Author Topic: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?  (Read 6349 times)

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Offline longwinters

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« on: March 02, 2005, 11:34:06 AM »
I have used cow manure and miracle grow.  I was thinking this year of burying bags of manure and cutting  hole in them and then planting my tomatoes in them.  It would hold moisture in and keep the weeds out.  Is this a bad plan?

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Offline jvs

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2005, 01:40:32 AM »
I know alot of people who use Miracle Grow for their vegetables.  I don't use it.  I have used the denatured KowKrap from K-Marts but I never used it without mixing it in the soil.  Doing what you propose may work but I don't remember what the breakdown of the KowKrap is or if it will burn the plants.   You may also have to punch holes in the bottom of the bag for proper drainage.

I usually go to a Farm Supply Store and get a 50 pound bag of 10-10-10.  Costs about $5 and lasts me quite a while.  The problem with commercial fertilizers is that it tends to make your soil acidic over time, so a lime application is necessary every other year or so depending on your ph.

The best thing to do is gather up all your neighbors bags of leaves (not Black Walnut) in the fall and till those under.  In a few years your soil will be the best there is.  The second best thing is to get a small load of leaf mulch and mix your fertilizer in that.  Vegetables love that stuff.  Flowers probably do too.

You can also call your Congressman and ask him to bring some of that Bulls*** home from Washington D.C., they have enough on hand.
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Offline Graybeard

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2005, 12:36:25 PM »
You'll probably grow bigger tomatoes and maybe more of them using Miracle Grow but at what cost? That stuff is EXPENSIVE.

Any manure is good and likely the best other than compost as was mentioned. Those bags of "manure" at WallyWorld and other places have darn little manure in them. Read the labels. Bark, wood fines, sand and maybe a wee bit of composted manure mixed in. I tried growing tomatos in the stuff straight from the bag last year with extra tomato fertilizer added. Geez my worse crop ever. Won't do that again.


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Offline pinduck

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2005, 03:42:06 PM »
You can't beat compost, my son-in-law and I have a compost heap we've had going for about 5 years now take from it in the spring and add back raw material all summer long and fall. We had tomatoes,all we could eat,can and give to the neighbors for the last two years now. Tomatoes do like to be well drained, we have ours in a plot that is about a foot higher than surronding soil.
I take two metal field fence posts and place one on each side of each plant ,then make a circle about 36" in diameter of just plain hog fence around the plant. When you set the plants out I bury in the ground about 14" from the plant an empty 2 liter plastic bottle with 6, 1/8" hole punched in the bottom and cut the top off, then I add water in the bottle 2X a week. Tomatoes don't like to have cold water dumped on their leaves so the bottle puts the water right at the roots where they want it. Then if you want to add any kind of plant food it does the most good,although I don't use any.
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Offline jvs

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2005, 10:09:59 AM »
Quote from: TM7
When it comes to staking up tomatoes, I've been using concrete reinforcement wire--often found for free around construction sites and is pretty heavy duty. Make a basket and dig in ground alittle. This wire has big squares for reaching into and picking and stands up well.
   For and extra early friut set and ripening do any of you guys pick or pinch off the axil leaf suckers to keep a open stockier plant???
.........TM7


I always cut the 'suckers' off and stick them in the ground.  They hang on and grow.  Over the years I found that I can start with alot fewer tomato plants in the beginning and end up with just as many if I plant the suckers.   Kept out of the sun for the first week and they grow pretty good.

Last year was a complete loss for tomato's in this whole area.  Some kind of tomato blight hit and wiped almost every plant out.  Hardly anyone had tomato's up here last year.
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Offline SBF

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2005, 10:50:39 AM »
Quote from: pinduck
When you set the plants out I bury in the ground about 14" from the plant an empty 2 liter plastic bottle with 6, 1/8" hole punched in the bottom and cut the top off, then I add water in the bottle 2X a week.


