Discussion forum for environmentally-friendly alternatives to replace synthetic chemicals and fertilizers.
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
June 24, 2007 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
|
What are YOU feeding your Tomato Plants
So, lets see what everybody is feeding their maters. Here's my list.
1. Espoma Garden Manure (4-2-2).Initially mixed with growing medium. 2. Garden Grounds with mycorrhizae. Used initially when planting seedlings. 3. Drammatik "K" (2-5-0.2) used as a foliar feed. Finished 4. "Stress-X" seaweed extract used once for drench and also for foliar. Finished 5. "BioBizz Bio Grow" (8-2-6) Used biweekly as soil drench. 6. "BioBizz Fish-Mix" (6-2-4) Used biweekly as soil drench alternating with Bio Grow. 7. "BioBizz ALG-A-MIC" Used weekly in con★★★★★★★★ with Bio Grow and Fish Mix. 8. T&J enterprises "Soil Life Tea" that is brewed for 6-24 hours. Used weekly as a foliar feed and soil drench. 9. Yucca extract used in con★★★★★★★★ with Soil Life Tea as a spreader-sticker and aids in opening the exterior pores of the plant for better absorption of the applied material. Thats it. How about you. Ami
__________________
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!' |
June 24, 2007 | #2 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NY
Posts: 2,618
|
Quote:
Then some Rock phosphate, lime, Epsom salt. Having way too much leave growth, can't use anything more which may have too much N in it. dcarch
__________________
tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato |
|
June 24, 2007 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 610
|
-Rabbit manure thinly spread around the garden a couple weeks prior to planting.
-1 tablespoon Epsom salt, along with some crushed egg shells in the plant hole at time of planting. - Rabbit manure tea at the time of planting. -More rabbit tea about a week after transplanting. -Alaska 5-1-1 about a week later. -Side dressed about 1 tablespoon of Espoma Tomato-Tone about a week after that. -Alaska 5-1-1 last week. -I'll probably alternate the rabbit tea and fish emulsion for the rest of the year and may apply Tomato-Tone once more in mid July. A friend gave me some stuff to try, it is 100% organic, 2-1-1. Its called Numus, Premium Organic Humus, made from leaves and chicken manure. I tried it with some zucchini transplants we put in yesterday. I'll probably try this on some other plants but it'll be difficult to compare the results of this product versus the others at this stage of the game. |
June 24, 2007 | #4 |
Tomatoville® Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 4,386
|
I use Espoma Tomato Tone, its 4-7-10 with micronutrients and I foliar with Monty's Joy Juice 8-16-8 until fruit set and then I use the Monty's 2-15-15.
__________________
Michael |
June 24, 2007 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Chas SC
Posts: 70
|
Leaf and coffee ground compost prepared beds. Worm castings, and Mycorizal spore in planting holes, Alfalfa meal, corn meal (fungicidal properties?) scratched into compost, liquid fish and liquid kelp soil drench. A couple of weeks ago I put a little espoma plant tone. The toms have really taken off since then but I attribute that to rain and heat. This is the first time I have grown organically (except Espoma) and since I have not fertilized scientifically I have no idea whats working,but most except black plum (puny) Mariannas Peace (no fruit set yet although it has stated to flower pretty profusly lately) are fairly productive and very healthy looking (very little disease so far, fingers crossed) I have applied Bt when I saw signs of hornworms. I sprayed with asperin water twice. Thats all I remember.
|
June 24, 2007 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 630
|
I just have some really humus-rich topsoil, fortified with rotten wood from a termite-infested stump, sphagnum peat, sand, and steamed bone meal (6-12-0) as the growing medium. I routinely feed with banana peel puree and have side-dressed with composted chicken manure and raw bone meal (0-10-0). The bone meal helps offset the acidicity caused by the breakdown of the peat moss.
|
June 25, 2007 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b?
