TTF Liquid + Plant Tone=Too Much Fert?

[Mike723]

TTF just seems like another FoxFarm hybrid style product; part organic, part synthetic (with on target NPK rates btw). As Worth stated, definitely get a soil test as it's counterproductive to add minerals that are already in excess. Also, products like PlantTone or TomatoTone will be available faster in soil with a more complete food web.

As Worth also stated, be aware of the type of nitrogen that the product is supplying. Annuals, vegetables and grasses prefer their N in nitrate form; compared to perennials, shrubs and trees' desire for ammonium. Again, this relates back to the soil food web. Just be aware that the average synthetic fertilizer supplies nitrogen in the form of ammonium (MG for example). If you supply your soil with the correct foods, mulches and teas (bacterially dominant), nitrogen-fixing bacteria will flourish and do all the work for you.. Simply apply your organic N source (soybean meal, alfalfa meal, grass clippings, etc etc) and they will get to work on converting any excess ammonium (released by fungi, nematodes and protozoa) into plant available nitrates.

I personally use hydrolyzed fish, and liquid kelp to get things going (weekly).. Hydrolyzed is important to note, as the product is enzymatically digested as opposed to the heating process of fish emulsion; enzyme digestion preserves many more proteins than heat processing. I also do weekly aerated compost tea drenches coincided with foliar treatments. This year I'm going with soybean meal for my slow release N source. Stay away from things like Cottonseed meal and Corn gluten meal. Cottonseed meal contains many pesticide residues due to the excessive amounts used in cultivation, and is also genetically modified - not considered organic. Corn gluten meal is expensive, and it also prevents root hairs from growing on seedlings; if you don't sow directly in your beds than it'd be ok but there are better choices.

There are many different grow styles, and it truly depends on which way you'd like to go. Some are very happy with using synthetic fertilizers and giving their plants more attention, others (like myself) would rather build the soil (structure, texture, microbiology etc) and let IT tend the plants for us. To each their very own of course, just have fun doing it! =)