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#1
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
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 |
#2
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
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 think not very good unless it goes into the mix months beforehand and even then it's doubtful. The chunks will be too large and not dissolve sufficiently to have much effect. Have a look at the thread on soil amendment without digging up the yard for a detailed explanation. David |
#3
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message ... 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 think not very good unless it goes into the mix months beforehand and even then it's doubtful. The chunks will be too large and not dissolve sufficiently to have much effect. Have a look at the thread on soil amendment without digging up the yard for a detailed explanation. Yeah that was what I was thinking, they would take a long time to degrade into the soil. I'll probably do what I did last year. Seemed to work pretty well but expensive. Or maybe I'll try a milk/water spray or even sheet rock powder in water. Paul |
#4
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
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 You could put some oyster shells in a plastic bucket of water and add a little muriatic acid (or a bunch of vinegar.) Stir it up and let it sit for a few days. The shells will neutralize the acid, and the liquid will be loaded with of soluble calcium++. Pour it around the plants. HTH :-) Bob |
#5
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
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. |
#6
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
"zxcvbob" wrote in message ... 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 You could put some oyster shells in a plastic bucket of water and add a little muriatic acid (or a bunch of vinegar.) Stir it up and let it sit for a few days. The shells will neutralize the acid, and the liquid will be loaded with of soluble calcium++. Pour it around the plants. HTH :-) Good idea. Paul |
#7
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
"Frank" 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 |
#8
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
In article ,
"Paul M. Cook" wrote: "zxcvbob" wrote in message ... 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 You could put some oyster shells in a plastic bucket of water and add a little muriatic acid (or a bunch of vinegar.) Stir it up and let it sit for a few days. The shells will neutralize the acid, and the liquid will be loaded with of soluble calcium++. Pour it around the plants. HTH :-) Good idea. Paul I use vinegar as a herbicide. I'd make sure your saturated solution is heavy on the shell side. -- Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden |
#9
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
Just place a few TUMS in the soil around your plants. Rich |
#10
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
"EVP MAN" wrote in message ... Just place a few TUMS in the soil around your plants. I asked about that once. How about a couple of those 600 mg dietary calcium tablets? Paul |
#11
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
Paul M. Cook wrote:
"EVP MAN" wrote in message ... Just place a few TUMS in the soil around your plants. I asked about that once. How about a couple of those 600 mg dietary calcium tablets? Paul Why do that if you have oyster shells??? -Bob |
#12
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
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? both are fine as longer term amendments. 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. IMO 22 inch pots are not big enough for some varieties of tomatoes. the rest of your troubles (with nutrients and moisture) is because of this. when you do your new plantings use bigger pots. you'll find it will be a help. check the pH before adding calcium. you might be pushing the pH too high and that can also reduce how many nutrients are available to the plants (and many other things too). songbird |
#13
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
"zxcvbob" wrote in message ... Paul M. Cook wrote: "EVP MAN" wrote in message ... Just place a few TUMS in the soil around your plants. I asked about that once. How about a couple of those 600 mg dietary calcium tablets? Paul Why do that if you have oyster shells??? General knowledge. I actually have not bought them yet but I found a feed store that sells them. Paul |
#14
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
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. |
#15
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Calcium supplements for tomatoes
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 Liquid calcium supplement ? it is calcium chloride in water. a 40lb bag of ice melt at under 20$ will make a swimming pool full. |
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