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Sue Clotere 25-07-2004 02:02 AM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions. Sue

Peltigera 25-07-2004 02:07 AM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
Quote:
Originally posted by Sue Clotere
What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions. Sue
Sweetness = sugar, which is the product of photosynthesis. Fertilizers will not make any difference. They need either more sun or more time, or (slightly possibly) more water.

TQ 25-07-2004 02:19 AM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
"Sue Clotere" wrote in message
om...
| What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
| steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
| Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
| is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
| in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions. Sue

Toms don/t need super-rich soil. Is this your usual planting method?

Are you raising the same variety as you have in the past?

Has there been a lot of rain during the growing season?

--
TQ

TQ 25-07-2004 03:02 AM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
"Sue Clotere" wrote in message
om...
| What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
| steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
| Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
| is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
| in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions. Sue

Toms don/t need super-rich soil. Is this your usual planting method?

Are you raising the same variety as you have in the past?

Has there been a lot of rain during the growing season?

--
TQ

Glenna Rose 25-07-2004 07:02 AM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
writes:
What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions. Sue

I have found that water can make a noticeable change in my tomatoes, both
ways (either watering too close together or too far apart in time). If
there is any one thing in my garden (under any kind of my control) that
affects flavor, it's when I water. Also, it seems that if fruit is picked
in the morning, the flavor is much better.

We've had a heat wave here this week, temps to 100 F which is not at all
common. I'll be watering again tonight which will make it twice in one
week. The flavor of tomatoes picked this morning was significantly less
than usual. I hope to make some salsa tomorrow and want everything to be
a good as possible so I will water well tonight so the plants can be well
hydrated, hopefully improving the flavor over what it would be otherwise
(and pick in the early morning). It's chiefly heirlooms in my garden so
the fruits are more flavorful as a rule, anyway.

FYI, I use surface watering in the form of a soaker hose and leave it on
6-8 hours to ensure that soil is well watered, not only directly around
the tomato plants but farther on as well so the water doesn't migrate away
from the tomatoes. I do check the soil top each morning and when the soil
hasn't gathered the early morning dew, it's time to water. For the most
part that seems to be 6-7 days under normal conditions. Note, we are
blessed with good drainage so there is no chance of ove-watering.

Glenna

Pat Kiewicz 25-07-2004 12:02 PM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
Sue Clotere said:

What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions.

Some trace minerals might make a differents. Try foliar feeds of seaweed
spray. (I use Maxicrop powder.) Kelp meal is an ingredient of at least a
couple of different brands of fertilizer that are specially formulated for tomatoes.

IIRC, magnesium is sometimes suggested for sweeter fruit. Some folks give
a dose of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to their tomatoes and melons.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

Peltigera 25-07-2004 08:58 PM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
Quote:
Originally posted by Pat Kiewicz
Sue Clotere said:

What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions.
It occured to me after I postd above that you might be giving them too much nitrogen. That list of fertilizers looks impressive. Are the sugars that the plants produce going into green growth rather than ending up in the fruit?

Sue Clotere 26-07-2004 10:55 PM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
"TQ" wrote in message ...
"Sue Clotere" wrote in message
om...
| What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
| steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
| Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
| is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
| in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions. Sue

Toms don/t need super-rich soil. Is this your usual planting method?

Are you raising the same variety as you have in the past?

Has there been a lot of rain during the growing season?
THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE
Yes this is our usual planting method. The same variety {Early Girl}.
No rain during growing season. San Rafael, Ca.

Sue Clotere 26-07-2004 11:02 PM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
"TQ" wrote in message ...
"Sue Clotere" wrote in message
om...
| What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
| steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
| Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
| is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
| in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions. Sue

Toms don/t need super-rich soil. Is this your usual planting method?

Are you raising the same variety as you have in the past?

Has there been a lot of rain during the growing season?
THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE
Yes this is our usual planting method. The same variety {Early Girl}.
No rain during growing season. San Rafael, Ca.

simy1 27-07-2004 03:55 AM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
(Sue Clotere) wrote in message . com...
What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions. Sue

way too much N. I see in another thread that these things are ten feet
long, which is also what happens with too much N. Discontinue the
blood meal at once. Probably a "sponge crop" will take care eventually
of most of the excess, something like cabbage or chard, and you can
replant in the same spot next year, if that is the only spot you have.
Tomatoes need moderate amounts of N, and prefer large amts of
P/K/micros. I found that wood ash (0/3/8) makes tomatoes sweeter,
though I do not why, and I don't even know if it will work for you,
since I have somewhat acidic soil and you do not.

simy1 27-07-2004 03:58 AM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
(Sue Clotere) wrote in message . com...
What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions. Sue

way too much N. I see in another thread that these things are ten feet
long, which is also what happens with too much N. Discontinue the
blood meal at once. Probably a "sponge crop" will take care eventually
of most of the excess, something like cabbage or chard, and you can
replant in the same spot next year, if that is the only spot you have.
Tomatoes need moderate amounts of N, and prefer large amts of
P/K/micros. I found that wood ash (0/3/8) makes tomatoes sweeter,
though I do not why, and I don't even know if it will work for you,
since I have somewhat acidic soil and you do not.

Pat Kiewicz 28-07-2004 01:02 PM
Tomatoes & soil ammendments
 
Sue Clotere said:

What can we add to our soil to sweeten our tomatoes? We worked in
steer manure, chicken manure, and home made compost, at planting time.
Since then we have added blood meal, and more compost. The tomato size
is good and so is the flavor,but they lack the sweetnes that they had
in the past. Would be thankful for suggestions.

Some trace minerals might make a differents. Try foliar feeds of seaweed
spray. (I use Maxicrop powder.) Kelp meal is an ingredient of at least a
couple of different brands of fertilizer that are specially formulated for tomatoes.

IIRC, magnesium is sometimes suggested for sweeter fruit. Some folks give
a dose of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to their tomatoes and melons.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)


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