On 3/21/2011 3:30 PM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 3/21/2011 3:52 AM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
Well, planting season is almost here. I am going to double my tomato
crop
this year. I have ready access to oyster shells and crushed coral. How
good of a calcium supplement would these make? I grow in pots, 22 inch
pots - 1 plant per pot. I'd like to just mix in a large quantity of
either
into my planting soil. I did pretty good last year using a liquid
calcium
supplement but it was kind of expensive tedious. Hoping to do something
cheaper and easier this year.

Paul


I grow my tomatoes in pots too. Start of season, I'll work in a handful
of limestone as used for the lawn. That 50 lb bag will last for the rest
of my life but it was cheap.

See that's why I didn't buy a bag. I couldn't find them in a small
quantity.

Paul


Depending where you live you could take out a few pounds and lime your
lawn with the rest. Any source of calcium will do.

I also have a 40-50 lb bag of 5/5/5 fertilizer for the pots.

To me, part of growing your own is to save money although main reason
for planting tomatoes is you just can't buy as good as you grow.

In article
,
beecrofter wrote:

On Mar 21, 3:52*am, "Paul M. Cook" wrote:
Well, planting season is almost here. *I am going to double my tomato crop
this year. *I have ready access to oyster shells and crushed coral. *How
good of a calcium supplement would these make? *I grow in pots, 22 inch
pots - 1 plant per pot. *I'd like to just mix in a large quantity of either
into my planting soil. *I did pretty good last year using a liquid calcium
supplement but it was kind of expensive tedious. *Hoping to do something
cheaper and easier this year.

Paul

Oyster shell could make up a good third of your potting mix and
provide calcium and pore space and drainage.

But for calcium to thwart BER a foliar drench of about a gram of
calcium chloride in a gallon of water or a few tablesppons of wood
ashes on the surface of the soil will work.

Other than that, BER is usually caused by infrequent watering. When the
soil is dry to the depth of an inch, water.

If you like weekends, thank a labor union.


Bush's 3rd term: OBAMA

===
--
---------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYIC0eZYEtI
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/3/7/michael_moore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZkDikRLQrw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw