FloraTomato Fertilizer from GH

[Sun City Linda]

Oh, good Raybo, I am so relieved to see your answer. I was thinking how wrong can I have everything if this is an EB type fert! I am still recovering from trying to grow with not much more than TomatoTone in my EBs which has not gone too well this year.

[JamesL]

Bah! Thanks Ray.
I guess I knew that with respect to water soluble.
Was hoping for a different answer of course.

[meadowyck]

that is really something for the company to listen to their customers that will continue to be a demand for this product. I think they need to be doing some more advertising on it so others will know.

Ok, thanks for posting the phone numbers as I'm planning to give them a call tomorrow.

[amideutch]

James a big good on ya! All you have to do is ask is the keyword here. Thank you for taking the ball and running with it. And a big thank you to GH for their support. Ami

[rnewste]

Ami,

I've just asked my Son to order a 16 pound container of FloraMato for me (my Birthday present) through his Hydroponics Shop. Hopefully, if a bunch of us order the product, GH will continue it on.

I am REALLY giving up on the "New" TomatoTone.

Raybo

[Sun City Linda]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Ami,

I've just asked my Son to order a 16 pound container of FloraMato for me (my Birthday present) through his Hydroponics Shop. Hopefully, if a bunch of us order the product, GH will continue it on.

I am REALLY giving up on the "New" TomatoTone.

Raybo

Have him order one for my Birthday too!

P.S. His name is Petronius, or something like that. Anybody know what happened to him?

[DogsandDirt]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Ami,

I've just asked my Son to order a 16 pound container of FloraMato for me (my Birthday present) through his Hydroponics Shop. Hopefully, if a bunch of us order the product, GH will continue it on.

I am REALLY giving up on the "New" TomatoTone.

Raybo

...and my birthday! What are you going to use instead of TomatoTone?

[JamesL]

Originally Posted by amideutch

James a big good on ya! All you have to do is ask is the keyword here. Thank you for taking the ball and running with it. And a big thank you to GH for their support. Ami

It might have been a gardenweb post that popped up and mentioned it was discontinued. Easiest way to find out the why is to pick up the phone, right?

After trading posts with Ray on the water solubility issue, it got me wondering how difficult it would be to "Pelletize" or using some other method, convert the product to a slow release. I know nothing about the subject and haven't researched it (yet) but I am going to email Jesse again and ask the question. If Genhydro could accomplish that without breaking the bank, it might truly be a "one and done" product.
Or is that just an insomniac's late night pipe dream?

[amideutch]

After trading posts with Ray on the water solubility issue, it got me wondering how difficult it would be to "Pelletize" or using some other method, convert the product to a slow release. I know nothing about the subject and haven't researched it (yet) but I am going to email Jesse again and ask the question. If Genhydro could accomplish that without breaking the bank, it might truly be a "one and done" product.

Sounds like it would be an ideal fert for SWC's and Tainers. I can see it now, "Tainer Grub". Ami

[JamesL]

I emailed hm this morning. Quoted you Ami as "a long time container and in ground grower on tomatoville"
Here's the whole email. Guy probably thinks I am a nut. (rightly so)

Jesse,
How complicated or expensive is it to reformulate or "pelletize" a water soluble product (Floramato) into a slow release product? I admittedly know nothing about the subject.
There are a vast number of people that grow tomatoes in containers.
Both regular draining containers and SIPS ( sub irrigated planters), sometimes referred to as SWC's (self watering containers)
The Earthbox - http://www.earthbox.com, which is one of the originals, or the Earthtainer, a home built version started by Ray Newstead - http://www.earthtainer.org/. You can do a web search for "Raybo" and "earthtainer" and or add in "tomatoville".
Tomato tone was one of the most popular products for this - I say "was" as they reformulated it last year and it just isn't close to the original. The concept being that you plant in a SIP and you use a fertilizer "strip" in the container that slow releases over the course of the growing season.

