Quote:
Originally Posted by z_willus_d
Is there a potential for an unwanted reaction using K-mag with dolomite lime? Or were you expecting I might overload one mineral/element or another?
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Naysen,
No, I wouldn't expect an unwanted reaction but, combined with the K-Mag, the dolomite could add "too much" magnesium. Better to go lightly at first and then fortify later, if necessary. Too much Mg will tie-up calcium which is an undesirable condition. And, once you have "too much" magnesium it's challenging to reduce it.
Let me back up by saying that I'm a firm believer in using a base saturation soil test as a guide to amending any soil. After some years of tweaking, I have arrived at a "balanced" soil that grows good tomatoes (and other veggies as well). I've built a number of raised beds in the past. Our native soil here is sand, so my amended soil, much like yours, contains a large proportion of amendments, e.g. pine bark fines, spaghnum peat, cow manure, etc. When I've had this "improved soil" tested, I've found that, in most cases, I have sufficient calcium and magnesium and insufficient, sulfur, phosphorus and potassium. Although, your results would surely be unique. I mention my situation simply to illustrate that it's hard to know precisely what to add unless you know what you have in place.
I would suggest building your beds and then getting a soil test. Follow its advice and add fertilizers accordingly. This will this provide a level of confidence that you are managing fertility based on information, rather than guess work. More importantly, from my perspective, it helps you better understand what's going on "under the hood" and grow exponentially as a gardener.
The other piece of advice I would offer is this: start simple. The high-profile (and high-priced) luxury fertilizers are generally intended for high-value crops. After all, how many folks do you know who are growing hydroponic lettuce in their basement?
Your tomatoes will do just fine without the additional fuss. Once you've developed a regimen that suits your objectives, you can fine-tune.
41N