Patti ..They are but I have to get some fans on them...I planted them so deep in the drum that air will have to come from above them ...Regards Ron

I know that those drums are heavy, but if you filled them up higher with soil your plants would have more room to make roots, they would get more light and be easier to get a fan on them. You are only utilizing half of your growing space by filling them half way. You might also want to look into finding some lighter weight growing pots if weight is an issue.

Just my opinion on the matter.

[QUOTE=MissS;671982]I know that those drums are heavy, but if you filled them up higher with soil your plants would have more room to make roots, they would get more light and be easier to get a fan on them. You are only utilizing half of your growing space by filling them half way. You might also want to look into finding some lighter weight growing pots if weight is an issue.

Just my opinion on the matter.[/QUOTE]
You can always add potting mix as the plants grow. I have never found that to be a problem just a pain in the backside for convenience.

Hi..Yes my original thinking was adding more mix as the plants grow BUT I also think on reflection I perhaps put them maybe too low ...Now I will be hanging fans aboye them ...which may help but of course there is also sunlight?...Once I finish planting there is over 2 KG of water added to the drum weight but one can slide them very easily on the concrete in fact its safer working on a plant just to turn the drum and work sideways into the drum instead of over the plant .To do this one has to stake in a teepee shape.. ...Patti..As you know I am always struggling with fertilizer and my memory recall is basicly fading on me but having put Super Phosphate on last night ..this morning I am wondering if I should have whizzed it in a blender lightly and I would have got a better spread in my soil unless one is not supposed to do that..
Unlike a year ago ( Apart from a few weeks ago the winds are staying away) and its good weather for the plants but i will have to watch the temperature guage ...Most of the plants I am planting are unknown to me so I am hoping to find one or two that I like the taste of ..Two latest varieties "Marriage Genuwine" and "Rupunzel" look interesting.... Regards Ron

Your Super Phosphate is just fine as it is. No need to grind, pulverize or powder it. This product tends to stay where it was placed rather that leaching out like nitrogen does, so it is best mixed well into the soil before planting.

Hi...I want to get into topping the soil level up in my drums ....My aim is to mix a drum of soil with Calmag but I am unsure what the mix should be ....I will try and work out how much soil should go in each plant my measuring in a 2 litre jug ..my guess it could take about 4-6 jugs per plant ..I wonder how much Calmag need I mix with a 2 litre jug of Soil ...Once I know that I will make a drum full up ....I will wash it in with water and epsom salts...Thankyou Ron...PS Sorry I forgot my Photos

Hi...I have done some calculations and I understand each drum will require aprox one cubic foot of soil ...So What I require to know is how much Calmag to mix into one cubic foot of soil ...Thankyou Ron

Magnesium is the first deficiency to show among the minor elements, for me anyway, but not usually until heavy fruiting. At this point, I doubt your seedlings need any of the calmag. If it were me, I would wait until the plant was much bigger and started showing the first signs of deficiency, then use a soluable product at that time. There is liquid cal-mag, and many people use epsom salt.

I like to use as little fertilizer as possible on young plants. Using too much can make things go wrong in many different ways, by locking out other nutrients, throwing off ph, or causing a bacterial imbalance in your soil.

I agree.

Hi...Well they all (apart from two) have been fed with 2 litres of water with a Tablespoon of Epsom salts ...The two others got 1 litre with 1 ml of Head Masta and 1litre with 1ml of Extra Growth Booster mixed on each ...from the sample CX Hydroponic sample pack I was given ...i am pleased to say they are all looking not too bad ....Tomorrow I hope to sort out exactly what these clowns are selling over here under the name CalMag?? and if I can get the right stuff I will administer it later..
And another clown is wondering if the cat sprayed on his seed mix that was in a bowl that was left on the floor and this could be a reason my latest seedlings are failing...I noticed the strong smell today.....Plus my Growth chamber has hit another problem ....The Eheim water pump is unable to push the water through the system .....Hell I can blow the water through it ??? and this is a German product?? Cheers Ron..

