On Thu, 09 Oct 2003 11:46:42 -0400, wrote:

On Thu, 09 Oct 2003 14:09:17 GMT, Hatsheput
wrote:

Hello all. I am doing a tomato plant project for school and I was
wondering whether anyone could give me information on what type of soil
tomatos should grow in. We have the choice of sand, mulch, or loam.
Hope anyone can help me. Thanx so much!

Loam is best. Tomatoes will grow on sand, if fed and
watered correctly, but loam is best.

Mulch is *not* soil, by the way, but is something you put
*on top of the soil* - hay, straw, wood chips or a variety
of other materials.

I believe the three main classifications of soil a

sand
clay
loam

Not exactly classes of "soil," but soil *types*. Neither sand nor
mulch is a proper growing medium. Clay is often nutritious for plants,
but less than ideal because lacking organic material to even out water
distribution and aerobic benefits. Growing tomatoes in pure sand
would, I believe, be possible in a hydroponic sense -- that is, using
the sand to anchor the roots and applying nutrients generously to
nourish the plant. Orchids grow in/on mulch, but again, with added
nutrients. Loam is the pretty much the ideal growing medium, being
composed of plain ol' dirt, clay, and organic matter.