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Old October 17, 2016   #22
Barbee
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SW Ohio
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Well here is my opinion, take it or leave it.
According to the soil experts tomatoes prefer a lower ph than what ou stated you have. Usually around 6.4-7.2 That does not mean you cant grow in higher or lower ph. It just means that is optimum. Certain nutrients that tomatoes like will be locked up at higher and lower ph ranges. One biggie that comes to mind is potassium. Potassium gives us overall plant health.
As for the BER. It has been my experience that BER is not helped much by high calcium, which you have plenty of by the way. Instead of focusing on calcium, i would instead look at early plant issues you might have. Meaning when the plants are young. Are you setting your plants out when its cold? Are you staking young plants against wind damage? Things like that. You mentioned the plants eventually outgrow the BER. Try to notice if you have certain varieties that are more prone to it. Take those off your grow list and replace with others that handle early stress better.
if you go to the trouble to send in a soil test, i believe i would follow the recomendations of the lab to balance your soil.
Just my 2 cents
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