If it is a mag-drive pump, they are transfer pumps only, meaning they make hardly any pressure.

[QUOTE]And another clown is wondering if the cat sprayed on his seed mix that was in a bowl that was left on the floor and this could be a reason my latest seedlings are failing...I noticed the strong smell today....[/QUOTE]Yah, no.

Maybe it would affect the germination rate, but once sprouted they are in dirt, not urine, which soaking, wetting, and watering would have washed off anyway. If you can smell ammonia, look elsewhere. (No idea where.)

Hi......WEll ...No Calmag its on a boat somewhere presumably heading for New Zealand so I am told...

Now the Fertilizer companies advice was ... use "yaramila complex...." that is what is used on Tomatoes.....
[URL]https://ballance.co.nz/Fertiliser-Products/c/p/000000000000010348[/URL]

I have attached the pdf file.....Could I be given an opinion please ....Has this fertilizer got the required mix for Tomatoes ...

REgards Ron

The required composition of nutrients for the plant will change as it grows, so trying to do it with one product is an approximation. I don't know that there is one right answer. Osmocote works ok for me. The npk numbers are equal, I believe. That product you linked to seems low in phosphorous and very high in sulphur. Does that have anything to do with the composition of your local soils? You might ask the company if it is appropriate for container growing, or if it is meant to be used on fields.

Hi..I have the Nutrients list...
N = 12%
K = 15%
S = 8 %
Fe = 0.2%
Zn = 0.02%
P = 5 %
Mg = 1.6 %
B = 0.015%
Mn = 0.02%
Chloride free
Form Prilled

I feel my Tomatoes need some fertiliser and CalMag is simply not available and I have had another opinion that what was sold to me last season is not Calmag and could well have damaged all my plants I used it on...This is what I am continually up against here..Apparantly the company that sells YaraMila-Complex has had good reports on it as a tomato fertiliser ...I can get it in a 20kg bag but it has to be bought via a Farm ag company???
I will try and get some info via a Nursery if they have heard of it......Cause I need something ...You say you use Osmocote....WEll its available here in many different forms...can I inquire which one you actually use...Thanks Ron..

I use the flower and vegetable one, NPK numbers are all the same, 14 I think. The Plus in the pink package has minors mixed in, but the N is too high. You will want to supplement with a light fertilizer with some minors, especially magnesium, but not until fruit appear.

[IMG]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51RCqu-11mL._SL500_AC_SS350_.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks ...I have just found calmag at a local Garden Centre ..I am sure I asked and was told they never had it.....so now I can get Calmag ?? I wonder what I should do with YaraMila Complex.....maybe somebody can offer an opinion based on the nutrient list....Thanks Ron

What's your soil pH?

[QUOTE=MissS;671453]I see why you were so tired after your trip. With your medical history, be sure to take a snack to have along the way. Check you sugar when you get home, BEFORE taking you will deserved nap.

I would transplant those plants into your large drums right away. Forego the cold treatment and get them out into the direct sunlight. I would plant them at least to the first true leaves. I do not remove any of the leaves because I have damaged stems doing that. I just plant them deeper and the leaves will decompose on their own without damage to the plant. There is no right or wrong way. I would add more mycos at planting time by applying them to the root mass. Your MG has plenty of nitrogen. If I were to add anything else it would be potassium or potash. I would feed your plants every 7 to 10 days with the MG for two feedings and then I would give them Calmag with Epsom salts on the third feeding. Go back to MG for two cycles and them Calmag/Epsom again.

