Calcium For Tomatoes
 

Hi Everybody,

Springtime here, and my tomatoes are in.

What is the most appropriate stuff for giving them
calcium (to prevent blossum-end-rot), while respecting
their PH acidity needs?

I am guessing blood-n-bone-meal? Sprinkled liberally?

They are in 20-litre (5-gal) buckets, with generic
potting mix plus household compost.

Thanks...

In a blender add an egg shell to some water and water this in to a
plant. You did add egg shells to your compost, right?

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 18:41:12 -0700, Antipodean Bucket Farmer
wrote:

Hi Everybody,

Springtime here, and my tomatoes are in.

What is the most appropriate stuff for giving them
calcium (to prevent blossum-end-rot), while respecting
their PH acidity needs?

I am guessing blood-n-bone-meal? Sprinkled liberally?

They are in 20-litre (5-gal) buckets, with generic
potting mix plus household compost.

Thanks...

"Antipodean Bucket Farmer" wrote in message
...
Hi Everybody,

Springtime here, and my tomatoes are in.

What is the most appropriate stuff for giving them
calcium (to prevent blossum-end-rot), while respecting
their PH acidity needs?

I am guessing blood-n-bone-meal? Sprinkled liberally?

They are in 20-litre (5-gal) buckets, with generic
potting mix plus household compost.

I did same here (our spring) and just mixed in a couple of handfuls of
calcium carbonate specified for lawns. pH remained on acid side.
Best done before planting.
Frank

Antipodean Bucket Farmer wrote:
Hi Everybody,

Springtime here, and my tomatoes are in.

What is the most appropriate stuff for giving them
calcium (to prevent blossum-end-rot), while respecting
their PH acidity needs?

I am guessing blood-n-bone-meal? Sprinkled liberally?...


The bone meal would be OK but the blood meal contains a high nitrogen
concentration. Too much nitrogen will make tomato plants generate more
foliage than fruit. So it will depend on how liberally you sprinkle. The
bone meal should have been incorporated into the soil before planting,
but sprinkling it on top will help some. Neither of these components by
themselves should affect your pH levels.

So what have you done in previous years? Has it worked? Or are you just
trying to optimize your tomato yield?

Since you described your tomatoes in the plural, you have more than one.
How about adding the blood-n-bone meal to half and just plain bone meal
to the other half and keep a record of how well they do as far as fruit
production.

Antipodean Bucket Farmer wrote in message . ..
Hi Everybody,

Springtime here, and my tomatoes are in.

What is the most appropriate stuff for giving them
calcium (to prevent blossum-end-rot), while respecting
their PH acidity needs?

I am guessing blood-n-bone-meal? Sprinkled liberally?

They are in 20-litre (5-gal) buckets, with generic
potting mix plus household compost.

Thanks...

What are you doing with your eggshells?
Even moisture and watering will have a greater benefit, I doubt your
soil is deficient. Calcium chloride works, 2 or 3 gm in a gallon of
water.

On 27 Oct 2004 07:25:54 -0700, (Beecrofter) in
rec.gardens wrote:

Antipodean Bucket Farmer wrote in message . ..
Hi Everybody,

Springtime here, and my tomatoes are in.

What is the most appropriate stuff for giving them
calcium (to prevent blossum-end-rot), while respecting
their PH acidity needs?

I am guessing blood-n-bone-meal? Sprinkled liberally?

They are in 20-litre (5-gal) buckets, with generic
potting mix plus household compost.

Thanks...

What are you doing with your eggshells?
Even moisture and watering will have a greater benefit, I doubt your
soil is deficient. Calcium chloride works, 2 or 3 gm in a gallon of
water.

Tesco's also works. And in the all in all ends up being cheaper.

Trying to imagine draining water swirling counter-clockwise and spring in
october,


FACE

Antipodean Bucket Farmer wrote in message . ..
Hi Everybody,

Springtime here, and my tomatoes are in.

What is the most appropriate stuff for giving them
calcium (to prevent blossum-end-rot), while respecting
their PH acidity needs?

I am guessing blood-n-bone-meal? Sprinkled liberally?

They are in 20-litre (5-gal) buckets, with generic
potting mix plus household compost.

Thanks...

amazing what people will do, when a few handful of wood ash from the
barbecue or wood stove or fireplace will give you hundreds of grams of
Ca (wood ash is 50% Ca). and in fact, any soil rich in organic matter
can not possibly be deficient in Ca. I spread it more for the K, the
micros, and to adjust the pH.

simy1 wrote:
amazing what people will do, when a few handful of wood ash from the
barbecue or wood stove or fireplace will give you hundreds of grams of
Ca (wood ash is 50% Ca). and in fact, any soil rich in organic matter
can not possibly be deficient in Ca. I spread it more for the K, the
micros, and to adjust the pH.

This would be a bad idea if the ash is from charcoal briquettes. The
binding materials and petroleum residue is nothing I'd want to spread on
soil used for food crops.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Blatant Plug: Black & Decker Landscaping Tools & Parts:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blackanddecker

"Beecrofter" wrote in message
om...

What are you doing with your eggshells?


"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
In a blender add an egg shell to some water and water this in to a
plant. You did add egg shells to your compost, right?


It's been several years since anyone in our house has eaten eggs. The last
time I purchased eggs, it was used to make a cake, and I ended up throwing
away half the eggs because nobody ate them. Actually I think I hard boiled
them, and buried them whole next to the roses. Figured they'll decompose and
become rose food on their own.

Snooze