Posts: 321
|
Hi all, new here. Always saying I want to go organic and I start off doing it and then I mean to do it and then whoops blue stuff. This year I started brewing compost tea thanks to a recomendation of the lady I patterned my raised beds and arbors after. Since I have not got any compost ready I buy the cheapo bags that say they are manure and other organics from HD. I add molasses and cornmeal while brewing, a hand full of my pond fish food and I use air to brew in short quick batches. I use it to foliar feed and to water everything with. I have been using fish emulsion as an additive every other week or so (Alaska). I am having a hard time finding what I want close by though. Also using Neem now as foliar spray every week due to some nasty bugs ;( Should be able to cut down to 14 days after next spray. Most everything seems to l ike the compost tea-I just cannot brew it fast enough for everything to get some every week!
Finally found Plant-tone and Tomato-Tone and plant to use those as well! Kelley |
June 25, 2007 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 630
|
I don't intend to be a stickler, but if you are really wanting to grow organically I would cut out the Tomato-Tone. My understanding is that it is mostly organic, so it may not make a difference to you. But strictly speaking...Either way I'm sure it beats the blue stuff.
|
June 25, 2007 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
|
Kelleyville, welcome to Tville. My first year using tea also and the results seem promising. Sometimes you can't always find amendments that are totally organic but thats OK. A couple times I have used calcium nitrate as a foliar just because I could'nt find anything else suitable at the time. Here in Germany most of the organic fertilizers come from companies that cater to cannabis growing but thats alright as they have some excellent products. The local garden centers mainly carry inorganic products. So enjoy your stay here at Tville and keeps us posted on your gardens progress. Ami
__________________
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!' |
June 25, 2007 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b?
Posts: 321
|
Thanks! Since I have not started using it I may not! I thought all of the "tone" products were organic? Guess I have more to learn than I thought!
|
June 25, 2007 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b?
Posts: 321
|
Amideutch,
I have trouble finding amendments here, everywhere I ask people look at me like I am bizarre! I finally found dry molasses at a tractor supply store as horse feed. I think I can get alfalfa and cornmeal that way as well! Just a matter of tracking it all down! I guess I should not worry too much because some how since using this tea i hav 7 foot tomato plants with tomatoes on them The tea must be the cause because I have never seen a tomato plant this tall and full. I see now from pictures I can expect even taller and fuller in my future! My biggest challenge right now is water, we are in drought with a no water ban so I am dependent on what I can catch from the sky and from the air conditioner and whats left in the creek! I think people have spent a great deal of time and effort on cannabis-may as well cultivate it for tomato use |
June 25, 2007 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NJ Bayshore
Posts: 3,848
|
Mines a short & sweet list ...
Compost bin gets dumped into garden in fall ... Seaweed mulch & "seaweed tea" during all growth stages of plant grow: ~ Tom
__________________
My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale |
June 25, 2007 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 630
|
Simplicity, I love it. I try to keep things simple, but sometimes I go overboard. Nevertheless, much respect.
|
June 26, 2007 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
|
Tom's famous seaweed diet. All you have to do is look at pictures of his plants and maters and you know it works!! And he gets it for free.
Kelleyville, if it isn't broke don't fix it. You may not need to use any more amendments if your plants are growing that well. What depth is your water table? Maybe you could have a well dug. Ami
__________________
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!' |
June 26, 2007 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NJ Bayshore
Posts: 3,848
|
Organichris -
Yeah the "keep it simple stupid" method has been working for me so far ~ I love to garden, I love my garden and all the plants I grow. But with work, home, and planning a wedding in Sept. , I need the plants to be on MY schedule, so my plan of action has to be simple yet effective ... I'm not retired YET ~ LOL Ami - Thanks for your compliments ~ Yeah, as my Italian grandfather used to say: "if its for free, its for me" ... lol ~ Especially when it comes to plants ~ Plenty of seaweed down there now ... gonna make a few more runs this week ! ~ Tom
__________________
My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale |
|
|