Urban Farms Texas Tomato Food

[biodarwin]

Has anyone been using this in a SWC yet? I hate the concept of adding a fert strip because its hard to gauge how much is being used and I prefer the control of being able to switch up my fert when my tomatoes start to blossom. With that said, anyone trying this? So far I was thinking of making .5 gallons water + 1/2 TBSP TTF and apply this to a total of 6 plants each week. Any ideas?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by biodarwin

Has anyone been using this in a SWC yet? I hate the concept of adding a fert strip because its hard to gauge how much is being used and I prefer the control of being able to switch up my fert when my tomatoes start to blossom. With that said, anyone trying this? So far I was thinking of making .5 gallons water + 1/2 TBSP TTF and apply this to a total of 6 plants each week. Any ideas?

Yes, I garden with Earthboxes. I add this in addition to the fert strip. First year I have done this. The results were just WOW!, I alternated it with Calcinit every 3rd watering. I got zero BER this year, probably more because of the Calcinit than the TTF, but the production was due no doubt to the boost from the TTF.

Marsha

[Dewayne mater]

I am using it in the soil and as a fertilizer supplement 6 earthtainers. I have put in 2 Tbls every 3rd refill and a couple of times at every other refill. I also used the recommended fert strip. As a supplement, it has been astounding. I have never had fruit set close to the amount this year. Most full size plants have produced 20 or more fruit from eaten to various stages of development now. Some more. Indigo Apple a little less, cherries and small types are just abundant.

One thing I didn't do well was manage the growth. I was too busy admiring the tons of foliage and growth and didn't prune near enough. They got very dense and gray mold did a good bit of pruning for me. So far, nothing has died and most appear to be rebounding having titled the disease battle temporarily in my favor. This growth management issue manifested in the soil tomatoes with not as much fruit set, unbelievable growth and some disease battles again taking their toll on the dense foliage. I only used it in waterings twice, so in the future, I will be watering with it more often in the soil.

I hate sounding like a commercial, but this has been my most productive year ever and by a good bit, so, I'm a believer!

Dewayne Mater

[JamesL]

I am real happy with the product as well.
Used it exclusively last year, no Fert strip, in 21 Earthtainers.
Had almost no BER. I give some credit to the product and some credit to improved water management.
Each 20 gal tainer, each with 2 plants, got 1gal of full strength (1tbs) weekly and I upped the dosage to double strength midseason. That worked out to about every 3rd watering.
Using it this year as a supplement to a Fert strip. Until I get a fertigation setup ironed out I think I will continue with the Fert strip and supplement. It was too labor intensive to have to mix and feed 21 gallons every week and I was using 5 gallon water bottles to mix in.
For supplement this year -giving each tainer 1/2 gallon of full strength every other week and may end up with a weekly feeding of full strength or more towards the back half of the season as that seems to be about when my Fert strips give out.
Consider your plant sizes, reservoir size and overall observation as to how they look to determine feeding dosage.
It is a great product for sub irrigated as the percentages of NPK are in the right ballpark and there is no waste (unless you spill it).

[rnewste]

Just ordered a jug of this to try in my Earthbox / EarthTainer Automated Watering System. I will be installing a feeder in series with the master water line into the AWS distribution head-end.

Question: I read some posts that it "settles" quite quickly and needs constant shaking of the bottle. Is this also the case after it has been put into a feedline reservoir container? Could be a problem if it does not stay "homogenized".

Raybo

[JamesL]

Raybo,
Once you have mixed it you are good to go. It does settle quickly as a concentrate. I shake it well in the jug and pour it into a 16 oz water bottle as it is then easier to shake and dispense by the tablespoon. Once diluted I don't see it settle.

[jmhammRN]

Originally Posted by jmhammRN

Always remember to shake, this was only after about 10 minutes. It was probably in the upper 60's outside at the time.

Attachment 42673



But with only two shakes..........back to normal

Attachment 42674

Yes Ray it does settle very quickly as a concentrate. Here is my post showing just how quick it does.....I'm sure you have seen it but here is a refresher! I did mix up a gallon and let that sit for quite a while and no settling.

I would love to see your setup with the AWS when you get it finished. I am sure it's not very hard but I just have never seen the feeder setup. I am going to install my AWS today on my EBs and ETs. I have been so busy with work and my other hobby I've been trying to get back into (exercise !!!, specifically triathlons) that I haven't set it up yet, much less keeping my thread updated on my garden progress.