That's a heck of an idea!  I think I'll give it a try this year.
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Offline WD45

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2005, 07:47:15 AM »
Horse and sheep dip is about the best there is :)  
Most horse boarding stables are more than happy to give the stuff away just to get rid of it as it is a nuisance.  Look one up and ask :grin:

Pretty soon any amount of manure larger than a bucket full will probably be listed as toxic waste by the EPA. :roll:
Some of you cattle farmers out there know what I am talking about

Offline IntrepidWizard

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2005, 07:52:58 AM »
Horse works best-trouble is scooping it up ,
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a dangerous servant and a fearful master. -- George Washington

Offline grizzy57

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2005, 11:20:03 PM »
:D
 With the wood burning season in full swing!!Save your wood ash. It makes
great Fertilizer.
                                       grizzy57 :lol:

Offline DirtyHarry

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2005, 10:20:11 PM »
I use horse and chicken manure.
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Offline tomaldridge

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Tomato fertilizer
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2005, 03:50:52 AM »
Our ground here is a yellowish hardpan, among the worst.  We dig a big, deep hole and put a couple pounds of fish heads and guts in the bottom.  6" of good dirt, usually compost, then the tomato plant.  Just make sure you don't get any fish stuff on the ground or mixed in the dirt, or you'll have cat/dog problems.  Of course, you have to go fishing to get the heads and guts, but I 'm willing to sacrifice my time for the good of the garden.

Offline clodbuster

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« Reply #11 on: June 04, 2005, 02:49:13 AM »
The Miracle grow idea is the best for the reason that what you are trying to get is the best tasting produce you can get with the least fuss.  Manure must be composted before use and wood ashes are very alkaline-not good.  Grandma used to make soap with leached ashes.  Its lye.  If you add a tablespoon of epsom salts as the fruit begin to fill taste and size will  improve.  Maters need both ends of that molecule.  Blossom endrot is the most common disease home growers face.  Get a fungicide at your garden store and apply per label.  A problem that always wrecks many of ours is sun scald and cracking.  If someone has a solution I'd sure love to hear it.  "the only two things in life that's free-that's true love and home grown tamaters"
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Offline Joel

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #12 on: December 19, 2005, 06:03:59 PM »
I've been growing organically for over 25 years now, and my personal favorite fertilizers are OLD horse and/or cow manure.  I'm lucky since I grow for market and plant anywhere from 250-300 tomatoes and have neighbors who raise both horses and cows.  Something to remember about animal fertilzers is that they typically only release anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 their nutruients in a year.  That's good if you know about it.  It does mean that you need to add a lot, relatively speaking, to get enough nutrients out of them in a given year.  I plant in 100 foot rows and every three years I dump about 6 inches of manure, plus calcitic lime which is around 85% lime vs. dolomitic lime which is only around 65% on each row.  The rest of the lime mixture consists of magnesium which is usually present in plentiful quantities EXCEPT in heavy clay. I grow in a mix of sand and clay, at the bottom of a hollow that only gets around 8 hours of sun, and I do ok.  If I was planting just a few  plants, I'd dump at least 4 good sized shovels of real manure, not that bagged crap(pun intended).  Doesn't hurt to add about 1/4 cup of epsom salts and possibly some black phosphate rock dust into the mix.  Bottom rot is caused by a lack of calcium.  Even if you've added sufficient lime, unless the lime is in contact with the feeder roots and is dissolved,the plant can't take it up. Sufficient watering is required to keep the lime in a molecular state.  A quick cure for that, if you notice it on your first small tomatoes is to spray them with non-fat dried milk(mixed according to directions for drinking).  Works.  You can also dump a couple of quarts of NFDM around the plant at blossom time, and that also helps.  But regular watering is still a requirement....mulch heavily if you can.  By the way, most of the stuff you put in for fertilizer, especially natural fertilizers vs. the chemical poisons(so sue me) which are water soluable, are not usable by the plant.  What needs to happen is that the microbes in the soil(if the soil is healthy and has a lot of microbial life) ingest the natural substances, break them down to the molecular level, and then die and also dissolve.  The tiny feeder roots of most plants then take up this substance for nutrition.  You can add manure until bessie come home, but if your soil is barren, not much will happen, at least at first.  Gradually, there will be a breakdown, since most of these substances already have some bacteria in them...and eventually(might take a while) the soil LIFE will improve.  Dirt is just that.......dirt. Soil is a living thing.  Cracking is caused usually by  uneven watering, i.e. the plant suddenly receives  a lot of water just as the fruit is about ripe, and the resulting överdose"causes the fruit skin to crack....... HOWEVER certain varieties, mainly some of the old heirloom varieties, just crack.  Not much you can do about it, just enjoy them quick like.  Sun scald is caused by insufficient leaf protection not shading the fruit.  This can be caused by either weak plants which aren't producing their usual amount of protective foliage, because of insufficient nutrition, overcrowding, disease etc, or simply trying to grow a tomato suitable for the north down south, southwest etc.  Lots of these seed catalogs don't tell you what tomato is suitable to grow where. Usually the best seed houses are those that are located in your growing area.  I have a major problem with early blight, which occurs both early and late here.  Ths year I found that spacing my tomatoes much further apart(4' vs2.5-3') did a lot to alleviate that problem.  In fact I had tomatoes until ''way late in the season when other growers were about done due to blight and other late diseases. Most healthy plants can combat a lot of disease and still produce fruit, a lot of fruit.  Proper nutrition, regular watering, and using the proper plants is more productive than having to combat a lot of disease with expensive, and often dangerous, sprays.  Enough.  Sorry if I got carried away. Didn't even realize this forum existed here, and I've been moderatin' another forum for GB for a few years now.

