or 1 ounce). On the directions it says to add 2-3 capfuls to 1 gallon of water.

With the 1 capful, in my measuring cup, it was DARK. I can't imagine adding 2 more capfuls to a gallon of water.

So even just going with the 1 capful, a bottle would only make 24 gallons or $.57 per gallon (includes tax).

2 capfuls, would make 12 gallons
3 capfuls would make 8 gallons.

This stuff would be EXPENSIVE to use.

For comparison, Texas Tomato Food is <.16 per gallon (buying the gallon size and needing it shipped).

=====================

On the Jobes Organic Fertilizer, you get a packet of powder and a spoon. 1 spoonful per gallon of water; directions for potted plants, etc. Besides being much cheaper, the amount of power looks like it would make more than 24 gallons.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Jobe-s-Org...5-lbs/46855923

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

I was at Walmart today and bought the Espoma Liquid Organic. I need more fertilizer like I need more tomato seeds.

They were each priced at $12.86; it was 24 oz. I bought the Grow (2-2-2);

BTW - Walmart is selling Tomato Tone 8 lbs, for $9.88 - They had the entire line of Espoma products - all good prices.

----
Also, Jobes has a soluble organic product specially for Tomatoes/Vegetables.
This fell in my cart as well. It was $5.86 and in powdered form.

----
I opened up the Espoma Liquid and it doesn't have any organic smell. It does have an odor but not organic.

I did the cap thing over a measuring cup. A Capful is 1/8 cup (that is 2 Tablespoons or 1 ounce). On the directions it says to add 2-3 capfuls to 1 gallon of water.

With the 1 capful, in my measuring cup, it was DARK. I can't imagine adding 2 more capfuls to a gallon of water.

So even just going with the 1 capful, a bottle would only make 24 gallons or $.57 per gallon (includes tax).

2 capfuls, would make 12 gallons
3 capfuls would make 8 gallons.

This stuff would be EXPENSIVE to use.

For comparison, Texas Tomato Food is <.16 per gallon (buying the gallon size and needing it shipped).

=====================

On the Jobes Organic Fertilizer, you get a packet of powder and a spoon. 1 spoonful per gallon of water; directions for potted plants, etc. Besides being much cheaper, the amount of power looks like it would make more than 24 gallons.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Jobe-s-Org...5-lbs/46855923

I just want to tell you thank you for doing all that math. Very useful, and I love this post, Barb.

[ginger2778]

Tomato maker at Amazon, $9.99 and free shipping http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...&condition=new

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I'm looking in my Morgan County Seed catalog. They sell a "tomato maker" from Organic Laboratories, 4-2-6. 3 pounds of it for $10.75. I have not tried it yet.

I bought a bag of tomatotone, and I am going to experiment with seeing how much of it I can get to dissolve in water.

www.kelp4less.com has a lot of great stuff. I am currently using their "extreme blend." I also bought fulvic and humic acid separately just to play with. These products will not give you the NPK that tomatoes need, but they are intriguing supplements.

As I just posted, its cheaper at Amazon. I have used it on my seedlings with first true leaf transplant into the 4" pots, just a pinch, then another pinch 2 weeks later. They do fantastically well. We sell about 500 each year as a fundraiser for my community garden, at $3 each, or 10 for $25. Lots of people go for the 10. The seedlings look so healthy. Love the stuff.
In my Earthboxes, strictly Tomato Tone.

[Barb_FL]

This winter was the first time for me using the Tomato Maker; the bag says 3 lbs, but it goes a LONG way. When Marsha says a pinch, it is really a pinch; not a teaspoon.

Previously, I used Espoma Bio-Tone Starter Plus; one year I used the granular fertilizer from the Texas Tomato Food.

Cole-Robbie; There are instructions for Tomato Maker to be used as a Soluble; I tried it; it dissolved better than Tomato Tone would, but not at all like a liquid fertilizer.

I still have about half left of the same 3 lb bag. I'm using it for pepper transplants too.

[kurt]

I joined there preferred customer system and saved some big bucs.Not only is the cost decent but I like the ingredients(some listed as organic/natural).The container sizes make mixing easier,and the varietys make it easier for customizing ferts for my mangoes,lychees,papayas,bananas,maters,Hawaiian sugar canes,sweet/super hot peppers,various flowering vines and then the wifes herbs and flowers.Most of the other ferts are more of a "one"type regimen fertilizer.

http://www.aggrand.com/Store/Products/fertilizer.aspx