So bypass the cold treatment with your first group and for this new batch go ahead and give it (the cold treatment) a try IF you think that you can also get the lights down on them.[/QUOTE]

Patti....Calmag as its known here is entirely different to CalMag in the USA ...I have spent days on contacting farm fertiliser companies and when I thought I was successful..."YES they had CalMag " but when i enquired re a percentage I was told it has no Calcium....I knew then I was wasting my time BUT I have found this....
[URL]https://www.pggwrightsonturf.co.nz/our-products/soil-amendments/solucal-products[/URL]

This has given me new hope...as here is a variety of products that appear to me as being Calcium/Magesium based and I just need your expertise to pick the appropriate one out if its there and I can carry on with my growing....
Meantime I rang a Hydroponic shop in Christchurch ( the same shop that supplies the local garden centre that gave me the CX Hydroponics Sample Pack ) and they have a liquid genuine CalMag in a Litre bottle for just over $20 which is in my price range so I have contacted the garden centre who hopefully can get a bottle down in their next order or as soon as possible...

REgards Ron

The calcium is in the product, because it aids the uptake of magnesium, at least in some forms, I think. The magnesium products without calcium may be a slightly different type of magnesium. I don't know for sure; that's just a guess. That's usually why calcium is in any particular fertilizer. I doesn't really get absorbed by the plant itself, like other nutrients, or at least the manner in which it does is complex and enigmatic. For example, blossom end rot is displayed as a calcium deficiency, but giving the plant calcium doesn't solve the problem, because the uptake of the nutrient is very difficult.

[QUOTE=dmforcier;672965]What's your soil pH?[/QUOTE]
Hi..I have finally been able to take readings...not everyone but the drums are looking good @ 6.5 .....the plastic buckets are down to 6.0 and I see that a couple of small pots that I put another soil mix in is showing 5.5 ....
Question is what now.... I have some Hydro Lime in a small bottle I have Dolomite lime ...crushed oyster shell etc....What do I use to bring up from 5.5 to 6.5.....The good thing here is that my big barrels of soil containers that I am taking the soil from for my drums are 6,5....The 8 Plastic pots have my Tasty Toms grown from seed and they are down to 6 and the cutting pots that I used just yesterday have a bitza mix and they are 5.5 ... so I need to do something there especially as they are small rooted cuttings ....
Once Patti can give me an opinion on the Pro - Cal and as long as I can then acquire it plus a litre of calMag from the Hydroponic shop i should have most bases covered and can relax and enjoy seeing the plants growing more...
the Heat wave is getting worse here with 23 and 26 forecast for the next two days... I require about another 20 drums and I wonder if I can get that many ...I figure I might get a max 45 in my greenhouse??...cheers Ron

SOLU-CAL Mag. However, all it is is dolomite lime with magnesium added. It will buffer your ph if the soil is acid. Perhaps it would be easier for you to buy some TUMS at the drug counter. This is to help the stomach with heartburn (it contains calcium) and also buy a dietary magnesium supplement. You can also find food supplements that have calcium/magnesium or calcium, magnesium, zinc. You might want to consider using the K-CAL PLUS if you continue using your MG because it is high in potassium.

Your fertilizer looks okay, but a bit high in sulpher so watch your ph.

Patti...Ok..Plenty of top info there...I actually have real problems at the moment with a heartburn complaint so I could get a calcium/magnesian supplement on prescription?? and give it to the tomatoes....I do not know if we have TUMS here...

So I will buy a bag of the fertilizer that a company recommended plus Calmag from the Hydroponics shop is ordered and will arrive with the garden centres next order...so I will soon have everything I need....Probably too much so I will have to be careful with it all ...The greenhouse is so hot ...fans are going 24 hours but I presume I just give them water between the 7 - 10 day period when they get no fertiliser ,,Its going to be hotter tomorrow and even hotter the day after...by the forecast...

Some of my TTom seeds are actually turning into plants ??

REgards Ron..

[QUOTE]Question is what now.... I have some Hydro Lime in a small bottle I have Dolomite lime ...crushed oyster shell etc....What do I use to bring up from 5.5 to 6.5.....[/QUOTE]Don't mess with it. 5.5 - even 5.0 - is fine.

The reason for my question is that pH over 7.5 or so Mg uptake becomes problematic. So that's not your problem. Honestly, I'd wait until the plants start to show some evidence that they need a nutrient before dumping it on them "just in case".

