How early do you prepare your tomato beds?

[creister]

The title is the question, but I am always curious as to how many fertilize/amend their tomato growing areas before plant out, and how early do they do it?

[mensplace]

Originally Posted by creister

The title is the question, but I am always curious as to how many fertilize/amend their tomato growing areas before plant out, and how early do they do it?

I began to amend my soil in the fall. Limestone takes months to break down. Also added the organic elements such as compost early. Tilled one time last month during the only dry stretch to allow the winter to work on insects, weeds and break up the clay. The constant rain since has helped to get everything well watered in and mixed. The clay is soaking wet now and cannot even be touched or walked on until it is thoroughly dry, but leaving it roughly tilled before the many bouts of temps in the twenties is supposed to help. Later in the spring I will add a LOT more compost down to about a foot and then build raised beds a foot above that. Previously added micronutrients and various organic materials to give them time to break down. I view my efforts more as feeding the soil than just throwing out NPK and other fertilizers.

[Barbee]

I moved the tomato patch for this year so I worked it last fall with a ripper and did a quick tilling. Did a soil sample and things look good. All I'll need to do this spring is a another quick tilling and ready to plant.

In an established patch, I do a soil sample every couple of years in the fall to make sure things are in order. I'd add ammendments in the fall as recommended. If nothing was recommended, I'll wait till spring and do a couple of run throughs with the tiller when it's dry and plant.

[creister]

I usually put some compost down in the fall to cover the rye/hairy vetch seed that is my cover crop. I usually cut that down in the spring, put down molasses, hort. corn meal, fertilizer, and cover with compost, and mulch. All about a month before plant out. I usually water the beds with aerated compost tea as much as possible in the winter.

[duajones]

The past 3 yrs I have tilled in compost in the fall, then a light tilling a week or so before plant out. I havent done anything this year as it has just been too wet to till.

[Mojo]

Likewise. Simply too wet to work. Usually about this time I would be putting out horse manure, cottonseed meal and gypsum (plus, this year, superphosphate). I am hoping to get something done in the next two weeks, aiming for a mid-March plant-out. But if it doesn't get dry enough soon enough, I will buy composted manure so that the plants don't burn. Come plant-out, I will be cruising the neighborhood for grass clippings for mulch/compost.

[dustdevil]

Hairy vetch doesn't do so well here, so I grow a red clover cover crop and till it under in spring.

[barkeater]

My cover crop is snow;-) But, after the ground dries I usually get a load of well composted cow manure and spread it first, with some lime. There are also wood ashes I've spread overwinter in the snow. But I usually don't start turning over my garden until a couple weeks before planting. Since it is mostly hand dug, it may not all be finished until a day or 2 before planting.

[veggie babe]

Creister,
Have you ever used corn gluten instead of corn meal? I read an article about using it to prevent weed seeds from germinating...............BUT would this also keep my precious seeds I plant from gerinating??? I will try to research this later, just thought I would ask.

Neva

[creister]

Neva,

Corn meal to to feed micros that help deter bad fungi that cause disease, and that is why I add it, very good to control black spot on roses as well. I would not use corn gluten meal on any beds you start from seed in, as it has about a 90 day residual that would also prevent your seeds from surviving. I do use cgm on my lawn and it works real well.

The two products sound very similar, but are used for vastly differnet reasons.

[bohica]

I usually get a fall soil test to see whaere my numbers are at, I usually add humic acid, and any potassium that I may need as it takes longer to break down. I always put a winter cover crop of Winter Rye down.
In the spring I get a soil test and try to balance it the best I can as per the test results, no matter what the results are, I add kelp meal, usually about 50 lbs per 1500 sq. ft tilled in well.
I'll only use certian products to raise my levels after a little testing and getting tissue tests done on a few different plants to see where the nutrient levels were at in the first week of august.

[veggie babe]

Thanks Creister, that was my take on it but I needed someone with more knowledge. I will use it on the lawn this year and see how it goes.

Neva

[piegirl]

I dig my beds anytime I have extra time. Only dug one bed last fall b/c October was so wet then Nov I had to tear out, etc. I'd be out there now if it wasn't for the ding-dang snow and frozen ground. We have really been spoiled for quite a few winters - and now we are paying big time. Today I saw the ground again but tomorrow more snow expected. Somewhere out there are my parsnips and I want them! I may even have to get out the tiller rather than hand dig. Love the exercise and one bun of steel ! If you season is late, those prepared beds are wonderful - just a light fluffing and they are ready to go. Piegirl