A quote on Floramato from a long time container and in ground grower on tomatoville - "With a NPK of 10-6-18 it has the 2-1-3 ratio that is optimum for tomato plants and has all the macro/micro's needed and the nitogen is derived from Calcium Nitrate which also supplies the required calcium to help prevent BER. This is one of the few inorganics I use in my normal organic fert scheme when I feel the plants may not be getting all the nutes they require."

It occurred to me that a slow release version of the same product could be a real winner.

Gardenweb, Earthbox and of course, Tomatoville, all have growing forums, with sub forums specifically devoted to container growing if you want to do more research.
Of course, many people growing "in ground" use a slow release fert as well.
There is a lot of experimentation, trialing of products, and information sharing going on on these boards, and no doubt other boards.

You should consider joining tomatoville. (it's free) Many commercial growers are members of the board as well. It would be a good place to do some research, and possibly get product feedback.

Cheers.


James

[Sun City Linda]

Good job James. I nominate you as Poster Child for the Tomato Growing community!

[JamesL]

Linda,
Oh no no.... Poster child for the guy who needs the most help maybe!
Any awards here need to go to the Raybo's, amideutsch's, etal who make serious contributions.

[Hulamom]

James,
Thanks for all the info for FloraMato. Until GH has FloraMato back on the shelves, I hope Jesse lets you know the ratio of Maxibloom and Maxigrow soon. I have both and would like love to use it until FloraMato is available.

[lakelady]

Originally Posted by JamesL

I emailed hm this morning. Quoted you Ami as "a long time container and in ground grower on tomatoville"
Here's the whole email. Guy probably thinks I am a nut. (rightly so)

Jesse,
How complicated or expensive is it to reformulate or "pelletize" a water soluble product (Floramato) into a slow release product? I admittedly know nothing about the subject.
There are a vast number of people that grow tomatoes in containers.
Both regular draining containers and SIPS ( sub irrigated planters), sometimes referred to as SWC's (self watering containers)
The Earthbox - http://www.earthbox.com, which is one of the originals, or the Earthtainer, a home built version started by Ray Newstead - http://www.earthtainer.org/. You can do a web search for "Raybo" and "earthtainer" and or add in "tomatoville".
Tomato tone was one of the most popular products for this - I say "was" as they reformulated it last year and it just isn't close to the original. The concept being that you plant in a SIP and you use a fertilizer "strip" in the container that slow releases over the course of the growing season.

A quote on Floramato from a long time container and in ground grower on tomatoville - "With a NPK of 10-6-18 it has the 2-1-3 ratio that is optimum for tomato plants and has all the macro/micro's needed and the nitogen is derived from Calcium Nitrate which also supplies the required calcium to help prevent BER. This is one of the few inorganics I use in my normal organic fert scheme when I feel the plants may not be getting all the nutes they require."

It occurred to me that a slow release version of the same product could be a real winner.

Gardenweb, Earthbox and of course, Tomatoville, all have growing forums, with sub forums specifically devoted to container growing if you want to do more research.
Of course, many people growing "in ground" use a slow release fert as well.
There is a lot of experimentation, trialing of products, and information sharing going on on these boards, and no doubt other boards.

You should consider joining tomatoville. (it's free) Many commercial growers are members of the board as well. It would be a good place to do some research, and possibly get product feedback.

Cheers.


James

James, it's okay if he thinks you're a nut. Just shake the TV tree and we'll all fall out You have NO idea or maybe you do, how relieved I was to find this forum. My friends, neighbors and family already gave up on me.

[amideutch]

James, if he is smart which I think he is, he will take the ball and run with it as he did with your first e-mail. When you have a good product word of mouth is an very effective sales tool as was the case with Actinovate, EXEL LG and MycoGrow to name a few. It's in his park now and lets see what happens.
BTW, I also sent Jesse an e-mail thanking him/her? for going to bat for us with FloraMato and also invited him/her to join Tomatoville. Ami