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Good tomato fertilizer?
AT wrote:
On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 04:23:28 GMT, "Stephen Younge" wrote: "Sta-Green Tomato & Vegetable Food", 12-10-5. Abstract: A market exists for organically grown, fresh- and processing-market tomatoes. Although information on conventional tomato practices is available from many sources, comprehensive information on organic cultivation practices is difficult to find. Organic tomato production differs from conventional production primarily in soil fertility, weed, insect, and disease management. These are the focus of this publication, with special emphasis on fresh market tomatoes. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/tomato.pdf In Nigeria, tomatoes yielded 44 and 42 T/A when swine manure or poultry manure was applied at 9 T/A. Tomatoes yielded 37 and 42 T/A on fields treated with sewage sludge or rabbit manure applied at 18 T/A. Organic manures performed better than NPK treatments, which yielded only 31 T/A (15). Where the heck do you get that much rabbit poop? -- Zone 5b (Detroit, MI) I do not post my address to news groups. |
#17
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Good tomato fertilizer?
AT wrote:
On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 04:23:28 GMT, "Stephen Younge" wrote: "Sta-Green Tomato & Vegetable Food", 12-10-5. Abstract: A market exists for organically grown, fresh- and processing-market tomatoes. Although information on conventional tomato practices is available from many sources, comprehensive information on organic cultivation practices is difficult to find. Organic tomato production differs from conventional production primarily in soil fertility, weed, insect, and disease management. These are the focus of this publication, with special emphasis on fresh market tomatoes. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/tomato.pdf Interesting to me is this: "Researchers in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina investigated a vegetable production system using winter cover crops and various rates of nitrogen over a four year period. In all locations, cover crops produced higher yields and better quality tomatoes and other vegetables than applied nitrogen." This would seem to conflict with the "any form of N is fine" approach. -- Zone 5b (Detroit, MI) I do not post my address to news groups. |
#18
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Good tomato fertilizer?
Good old compost even if it is from a bag. Add some eggshells, a
banana peel, and keep a fish tank for homemade "fish emulsion". Every 2 weeks, I clean my tanks and pour the water onto my potted plants. My babies did very well except that I have fusarium wilt on several tomato plants. Not sure how I got it, but it's there. Luckily I have some resistant varieties too so it's not all lost. The eggshells are for calcium to prevent blossom end rot and the banana has potassium. Also excellent for rose bushes. Mine bloom quicker when I stick a peel under the soil around the plants. I make a small heep of grass clippings, leaves, newspaper shreds, apple peels (son hates those), strawberry tops, pine needles, rabbit droppings (with tree shavings), and whatever plant scraps I can get out there. Just keep piling it up on the ground where you want to plant next year. The worms will take care of it. Get a shovel after a month or two and dig into the pile. Toss it around a little. Next year you will have a nice compost area to plant in. I have "Bush Goliath" tomatoes in last year's pile and they are the only plants that are still green and have not got the wilts. They have tons of fruit while the rest of my friends have no tomatoes and just vines what few haven't got the wilts. My bunnies love to nibble the plants and they haven't destroyed them yet. In fact, they nap under these nice bushy tomato plants. The other plants aren't so lush but they are also in pots and I used bagged compost from WalMart. Not nearly so good as the homemade stuff. Carla "Stephen Younge" wrote in message news:4HrOa.2327$OZ2.943@rwcrnsc54... At the beginning of this season, I purchased some "Sta-Green Tomato & Vegetable Food", 12-10-5. I was wondering if this would be suitable for my tomatoes, some of which are in 20" pots and some of which are in the ground. I used the recommended amount at planting time (late May), and I'm getting ready to add a little more in the next few days. I've seen some messages on this newsgroup that suggest calcium is important for tomatoes. The Sta-Green fertilizer has no calcium -- it has nitrogen, phosphate, potash, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. Will this do the trick, or should I use something in addition? I've heard too much nitrogen can hinder fruit production. Any feedback would be appreciated. Stephen Younge Boulder, CO |
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