Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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May 6, 2018 | #16 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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MG is like a shot of whiskey
Nice to have around but you dont want to make a habit of it. Worth |
May 6, 2018 | #17 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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If it is a woodchuck, they don't need a smelly fert to attack a garden. They eat everything and a tomato plant is always in jeopardy.
Nan |
May 6, 2018 | #18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 1,836
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I just bought a big (1/2 gallon?) jug of Osmocote at WM for $14. Looks like I will get about 200 or so tomatoes and peppers planted with it.
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May 6, 2018 | #19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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I had some but ran out, it was good stuff.
Cant remember which one. |
May 6, 2018 | #20 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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I use -14-14-14 Osmocote.
Nan |
May 8, 2018 | #21 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
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Quote:
As to the build up of salts over time. my neighbor at the lake has under size plants with little foliage, poor branching and very little fruit. I only have book experience with this. He had a beautiful garden when I first saw it and then it went downhill. He changed where he buys his plants but that didn't help. Luckily he didn't take my offer of plants that year. I used t.t. in my suburban backyard yesterday and by this morning some little creature had knocked over the cage and up rooted a new plant leaving it for dead. The unknown culprit also started digging next to a larger tomato plant but didn't get the plant. I don't think we have woodchucks here in town, just turkeys, raccoons and squirrels. The occasional mountain lion comes into town too. - Lisa |
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May 8, 2018 | #22 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
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Quote:
WOuld be interestsed to hear how that works for you. I assume with 200 plants you grow in the ground? I see the N is very high in Osmocote in the pink jar. Amazon has a formulation for vegetables with a green label . Will have to check it out for the country garden. - Lisa |
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May 8, 2018 | #23 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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I gave my sister a bag of Tomato Tone. She put some in the soil of her tomato containers, and planted. The next morning, the plants were intact but the soil had been dug up. Hopefully the critters (probably raccoons) learned there's nothing yummy in the dirt & leave it alone.
Nan |
May 8, 2018 | #24 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Posts: 78
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Im testing out growing in a straw bale this year and tried using blood meal instead of MG as my nitrogen source when i started conditioning it for planting. My dog was way too interested in it and even started digging and chewing at the straw. So i switched to the blue stuff for now. I also put down some tomato tone a few weeks before planting and he dug at it and rolled around in it so i had to put up a garden fence. I dont know if it has blood meal or not but the poultry litter probably smelled good to him too. I figure if he likes it, raccoons and other scavengers probably will too.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
May 10, 2018 | #25 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
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Well, I finally completed the third row of 9 plants each. I used Osmocote 15-9-12 (wish I had Nan's triple 14) very sparingly. Hope to get chicken wire cages cut and add tomato tone next week. It's gotten so hot suddenly and it's stressing me and the plants still in containers. I took a layer of straw off the garlic and put it around each tomato. They are tolerating the 85 degree heat much better now. I am not!
I have one less row of tomatoes which is going over to peppers. Those will go in this weekend between the raindrops. Most likely with Osmocote until I get caught up with making cages. I have a glorious few days off after tomorrow! Row 1: Matina Stupice Esternia Chef's Choice F1 Pbtd + 3 crosses Tarasenko 6 Row 2: Sarnowski Polish Plum Cuore de Bue Mikhalych Purple Russian Hughs BL X Azoy 3x-f3Y Gold Medal S. Shedevyr Genuwine F1 Row 3: Sakharnyi Pudovich Andies Horn Amish Paste Wes ? PL Elgin pink George Detskas Dona F1 More to go ... somewhere - Lisa Last edited by greenthumbomaha; May 10, 2018 at 10:44 PM. |
May 11, 2018 | #26 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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My sister used tomato tone this year for the first time, and something keeps digging up the soil around her plants.
My 14-14-14 Osmocote I got at Home Depot. Nan |
May 25, 2018 | #27 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
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I had a few concrete mesh cages with chicken wire wrapped around the lower two feet, so I went ahead and applied a small handful (I have small hands for an adult anyway. so not that much) of Tomato Tone to the protected plants when the cages went in.
Now that almost two weeks have passed. I don't see any difference in the leaf density, branching or blossom set between the Osmocote and Tomato Tone fed plants. Still early in the season for any definitive results, but the weather is crazy and I'm not following my usual regimen anyway. Plants are loving the heat, but with record breaking mid 90's forecast for the next week (20 degrees above average), I may be back at the starting point with blossom drop. Undecided what to offer them for their second meal when the heat breaks. - Lisa |
June 12, 2018 | #28 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
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I'm not seeing any difference in the vigor of the tomato plants with Osmocote vs Tomato Tone at this time. However, the tt peppers seem to be stronger, but it is still early in the season here.
The odd weather is throwing off my usual fertilizer regimen. Its been over 90 almost every day for a month, and that coincided with the transplants getting established. It was very dry which was a strain in itself, and now we settled into a pattern with heat soaking rains every few days (with the occasional twister about - hope all is well with you PaulF). Is the Osmocote all gone? Burnt through in relentless heat or washed out? Tons of blossoms but I'm seeing a pause in fruit set due to the 100's for extended periods. More heat and every 4 days a downpour comes passing through. A welcome change - no early blight this year. I thought it was the dry heat, but others are having a mild year. I believe Carolyn says it blows in. I usually have palm trees by now. - Lisa |
September 18, 2018 | #29 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
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Some hail producers blew through south of the city today, headed towards PaulF, Hope all is well in that area.
The above post referenced my country piece of paradise, but these photos are of my suburban Omaha backyard taken today, before and after a storm blew through. The 90's will be gone soon, it was a fun year. Mother nature helped prune some stems off the pepper pots that I plan to overwinter, indoors. A double rainbow formed above the bright single rainbow, and lasted a good 15 minutes. - Lisa |
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