On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:25:16 +0000, Paul Luton
wrote:

The folk wisdom, is that tomato plants do not do well if grown in the
same soil for several years - whether due to specific nutrient depletion
or pathogen build up is not clear.

I've grown tomatoes in the same greenhouse soil for at least 18 years.

At the end of the season I skim off the top 2 inches and chuck onto
the garden. Then I sterilise the glass and soil thoroughly, leave for
3 weeks and then turn over the soil. In February I add 6x or similar
compost and perhaps a couple of bags of sterilised topsoil and
lightly dig over again with a few handfuls of Growmare for luck.

Tomorite and Miracle-gro are administered at the fruiting stage.

Touch wood quickly, I've had satisfactory crops with minimal pathogens
until now although I do grow mostly resistant F1s

Mind you, for the first time in 12 years or so, my cucumbers grown in
the same substrate were crap last year.

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