Tomato Tone Question

Starlight · April 27, 2016

I was doing more transplanting today and after adding the TT I realized we back to days of rain again and our humidity soaring too.

Last year I used Bill's bleach method which really worked good to keep blights all away, but then I got to thinking that bleach kills good and bad in soil.

Now even with spraying just the leaves, I always have drip off from leaves onto the soil in my containers. Will the bleach even if just a small amount kill all the good bacteria in the soil from the TT? Last year I was adding TT some every month, but it was late in season when I learned about TT, now that I using here at beginning to end, wondered if I will need to use more often without causing fert burn.

Cole_Robbie · April 27, 2016

I wouldn't worry about it. At light concentrations, bleach actually meets organic certification standards. The chlorine will react with the first organic compound it meets. Bacteria are very resilient, so even if you kill a few at the very top of the media, they'll grow right back.

Starlight · April 28, 2016

Thanks so much Cole for the info. Appreciate it! That a big relief as with rain again and humidity, will have to start spraying.

April 27, 2016	#1
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Tomato Tone Question I was doing more transplanting today and after adding the TT I realized we back to days of rain again and our humidity soaring too. Last year I used Bill's bleach method which really worked good to keep blights all away, but then I got to thinking that bleach kills good and bad in soil. Now even with spraying just the leaves, I always have drip off from leaves onto the soil in my containers. Will the bleach even if just a small amount kill all the good bacteria in the soil from the TT? Last year I was adding TT some every month, but it was late in season when I learned about TT, now that I using here at beginning to end, wondered if I will need to use more often without causing fert burn.

April 27, 2016	#2
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I wouldn't worry about it. At light concentrations, bleach actually meets organic certification standards. The chlorine will react with the first organic compound it meets. Bacteria are very resilient, so even if you kill a few at the very top of the media, they'll grow right back.

April 28, 2016	#3
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Thanks so much Cole for the info. Appreciate it! That a big relief as with rain again and humidity, will have to start spraying.