Best Fertilizer and when?

[tryno12]

What is the best Fertilizer/Nutrients and when to apply? Like different fertilizers/nutrients before blossoms and different fertilizers/nutrients after fruit set?
Kind of weird, Miracle Grow you mix and spray on leaves yet it is known that moisture on leaves or splashing ground under plant while watering is a recipe for decease ?
While putting out transplant's I usually place a tBS of Lime in the base of hole to prevent BER and last yr had only 1 of 40 plants had BER.
Thank You

[Cole_Robbie]

BER is mostly about moisture consistency. Organic matter helps.

If your soil is good enough, you don't need any fertilizer. I like Osmocote for container plants. Tomatotone is popular as well. I would shoot for good soil first, with compost or composted manure, and then finish that off with a little Tomatotone.

[rockman]

We are practically neighbors so what works for us may for you. I mix well rotted leaves, least 3 yrs. old (consistency of black dirt) in hole. Add tbs. bone meal and epson salt. If not well rotted manure use low nit. fertilizer such as 6-24-24. Iv'e used ash tree ashes, can't say if really made a diff. Didn't hurt. We add straw around plants for soil splatter. Our garden is located on Lick Creek in a deep valley so we combat the cool damp night diseases and don't plant till last of may. rockman

[tryno12]

at times with plants, spring around the house,and seedlings started . Thanks Rockman, i see we are close , looks as if i best wait till May 8th or so to plant - last yr i needed to cover stuff up - too old for that. I never have my soil tested and usually go with a 12-12-12 slow release. Got Top soil Plus from Mcarty Green Cycle in Danville plus a couple extra yds compost so i'll see what happens 1rst yr for raised bed for me. I see Geezer here inBrownsburg by me has commented a couple times - busy: travel, wedding for daughter etc

[tryno12]

rockman, i was planning on planting 1rst week in may? i do remember last year having to cover up for a frost but i did not keep records so i don't remember when i planted

[Gardeneer]

BEST fertilizer is what the plants need and the soil/med is deficient in it.
So if my garden soil is rich in P, K, Mg, Ca ... but deficient in N, then the best fertilizer is something like 21-0-0. Although I can use like 10-10-10 but the last two "10"s are not really needed.
But in container growing it is a whole new ballgame.
Organic fertilizing is also a bit more complex than synthetic.

[Worth1]

I'm not going to buy into any so called tomato fertilizer.
It is my choice but to me it is a scam.
Soil test will prove again and again that the constant use of this stuff will show to much P and K.
You simply can't force feed plants to get them to take up more.
Many a time I have seen folks go on about someone's plants only to find out they are using a well balanced fertilizer.
Worth

[ginger2778]

I love Tomato Tone, but I only grow in containers. I already know my soilless mix has no natural nutes. And I do supplemental feeding too, with Calcium Nitrate and Magnesium Sulfate. I had 105 tomato plants this year, and I got about 1500 tomatoes not counting the cherries.

[Worth1]

I won't admit to knowing anything about container growing in soiless mixes.
Worth

[brownrexx]

My soil test this year showed too much P and K and I have only ever fertilized with compost so this year I am only using blood meal which is all Nitrogen, 12-0-0.

It's best to know what your garden needs and just start adding things.

[Chapinz8]

Originally Posted by brownrexx

My soil test this year showed too much P and K and I have only ever fertilized with compost so this year I am only using blood meal which is all Nitrogen, 12-0-0.

It's best to know what your garden needs and just start adding things.

I grow in raised beds with some compost, alfalfa pellets, etc. added each year. My last soil test said exactly the same. Advised me to add only blood meal for nitrogen.

[My Foot Smells]

has anybody ever used urea? my farmer's coop has a 50# bag for like 10$. my soil test recommended to add urea, but I've never used it. research specified that it needs to be tilled in and not used on top of soil (something about the chemical exchange is different). test also had the p & k elevated d/t all the fertilizer mixes a dump every year.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

has anybody ever used urea? my farmer's coop has a 50# bag for like 10$. my soil test recommended to add urea, but I've never used it. research specified that it needs to be tilled in and not used on top of soil (something about the chemical exchange is different). test also had the p & k elevated d/t all the fertilizer mixes a dump every year.

Urea requires microbes to break it down into usable nitrogen.
You can just rake it in.
Worth

[Southfl]

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

has anybody ever used urea? my farmer's coop has a 50# bag for like 10$. my soil test recommended to add urea, but I've never used it. research specified that it needs to be tilled in and not used on top of soil (something about the chemical exchange is different). test also had the p & k elevated d/t all the fertilizer mixes a dump every year.

urea is the the cheapest fertilizer for nitrogen it does require micros to break down to make it a usable source for the plants. I would use calcium nitrate instead of urea. Its available immediately to the plant and has calcium in it.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

has anybody ever used urea? my farmer's coop has a 50# bag for like 10$. my soil test recommended to add urea, but I've never used it. research specified that it needs to be tilled in and not used on top of soil (something about the chemical exchange is different). test also had the p & k elevated d/t all the fertilizer mixes a dump every year.

Urea is first converted to ammonia, which is a volatile gas, then ammonia is converted to ammonium which is a plant available form of N. The higher urea is placed in the soil profile, the greater chance of N loss as ammonia to the atmosphere. How much loss, which can be very high sometimes is dependent on temperature, PH and moisture.