Garden Tone

[cjp1953]

I have been looking for Tomato Tone at the local stores around here and no one carries it in store,you have to order on line.They do instead have Garden Tone.I'm looking for something with calcium.I have not limed my garden in 6 years and have not tested it this year.Will Garden Tone stop Blossom End Rot.It has 5.0% Calcium.I'm not having trouble,just want to make sure this does not happen.I have Miracle Gro Tomato that I have used this week,I had this on hand but would rather go with a organic plant food.I don't want to pay shipping on top of the cost of the Tomato Tone.

[RayR]

You can use Garden-Tone (3-4-4 5%Ca) in place of Tomato-Tone (3-4-6 8%Ca) BER is not necessarily caused by a lack of Calcium in the soil, it is calcium uptake and translocation to the fruit which can be caused by other factors like inconsistent moisture, N and K competes with Ca in the soil, so too much of those nutrients during flowering and fruiting can contribute to BER. Also, some varieties are more susceptible to BER than others.
Staying organic, you can supplement your dry organic fertilizer weekly with Liquid Fish Hydrolysate or better yet Liquid Fish Hydrolysate/Kelp. It will add a little Calcium and a whole host of other macro and micronutrients, hormones, vitamins and amino acids.

[cjp1953]

Originally Posted by RayR

You can use Garden-Tone (3-4-4 5%Ca) in place of Tomato-Tone (3-4-6 8%Ca) BER is not necessarily caused by a lack of Calcium in the soil, it is calcium uptake and translocation to the fruit which can be caused by other factors like inconsistent moisture, N and K competes with Ca in the soil, so too much of those nutrients during flowering and fruiting can contribute to BER. Also, some varieties are more susceptible to BER than others.
Staying organic, you can supplement your dry organic fertilizer weekly with Liquid Fish Hydrolysate or better yet Liquid Fish Hydrolysate/Kelp. It will add a little Calcium and a whole host of other macro and micronutrients, hormones, vitamins and amino acids.

Thanks,We have had a very wet spring and month of June.Don't know if that will have an effect things.

[tomatoguy]

Miracle-Gro will generally give you lush, pretty plants, with very few tomatoes. 18-18-21 is way too strong for tomatoes, unless you are growing in unamended clay, sans topsoil. I use organic Mater Magic, 8-5-5.


mater
tomato season #46

[Shooter1103]

You mean the stuff in a little red plastic tomato container? I thought that was just an advertising ploy?

[RonnyWil]

I couldn't find it in the stores around here and the nursery wanted $8.95 for 4lb. bag. I found some on Ebay for $19.75 for an 20lb. bag with free shipping so I ordered 4 of them. They still have it listed but they have gone to the new 18lb. bag same price.

[Shooter1103]

What Mater Magic or Tomato Tone.....

[cjp1953]

Bought a 8lb bag today at Lowes of Garden Tone,Thanks to all that replayed.

[Spartanburg123]

I bought a bag of Tomato Tone at a feed store today, and sprinkled 3 tablespoons around each of my plants. I have to say, man does this stuff stink! My whole garden smells like a sewer! LOL

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by Spartanburg123

I bought a bag of Tomato Tone at a feed store today, and sprinkled 3 tablespoons around each of my plants. I have to say, man does this stuff stink! My whole garden smells like a sewer! LOL

Wow I've never noticed TomatoTone to have a bad smell.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Spartanburg123

I bought a bag of Tomato Tone at a feed store today, and sprinkled 3 tablespoons around each of my plants. I have to say, man does this stuff stink! My whole garden smells like a sewer! LOL

What?!! You don't like the smell of dehydrated chicken manure?
My neighbor and I were talking about that today, we both use Espoma Tones.
Both our wives hate the smell, but it doesn't both either of us.

The trick is to not leave it on top of the soil, but scratch it in and then water.
It's much better to mix it thoroughly into the soil before planting