Offline jvs

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #13 on: December 21, 2005, 10:08:53 PM »
Excellent post Joel.

The wisdom given in your post comes from having the understanding of gardening and the practical experience.

Your input is welcome here.
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Offline kyote

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What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #14 on: February 09, 2006, 02:36:07 PM »
some one already metioned the heavy wire cage but they plant the maters inside the cage.
what I have done is made the cages in a circle dug out a foot of soil and planted the cage.then I put all the leaves,grass cuttin,and all the vegtable matter from the kitchen.I keep adding to it year round.I plant the tomate 4 plants to a cage north south east and west.when I water, I stick the water in the middle of the cage and run it slow to soak.I use old bed sheets to tie the plants to the cages.works for me and I get enough that I can share with my friends.and eat BLTs almost every day that they are in season.
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Offline jrlinz

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #15 on: November 10, 2006, 06:56:08 AM »
I always use aged horse manure.  Make sure there is good drainage, and don't use fresh manure.  I try for 3-5 years old.  Cut off all but one runner and the growth head (assuming they are indeterminate).  And, always pick when ripe.

Offline briarpatch

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #16 on: November 10, 2006, 04:34:50 PM »
 I have a brother in law that will take a 55 gallon drum and knock some holes in the sides about 3 ijnches or so from the bottom and these will be about 8 inches apart. He will bury this about 12 inches in the ground and fill it about 3/4 full with horse manure then  plant tomatoes  around it and about ever other day he will take his water hose and fill it with water. His plants look like trees after a while.

Offline ironglow

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #17 on: December 07, 2006, 12:55:22 PM »
  Old hand here at GBs...but relatively new on Garden forum.

   Manures..fresh can burn, old..nearly compost stuff is fine. Horses, unlike cows, are not ruminants...hay seeds and weed seeds often pass through undigested..and ready to root.
   
    Don't forget "manure tea"..from Organic Gardening mag...Just put some manure in a tub, add some gallons of water, mix up and then water your plants with it.
  Frersh chicken manure....much too strong for early use

  I like rabbit manure and have used it virtually fresh without any downside, IMHO.

  I do like to plant my tomato plants directly into a compost "pillow"..
   
   A little fish emulsion mix sprayed directly upon the leaves on a shady day, helps greatly as I recall.

   The coke bottle waterer sounds like a good idea..if it's like my garden, with occasional gusty wind, you may want to put a rock ion the bottom of the bottles for when the water gets low..

   Yes, cut the suckers..the best varieties (indeterminate) all have them...LOL

  TM7... is right on with rotation being sometimes necessary as well as simply being a good regular practice.

  All the above is just my 2 cents...and may not be worth a penny to you...
   
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Offline jvs

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #18 on: August 04, 2007, 10:24:23 AM »
boost
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Offline billy_56081

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #19 on: August 04, 2007, 10:28:21 AM »
  My dad raises turkeys and the composted turkey manure has worked better on my garden than any of the commercial fertilizers. It seems to no have any weed seed in it either, as the turkey feed it pellitized.

