Calcium additive for containers

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

I have been using the miricle grow potting mix for two years and have had very good success with little BER (early girl is the exception very prone to BER for me). I have been adding some osmacote for veggies into the mix when I fill the containers and use Miricle grow for tomatoes once every week or two.

Is there something I should be adding for extra calcium?

[amideutch]

Gobig, here is a link to one of the better reads on BER. Ami
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/sendIt/g1752.pdf

[mdvpc]

The best container fert mix I have ever used is Espoma Tomato Tone-its 4-7-10 with micronutrients. Garden Tone, 4-6-6 with micros is good if you cant get Tomato Tone. You should be able to find these in your area.

[rnewste]

Hey Michael,

I just ordered 4 five pound bags of Tomato Tone on Amazon ($4.99 per bag. plus $5.00 total for all shipping). I experienced lots of BER growing in pots last year using SuperSoil mix and Fox Farms tomato fertilizer. Will switching over to Tomato Tone improve BER for me this season?

I've read that adding dolomite (calcium) is also recommended for container growing. Do you all agree, and in what proportion to the potting mix, or does the application of Tomato Tone address this need?

Ray

[mdvpc]

Ray-Tomato Tone has calcium it. Here is the link for the analysis.

http://www.espoma.com/content.aspx?t...ntCategoryID=4

You can see the macros and micros in it-3% calcium.

The only time I have had ber using tomato tone is on some pastes. If you use tomato tone, you wont have to add any lime.

[rnewste]

Thanks Michael, I was hoping to hear that from you re: Tomato Tone solving the calcium additive container issue. Started 48 seedlings in peat pods Dec 26, and they are 2" to 3" tall at the moment. Planning on setting them in the ground March 1, or so.

Ray

[mdvpc]

let us know how the tone does for you, Ray.

[troad]

Michael,
The posts on Tomato Tone sounded good so I looked it up. For those interested in the actual contents of this product they should go to a website from the state of Washington. All fertilizers sold here have to be listed as to there content including heavy metals like lead and mercury and others. The website can be accessed at:
http://agr.wa.gov/pestfert/fertilize...ctdatabase.htm

Select by product and you get an alphabetical list. Select "E" for Espoma. Scroll done to "Espoma Tomato-Tone 4-7-10 You will get a breakdown. Also listed are the garden tone and others.
Just for fun compare Espoma to something like: Wil-Gro Professional Fertilizer Pro Balance 16-16-16
You may be surprised.
Len

[amideutch]

If you making your own container mix, for 2 cubic feet of potting mix add 6 TBLs High Calcium Lime, 3 TBLs powdered Gypsum and 5 TbLs Powdered Soft Rock Phosphate. That will give you calcium, phosphate, Sulfate and trace elements. Add a good fertilizer, Biosol Fertilizer 7-2-3 is a good one especially if your using mycorriza as you don't want your "P" to be any higher than 3. Add some perlite, kelp and whatever else for your micros and your ready to go. Ami

[matereater]

Len, thanks for that link, lots of good info there.
I compared Tomato Tone to what I normally use (MG) and both contain lead (TT=21, MG=5). Is this normal in chemical fertilizers?

[feldon30]

http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/lead1.htm

Lead is naturally present in all soils, generally in the range of 15 to 40 parts lead per million parts of soil (ppm) or milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg).

If estimated total soil lead levels are above 300 ppm, however, young children and pregnant women should avoid soil contact.

troad,

Just to be clear, are you saying TomatoTone fared better or worse than the other ones?
I know the micronutrients are great in TT, but just confirming...

[dice]

Dolomite lime is really cheap, about $3/40lbs (Soil Sweet, HD).
That is enough to mix a cupful into a lot of containers.

It takes some time to break down, though. Some ag research
sites that I have browsed cited results where fields that were
limed in spring showed no increase in productivity until the
following year. SuperSweet (artificial calcium carbonate
product) takes effect in weeks, but one needs to be careful
not to raise the pH too high with it when using it in a container,
and it does not provide any magnesium (may not be an issue,
depending on your fertilizer for containers).

Gypsum, powdered or granulated, breaks down pretty
fast and has neglible effect on pH (provides calcium
and sulfur). I've added it to beds about a month before
plant out and seen no BER in a spot where some plants
had it the year before.

[matereater]

Thanks Morgan, I didn't realize that, good infor to know.

[troad]

Morgan,
Not to dispute the origins of natural occuring heavy metals.
Not disputing the benefits of Tomato Tone. But I prefer to keep the addition of heavy metals to a minimum. Did you check out the Wil-Gro I mentioned?
Like many consumers I was not aware of the heavy metals that were being mixed in with fertilizer (The manufacturers were using by-products from other companies) Not wanting to add lead, mercury etc. to my home I began viewing all fertilizers before purchasing them. And now buy only the "cleanest" if that makes sense.
No doubt the low amounts in Tomato Tone will go unnoticed in most applications. Obviously I am not totally organic or I would not use commercial products but I feel better about adding as little lead etc as possible. Threw the first post out so others could use the product link. Long way to go to say some are better and some are worse than Tomato tone. Look up your products, pick what works for you.

[troad]

Steve
Got long winded in prior post. Morgan is correct about natural elements. Just adding my opinion about what makes me uncomfortable. (Yes I also use some MG )