Have a great invention to help with gardening? Are you the self-reliant type that prefers Building It Yourself vs. buying it? Share and discuss your ideas and projects with other members.
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
February 10, 2008 | #46 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Posts: 5,346
|
I'm not Bully, but those are Texas Tomato Cages.
__________________
[SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I] |
February 11, 2008 | #47 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Davis, Ca
Posts: 14
|
I've had raised beds for a number of years now-5 perhaps? I grow tomatoes in them every year.I have added compost to them every year but it seems that in the last few my yield is lessening.Is there a fertilizer-organic is possible, but not essential at this point,that I can add?I read the 13-13 fertilizer someone added, what would be the advantage to starting with that? I get lots of leaf-really tall plants,but the yield is smaller than it was a few years back.I am in zone 9b in Davis, Ca. this is my first post.What advice have you for me? Thank you! Chai
|
February 11, 2008 | #48 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Farmington, Nm
Posts: 450
|
Chai,
With annual additions of compost you are probably doing well with micro nutrients it is probably the macronutrients that are needed. You can use an organic fertilizer even seed meals such as cornmeal, soy meal, cottonseed meal or rabbit food(alfalfa meal to provide a long t3erm boost. For a short term boost a balanced fertilizer of any type will help. It is difficult to give specific recommendations without knowing your soil and or having a recent soil test. A soil test is probably your best option to see if you need to make any corrections.
__________________
I moved! |
February 11, 2008 | #49 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
I'm no expert on raised beds Chai but if your plant production is good but less yield in fruit is less you may be low in phosphorous and potassium.
If the plants are nice and dark green then you don't need any more Nitrogen so 13-13-13 might be the best idea due to nitrogen burn. You may want to get your soil tested by a professional too Welcome and post all you want, if you want to start a thread on this subject by all means do so. There is lots of good info on the soil building forum too. Worth |
February 12, 2008 | #50 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
|
Sounds like you need an 0-10-5 or something like that
(compost usually supplies some potassium but not much phosphorus, and your description indicates plenty of nitrogen). What is the pH like in the beds? That affects phosphorus uptake. You want around 6.5 (not under 6.0 or over 7.0). Maybe dig 2 bags of rock phosphate and a bag of greensand into each raised bed? That should raise the available phosphorus and potassium for years. A soil test is a good idea, though. Then you know for sure.
__________________
-- alias |
February 12, 2008 | #51 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 57
|
I have six of these boxes in now:
__________________
All Heirlooms, All The Time |
February 12, 2008 | #52 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
IF you have as many as think you have in the beds thats 54 tomato plants.
Do you plant anything other than tomatoes in them? Looks nice. Worth |
February 12, 2008 | #53 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Davis, Ca
Posts: 14
|
Thanks for the info! I knew I could count on all of you to help me out.I think I probably will do a soil test and go from there.In the meantime I am back to planting my tomato seeds.I start them indoors in jiffy pellets.Have been reading some interesting things about some of the new varieties I bought this year.One of them being true black brandywine.but anyway-they'll be ready to plant in the beds by early April and I am sure I'll have the soil all balanced out by then. Thanks again-Chai
|
February 12, 2008 | #54 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 57
|
Quote:
The other three are set aside for peppers, onions, garlic, squash, radishes, carrots, sunflowers, you name it. Thank you for the compliment though. The beds have a V formation for a reason. They are the "V for Venus" planter beds, which happens to be my wife's name.
__________________
All Heirlooms, All The Time |
|
February 13, 2008 | #55 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b
Posts: 531
|
That soil looks really rich there billbird2111. What you got there. Nice beds.
Robin |
February 14, 2008 | #56 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 57
|
Quote:
That's just planter mix from a nearby bulk provider. I find I like their mix. There's some manure in it, yes, but there's also lots of bark and redwood chips worked into the mix as well. Of course, this was virgin soil when I took those photos. It looks a little more used now! It also helps to have four cats who LOVE rummaging through planter beds. The four cats are rummaging through the beds because the field mice just love the area for the loose soil. The mice don't bother the tomatoes. The cats bother the mice.
__________________
All Heirlooms, All The Time |
|
March 5, 2008 | #57 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Z8 - Texas Hill Country
Posts: 171
|
OK - here they are
Thanks for all the advice on the raised beds. My beds and garden are finished and ready for the last frost to pass.
http://counseling.typepad.com/counse...-new-digs.html The garden is 20 x 40 and the three beds are 5 x 12 - there is room on the north end for some rambling plant like cantaloupe or watermelon.
__________________
************* Cynthia McKenna, LPC, NCC Psychotherapy for anxiety, depression, and healthy living. |
March 5, 2008 | #58 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NY
Posts: 2,618
|
Quote:
dcarch
__________________
tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato Last edited by dcarch; March 5, 2008 at 08:28 PM. |
|
March 5, 2008 | #59 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Z8 - Texas Hill Country
Posts: 171
|
my seedlings are doing great - I took your weak fish emulsion tip to heart and they are thriving. Still, only about 4 inches tall but sturdy.
I am hoping to put in some lettuces this weekend - and who knows what else
__________________
************* Cynthia McKenna, LPC, NCC Psychotherapy for anxiety, depression, and healthy living. |
March 6, 2008 | #60 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Abilene, TX zone 7
Posts: 1,478
|
Chai,
You could put a handful of greensand and rock phosphate in each planting hole. It wouldn't really hurt anything at all. Some people like to add some epsom salt in the planting hole as well for sulfur and magnesium. |
|
|