Fertilizer confusion

[Barry12]

I have seen some posts on fert ratios for Tomatoes and am confused due to conflicting info. Do bloom boosters really produce bigger and juicier tomatoes?
I read where this is a myth and that it is all a marketing hype.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
Thanks
Barry

[PaulF]

I don't know about that, but higher nitrogen fertilizers will cause tomato plants to put more energy into growing more plant and less effort into flowers and fruit.

[AKmark]

This link has some nice charts that show the element requirements for the tomato.
http://www.haifa-group.com/files/Gui...ato/Tomato.pdf

[Gardeneer]

If you look at some specialty tomato fertilizers, you might find out that K is the highest in NPK.
If I remember it correctly , it is like 2-3-4 ( N-P-K). I am not suggesting that this is the correct ratio, however. Generally, plants use more N than P and K and P least.

Whenever in doubt, good old All Purpose fertilizer with 1-1-1 ratio ( 10-10-10 ,, 17-17-17 ...) should be close enough.
MG Blue water soluble has a 3-1-2 ratio. (24- 8 - 16 ). But perhaps , IMO, it is too high in N for tomatoes Especially in flowering and fruit setting stage.

OK. What is said is about growing in container, with soil less mix with ZERO initial fertilizer. But in your garden it might be a different situation. That is why a soil test can be valuable. In my case, the test result and recommendation is that there is more than enough P and K but N is low. So all I need to add is N , like 23-0-0

Still confused ? So am I.

[Antipodean]

High P fertilizers are a marketing gimmick, they will do damage to your to your soil in the long term. Tissue analysis show that tomatoes require a lot of N and K with minor amounts of Ca, Mg and then P. The requirement for P is way down the order. Plants only require minor amounts of P, more will not induce flowering. Since most soils have adequate P, additional amounts are not required. It seems to be one of those myths that will not go away!!
The folks over the container growing forum recommend a 4.1.3 ratio, I personally use a 10.2.6 on mine, including containers, in ground and even my roses.
Actually, in my part of the world, the sale of P or high P fertilisers have been banned as they are not necessary and do damage to the environment.

[Gerardo]

Mark's Haifa link really breaks it down nicely. High recommend.

[zipcode]

Most commercial growers do use it after transplanting. They swear it helps with fast root growth.
Not sure it has anything to do with juiciness and stuff though.
Here in Europe the standard tomato 'fruiting' fertilizer is considered 2-1-3.

[Antipodean]

Originally Posted by zipcode

Most commercial growers do use it after transplanting. They swear it helps with fast root growth.
Not sure it has anything to do with juiciness and stuff though.
Here in Europe the standard tomato 'fruiting' fertilizer is considered 2-1-3.

Yes, here is Australia, fertilisers marketed as 'for flowering and fruiting' also have a similar ratio.

[Worth1]

I have a big container that I grew a plant in last year.
I have a mortgage lifter in it his year same soil.
All I have ever put in it this year is plant tone 5-3-3 and Alaska fish fertilizer, the other day I watered it with MG regular plant food the blue stuff.
The soil is perlite and MG organic raise bed soil.
The darn thing is covered in more blooms than I can count.
My concern is BER what product do I need to put in it to stop this from going on if anything that is cheap.
There is no (soil) in this soil.

Worth

[PureHarvest]

Gardeneer, consider that you test shows adequate p and I but that does not mean that your plants are aquiring those nutrients. You're right, it does get complicated in a hurry.
Treat yourself this year and do a tissue sampling to see if those elements are making it into your plant. You put in too much effort to not have top yields.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I have a big container that I grew a plant in last year.
I have a mortgage lifter in it his year same soil.
All I have ever put in it this year is plant tone 5-3-3 and Alaska fish fertilizer, the other day I watered it with MG regular plant food the blue stuff.
The soil is perlite and MG organic raise bed soil.
The darn thing is covered in more blooms than I can count.
My concern is BER what product do I need to put in it to stop this from going on if anything that is cheap.
There is no (soil) in this soil.

Worth

Mulch the container well and keep a decent moisture level and BER shouldn't be a problem. Letting the container dry out and then get too wet several time seems to really up the chances for BER. I have rarely had BER but the times I have had it was due to uneven watering. I think most of the fertilizers have enough calcium so BER isn't a problem unless you do a poor job of keeping the moisture level adequate. The heavy mulch is especially helpful in containers since they are much quicker to dry out too much. I haven't had a case of BER since I started mulching all my tomato plants with a heavy layer of cypress mulch or some other mulch that will keep the moisture level more even.

Bill

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by b54red

Mulch the container well and keep a decent moisture level and BER shouldn't be a problem. Letting the container dry out and then get too wet several time seems to really up the chances for BER. I have rarely had BER but the times I have had it was due to uneven watering. I think most of the fertilizers have enough calcium so BER isn't a problem unless you do a poor job of keeping the moisture level adequate. The heavy mulch is especially helpful in containers since they are much quicker to dry out too much. I haven't had a case of BER since I started mulching all my tomato plants with a heavy layer of cypress mulch or some other mulch that will keep the moisture level more even.

Bill

Thank you Bill that is what I thought too.
My containers have a berm around the bottom so the roots can leave the drain holes and go into the ground, not one time have they dried out.
I put the MG in just for the minerals in it.
Worth

[clkeiper]

Ber is usually an inconsistent watering issue. so, as long as you are watering it regularly and not having big cycles of wet dry wet dry going on they shouldn't do it as much... that said some are just more likely to develop it. like paste tomatoes.

[Worth1]

I hope I ran a spare wire to the irrigation valve box for my garden drip system.
This will run the containers across the drive way.
Now that I think of it I did because I ran two pair one wire common and three zones two being used.
Worth

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Thank you Bill that is what I thought too.
My containers have a berm around the bottom so the roots can leave the drain holes and go into the ground, not one time have they dried out.
I put the MG in just for the minerals in it.
Worth

As Bill pointed of BER is mostly due to moisture fluctuation boom to bust even though where/when there is enough enough Ca. But You can add Ca source. Here is a home made method:
Save your eggshells, wash, dry, grind in coffee mill, add vinegar to it.
You will witness chemical activity in action by bubbles.
What is happening :
Eggshell has "Calcium Carbonate" and vinegar has "Acetic Acid"

Calcium Carbonate + Acetic Acid >>> Calcium Acetate + CO2

The Calcium in Calcium Carbonate is in Ca++ ionic form and readily available.

How Much egg shell ? How Much vinegar ?
Don't try to be a chemist here.
If you don't add enough vinegar there will be some carbonate intact. If you add too much vinegar, there will be some vinegar left. That aint gonna be much. Household vinegar is better than 95% water . So a few drops of it is not going to do anything to affect the pH of the medium.

PS:
1- You can drink some of that solution as a calcium supplement. Ask your Doctor !
2- You want to make more ? You can use dolomitic/fast acting lime instead of egg shells.

THE END of eggshell mystery and other old wives tales.