I think I'll look into the setup you are going to try, what kind/type/brand of feeder do you have Ray?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[rnewste]

Justin,

I am using a 3/4 gallon EZ Flo canister:



My concern is that the TTF would precipitate out alone in the EZ Flo, so I think mixing 2 quarts with 1 quart of water will keep the TTF suspended well. Now need to figure out the optimal flow rate setting.

EDIT: In reading the Manual just now, it says to dilute 4 parts water with 1 part TTF for a 30 gallon per hour system which should be about the refill rate on my 26 operational EarthTainers. A bit of trial and error adjustment, according to the Manual.....

Raybo

[epsilon]

Hey guys, I finally cracked and ordered a gallon. I figure this will set me up for the rest of this year and probably into the next. Does anyone have any side by sides?

Gaston

[b54red]

I went out yesterday and checked my second tomato bed for new fruit set and was amazed. I had a lot of new tomatoes set even though we are now solidly in that summer weather that makes fruit set very difficult. I am now giving my plants the TTF every 5 to 7 days because they are in that period when the plant is really putting out some energy into growing existing fruit. I found out last year during this time that if I let up on the feeding during this phase that the plants tended to drop a lot more blooms. We are also experiencing a very dry period and so I can't really apply a heavy watering without splitting fruit so I am having to water more often but not so heavily in order to maintain new fruit set.

I now have around 80 plants growing so I am really going through the TTF. I have already used 2 gallons this season and just ordered some more.

Bill

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Justin,

I am using a 3/4 gallon EZ Flo canister:



My concern is that the TTF would precipitate out alone in the EZ Flo, so I think mixing 2 quarts with 1 quart of water will keep the TTF suspended well. Now need to figure out the optimal flow rate setting.

EDIT: In reading the Manual just now, it says to dilute 4 parts water with 1 part TTF for a 30 gallon per hour system which should be about the refill rate on my 26 operational EarthTainers. A bit of trial and error adjustment, according to the Manual.....

Raybo

I really need to get to work on a good fertilizer injection system.
From what I see with the easy flow is the mixture becomes more and more diluted.

Something on the lines of the fire fighting foam systems I used to work on comes to mind.

The tank would have a bladder inside with the concentrate in it.
Water would be alowed to flow to the outside of the bladder to make up for space in the tank as the bladder got smaller.
The concentrate would be injected VIA orifice in a venturi into the system and on to the plants.

If a person wanted to get fancy they could have several tanks with different things in them.

The variety and ratios would be endless.


Worth

[Worth1]

Here is a video of how the system works.
This one is a high expansion loam system but all you would need to concentrate on the the tank it's self not the foam fan.
Worth
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...M2dZeEr5JkFz3g

[rnewste]

Worth,

The EZ Flo system appears to be less complex than you describe. As I observe my EZ Flo in operation (just installed it this morning) the inlet side is there to build a "head of pressure" in the tank and does not measurably dilute the contents as long as the EZ Flo lid maintains a good seal. Only when the contents level empties below the inlet pressure tube would new water flow into the tank.

Yes, there will be some dilution as the original contents put in the tank empties, but the dilution delta should be a relatively small factor as compared with the water flow which bypasses the tank and goes into the irrigation system normally.

So if you start off with 6 oz of fertilizer and 122 oz water in the tank (Urban Farms recommended dilution rate), as the tank empties over time the TTF ratio will decline slightly. The key is to never let the tank get below 1/8 full before you fill it up again.

EDIT: The AWS system has just completed its hour run cycle, and the level in the EZ Flo tank has declined about 1/8 from the initial fill level. This demonstrates to me that new water is not replacing the original TTF / water mix, thus the tank ratio is remaining relatively constant. If this depletion rate holds constant, then I should get a week out of the initial fill before having to "top up" again.

Raybo

[tnpeppers]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Yes, I garden with Earthboxes. I add this in addition to the fert strip. First year I have done this. The results were just WOW!, I alternated it with Calcinit every 3rd watering. I got zero BER this year, probably more because of the Calcinit than the TTF, but the production was due no doubt to the boost from the TTF.

Marsha

Earth Boxes here, as well. At the end of last season, I poured a 20-ounce bottle of the regular solution that I had prepared in a larger container down the tube of each Earth Box. Every plant produced more new growth (this is September in New Hampshire) and more fruit, especially cherries. I was still picking into October after a couple of light frosts. I am using their product(s) right from square one this year just to see what happens...using Vegetable Fertilizer right now; will switch to TTF at fruit set. LOVE this stuff.

[TNTiger]

Which of the Urban Farms Fertilizers do you think is best for Peppers?