  I'd be afraid of burning your plants is you planted them in pure manure. But try one plant and see. Let us know the results.
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Offline Gary G

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #20 on: August 29, 2007, 01:19:02 PM »
I raised the biggest and best tomatoes that I have ever raised this year. I plowed a trench and put  drain pipe in it to water them, leaving one end turned up out of the ground. I added basic slag, goat pills, and recalled dogfeed. Then furrowed up over it. I did this in the winter to give it plenty of time to decompose. I got two 19 inch tomatoes and many 17-18 inch tomatoes. (Belgium) (measuring around them with a seamstress tape measure) (Dogfeed has a lot of bonemeal)
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Offline Drilling Man

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #21 on: September 11, 2007, 03:39:37 PM »
  It's been many many years since i bought "any" chemical fert. of any kind!  In the late summer i plant food plots for the animials that live here on my place, and the following late spring once all the plants are planted, i brush hog the plots as needed.  Anything not used for mulch is baled and sold for horse hay.



  Once i have some cut, i rake it into a winrow, and pitch fork it onto a small trailor...



  Then it's off to put it in the garden inbetween the plants...and the more ya put down, the better it is!



  Since i've started doing this, I no longer have to water the garden as much, i don't buy any chem ferts!, i have "less" bad bug problems so i don't use any pestisides, NO MORE weeding!! and i get really great harvest every year!!  Did i mention NO MORE WEEDING??













  Because sweet corn requires high levels of N, i do put some turkey poop between the rows (corn only) before i lay the mulch down, and i always have really good sweet corn!





  Anyway, as you can see, i'm with the "use mulch" camp as it all turns into really rich compost before the following gardening season!

  DM

Offline billy_56081

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #22 on: September 11, 2007, 03:51:31 PM »
Drilling man, is that a black walnut tree growing at the end of your sweet corn patch in the second to the last picture?
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Offline Drilling Man

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #23 on: September 11, 2007, 04:15:08 PM »
  Yup, the squirrels plant the nuts in the garden and they come up all over....  Sometimes i leave them a few years to get bigger before i transplant them or give them away...

  I wonder who came up with the idea nothing will grow next to or under a blk. walnut tree??  That sure hasn't been my expierence!!

  DM

Offline billy_56081

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #24 on: September 12, 2007, 02:24:36 AM »
When they get bigger they poison the ground around them. We had a garden that had a Black walnut along it. When it got older the closer the sweet corn to the tree the more stunted it was.
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Offline Drilling Man

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #25 on: September 12, 2007, 04:26:27 AM »
Quote
When they get bigger they poison the ground around them. We had a garden that had a Black walnut along it. When it got older the closer the sweet corn to the tree the more stunted it was.

  Maybe it depends on what kind of soil you have, or how much N is in it, as i can walk around my place and take picts of numerous walnuts that have all kinds of things growing around and under them.  From grapes, flowers and all kinds of things.  In fact the garden picted above has some 30 year old walnuts within 30 feet of the end of it.  There's one on the other side too,  But, that's not "in" the garden either...

  DM

Offline ironglow

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #26 on: September 13, 2007, 01:23:22 AM »
  Drilling man..you have a beautiful garden there !

  I have long been considering a straw mulch..but figured it would not be easy to turn under the following year.

  Surely there is no doubt of the benefits..esp the moisture and condition of the soil under the mulch..

   If you don't mind..just where (generally) are you located ? The black walnut indicates to me that

   you may be in the northeast, correct ?

 
    Question;

   For the last couple years, my garden has been growing like crazy...but more toward vine than fruit ! I know that often indicates too much N, but I haven't (consciously) been adding a high N quotient .

   Am I perhaps, simply fertilizing TOO much ?  I use compost, manure and some chemical fertilizer...and this problem is present with all my vining plants; tomatoes, pickles, peas, beans, plus summer & winter squash !

   What would you guys suggest I do for next year to go more to fruit and less to vine ?


   BTW: I live in rural western NY State..
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Offline NONYA

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #27 on: September 13, 2007, 02:34:35 AM »
cats
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Offline Drilling Man

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #28 on: September 13, 2007, 04:47:12 AM »
  I live in west Mi....

  Have you considered taking a soil sample??  I haven't done it with my garden, but i took some from my fields when i was rolling some ground into hay, and it cost me 15 bucks each for the test...

  That will tell you "exactly" where you are with your garden soil...  If that's not an option, i'd stop the chem fert, and add all the mulch you can get...  Cow/horse manure is good too and if i had it, i'd use it....

  I'm glad you liked the picts, here's a few of the "back" garden.

  DM












Offline ironglow

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Re: What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
« Reply #29 on: September 13, 2007, 09:29:56 AM »

   Beautiful !!
If you don't want the truth, don't ask me.  If you want something sugar coated...go eat a donut !  (anon)