The calcium/magnesium tablets here are found along with vitamin supplements. No prescription required.
The TUMS is made with Calcium Carbonate USP 1000mg. This also does not require a prescription here in the USA, but is found on the shelves next to products that relieve stomach upset.

Calcium nitrate is what you will find in Calmag. Perhaps if you refer to it as Calcium nitrate with magnesium added you will have better luck finding it there.

Patti..I have the bag of villamila and have just spoken to the lady at the company's office who uses it on her plants...She said about 1/4 cup every 3 months sprinkled on the outer soil within the drum and fork it in and then water....so it must be pretty powerful stuff ....I have to be careful I do not over fertilize .....I presume I can give my drums 1/4 of a cup each and water it in today...and then forget about it for the season (nearly)...I could not get the K Cal Plus ...They did not know what it was yet its advertised on their website????
Regards ron

Patti..Just received printed instructions for villa milla complex.......I am pretty sure 1/4 of a cup will not hurt the plants I gave 2 litres water + 1 tablespoon of Epsom Salts too but I wonder about the 1 litre each of 1ml Head Masta and 1ml Growth Enhancer I used on two plants ...Regards Ron

Ron your plants are still quite small and only need just a little food. Feeding too much is not a good thing. I always opt for less is more. If the plants begin to show signs of lack of anything, it is only then that I increase the dosage. For now I would use these products at 1/2 the recommended rate. Your plants roots are hardly filling their containers yet and their roots are only traveling a short ways from the main stem. If you keep feeding them at the suggested rate the soil on the outside will contain so many nutrients that it will burn the roots once the little roots reach them. Once you have mature plants, it is then that you feed them the recommended amount.

Hydroponic nutrients are very concentrated and you must be VERY careful with them when using them in a soil type situation. No more than once every 10 days and use them at 1/2 the suggested rate of application.

Patti..Yes...I fully agree with your concern ...I have just checked the 4 drums I did last night with Yara Mila complex and I am hoping its not my imagination but they look as though they have "Bloomed" overnight ...I will take some photos and post them ...I will be doing the rest of the drums today........I am expecting cotton rope samples today to arrive for wicking and especially with the weather we are having I should be a lot happier with them feeding water than the polypropaline I am presently using..I am convinced the method of watering from a reservoir above is the best method as they are fed clean fresh water ..Looking back I realise I made a terrible decision feeding water upwards from a tray below which basicly turned into a disease trap.....
I am writing on the top of the drums exactly what they get and the[URL="http://www.tomatoville.com/#18337171"] date[IMG]http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png[/IMG][/URL] as I do it.....I will do a ph test on the 4 drums and continue doing the rest of the drums with Yara Mila today .....I made a decision to buy mature plants from a different garden centre than last year ...I do not want to be messed around by false promises as I have faced ....I have actually seen the plants at the growers that they are growing with me in mind as a buyer and they are looking extremely good ...a lot better than their younger ones ...which they are basicly giving away .....I could not believe what they looked like when i was there a few days ago ...With so many years in the business I wonder how they got in the state they are.....they are apparantly replentishing all their stock as its still early in the buying season here..
I still have about 15 drums to get and hopefully where I get them from will have them soon ..They all require to be washed and disinfected which is quite a big job...Of course bringing them home on my bike and trailor is also not easy ...I am also getting some slightly larger drums due to supply ...I have not checked yet but these I think will take well over 3 litres inside the plastic ring at their top
As usual I get carried away with Tasty Tom cuttings being developed so will give them away.....My one Indian Stripe I have thankfully is looking great ....
So everything should be good next season if i am around...I will be 8 weeks earlier with my seedlings ..I will hopefully have a working growth chamber and sturdier plants plus my own seeds and a far better knowledge on soil ferilisation...Who knows I might even be able to plan a couple of late Tasty Toms and bring them inside over winter for my tomato sandwiches..
Regards Ron...