Triple 17 Fertilizer

Lowcountry · May 8, 2017

Hi, everybody. New member here. I've been growing tomatoes along with other fruits and veggies with varying success over the last several years. This year, I have a lot of triple 17 left over from fall food plots I planted at my farm. My tomatoes have a fair amount of small fruits on them now so I'm going to apply some fertilizer to give them a boost. Any problems with using the triple 17? Thanks and look forward to learning from y'all.

Gardeneer · May 8, 2017

No problem. Triple 10, 12, 17, 18 granular are just plain vanilla fertilizers containing just NPK.
I usually add them early in the season when I am preparing my garden, to give them time to be fully implemented when I plant out.
But you can add/sprinkle them on the top of soil around the plants and scratch the soil a bite, cover with mulch. Now, as you water it will release the nutrients slowly. So you won't get instant gratificatio as you would do with liquid or readily water soluble fertilizers.

But be aware that they normally do not contain any elements (Ca, Fe, Mg , Mn, S ..) other than NPK, that plants need. (Read the label !) But for the money you pay for them you get the bigger bang for the buck. No bells, no jazz , no thrill ... just plan fertilizer.

Cole_Robbie · May 8, 2017

The granular fertilizers won't start to break down until it rains. Phosphorous is by far the least mobile of the three elements in it. With sandy soil, you will get some movement. But with clay soil like mine, one needs to till it in before planting.

Phosphorous is mostly for blooming and setting fruit. Potassium will make the fruit larger, and possibly sweeter. I buy a lot of products from Morgan County Seed. They recommend alternating calcium nitrate with 4-18-38, for plants on drip irrigation with a fertilizer injector.

**carolyn137** · May 8, 2017

When I was growing many hundreds of tomato varieties,back in the day, Charley,my farmer friend would prepare my field for me, and he had Roy,an older man drive the small Farmall tractor and side dress his stuff as well as mine.

Bags of triple 10 and triple 17 were stored at our farm. Roy never spread triple 17 straight out, he just changed the settings on the fertilizer hopper feed.

Too much of anything, like using straight triple 17 can and does predispose to many other problems.

Carolyn

Lowcountry · May 8, 2017

I have never used liquid fertilizers. Am I missing out? What should I be doing differently? Thanks.

**carolyn137** · May 8, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lowcountry

I have never used liquid fertilizers. Am I missing out? What should I be doing differently? Thanks.

The only time I used liquid fertilizers was when Roy ( see my post above) couldn't get through the rows any more, plants had spread too far,and then I'd use Neptune Harvest liquid, either the fish one or the kelp one.

https://www.google.com/search?q=nept...&bih=790&dpr=1

And it also depends on what you soil is like as to micro-nutrients as well as what your growing medium is like if growing in Containers of any kind.

Carolyn

May 8, 2017	#1
Lowcountry Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Lowcountry, SC Posts: 6	Triple 17 Fertilizer Hi, everybody. New member here. I've been growing tomatoes along with other fruits and veggies with varying success over the last several years. This year, I have a lot of triple 17 left over from fall food plots I planted at my farm. My tomatoes have a fair amount of small fruits on them now so I'm going to apply some fertilizer to give them a boost. Any problems with using the triple 17? Thanks and look forward to learning from y'all.

May 8, 2017	#2
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,916	No problem. Triple 10, 12, 17, 18 granular are just plain vanilla fertilizers containing just NPK. I usually add them early in the season when I am preparing my garden, to give them time to be fully implemented when I plant out. But you can add/sprinkle them on the top of soil around the plants and scratch the soil a bite, cover with mulch. Now, as you water it will release the nutrients slowly. So you won't get instant gratificatio as you would do with liquid or readily water soluble fertilizers. But be aware that they normally do not contain any elements (Ca, Fe, Mg , Mn, S ..) other than NPK, that plants need. (Read the label !) But for the money you pay for them you get the bigger bang for the buck. No bells, no jazz , no thrill ... just plan fertilizer. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

May 8, 2017	#4
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	When I was growing many hundreds of tomato varieties,back in the day, Charley,my farmer friend would prepare my field for me, and he had Roy,an older man drive the small Farmall tractor and side dress his stuff as well as mine. Bags of triple 10 and triple 17 were stored at our farm. Roy never spread triple 17 straight out, he just changed the settings on the fertilizer hopper feed. Too much of anything, like using straight triple 17 can and does predispose to many other problems. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

May 8, 2017	#3
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	The granular fertilizers won't start to break down until it rains. Phosphorous is by far the least mobile of the three elements in it. With sandy soil, you will get some movement. But with clay soil like mine, one needs to till it in before planting. Phosphorous is mostly for blooming and setting fruit. Potassium will make the fruit larger, and possibly sweeter. I buy a lot of products from Morgan County Seed. They recommend alternating calcium nitrate with 4-18-38, for plants on drip irrigation with a fertilizer injector.