What do you put into your tomato hole?

Rfdillon · February 3, 2015

As I hope to start planting some of my tomatoes into the ground in~one month, I am looking at gathering together what I will need, and am looking for suggestions as to what to place into the planting hokey. I have heard of everything from bananas and egg shells to kelp extract. I am looking for proven ingredients, and thank you in advance or your help!

gssgarden · February 3, 2015

A handful of compost from the bin until that runs out then its dehydrated cow manure.

Greg

PaulF · February 3, 2015

This topic has been kicked around T'ville since 2006. It has been a while since this topic has come up so enjoy the answers. I put in the hole a tomato plant and the dirt that came from the hole and top it off with some water.

FarmerShawn · February 3, 2015

I drop in a tablespoon full (or so) of Tomato Tone, a bit of lime, and a walnut-sized (or so) nugget of worm castings from my worm bin. Mix in the bottom of the hole, drop in the transplant, water, backfill, water (again), and top off with a couple handfuls of my soil blocking mix, Vermont Compost Fort Vee, as mulch to keep the weeds at bay (and to feed the plant). I have previously generously spread compost on the row and tilled it in, then spread plastic mulch over the row, with drip tape underneath. Holes are dug fairly deeply with a bulb auger in my cordless drill.

Alan&Jayne · February 3, 2015

Loren Nancarrow said on youtube "If you do nothing else, I want you to do this....we want to give each plant a cup of agricultural gypsum". He says if will prevent blossom end rot.

saltmarsh · February 3, 2015

Water before and after transplanting to settle the soil around the roots.

BigVanVader · February 3, 2015

You'll never know

kath · February 3, 2015

Here are a couple of the threads that Paul was referring to- you can probably find more by doing and advanced search.

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=27216

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=26754

I'm still experimenting, but I usually mix some compost in the hole, dip the rootball into a fertilizer mix, and then spread, mix, and water in a dry organic fertilizer in a circle about 3" from the stem.

Blueaussi · February 3, 2015

If that's like my pie hole, I put more and more tomatoes in it!

AlittleSalt · February 3, 2015

Quote: "What PaulF and saltmarsh wrote"

Exactly what I do too.

creister · February 3, 2015

Two cups of worm castings, 1/2 cup tomato tone, mix with back fill and water. You could also add a handful of rock phosphate.

habitat_gardener · February 3, 2015

I dig a deep hole, so that only the top 3-4 pairs of leaves wlll be above ground. Then I put a big handful (small hands) of alfalfa pellets into the hole and sprinkle soil over them. Tomato plant goes in next, backfilled with garden soil and sometimes some homemade compost. Near the top I sprinkle a spoonful of a humic acid product
https://www.johnandbobs.com/buy/opti...oil-optimizer/
and cover with soil and then aged wood-chip mulch.

If I have enough, and I have time to do it, I top-dress with a few handfuls of homemade compost per plant later in the season.

heirloomtomaguy · February 3, 2015

I put a heaping teaspoon of Mycorrhizae sprinkled around the sides and bottom of the hole. Plop the tomato plant in and water with non chlorinated water. Its a recipe for mega plants and deep spread out roots.

shatbox · February 3, 2015

two weeks before planing I take a bucket & trashbag to a fish market and they fill it up with scraps. I dig a deep hole, dump it, mix a little, cover it back up, and put the tomato cage over it to keep the pests away. Its worked well so far. Anyone else do this?

pdxwindjammer · February 3, 2015

Pepper plants.

Nah, they have their own hole.

I save up eggshells all year and crush them up very finely and toss some in along with a dollop of worm castings from my bin.

February 3, 2015	#1
Rfdillon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 121	What do you put into your tomato hole? As I hope to start planting some of my tomatoes into the ground in~one month, I am looking at gathering together what I will need, and am looking for suggestions as to what to place into the planting hokey. I have heard of everything from bananas and egg shells to kelp extract. I am looking for proven ingredients, and thank you in advance or your help!

February 3, 2015	#3
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,284	This topic has been kicked around T'ville since 2006. It has been a while since this topic has come up so enjoy the answers. I put in the hole a tomato plant and the dirt that came from the hole and top it off with some water. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

February 3, 2015	#4
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	I drop in a tablespoon full (or so) of Tomato Tone, a bit of lime, and a walnut-sized (or so) nugget of worm castings from my worm bin. Mix in the bottom of the hole, drop in the transplant, water, backfill, water (again), and top off with a couple handfuls of my soil blocking mix, Vermont Compost Fort Vee, as mulch to keep the weeds at bay (and to feed the plant). I have previously generously spread compost on the row and tilled it in, then spread plastic mulch over the row, with drip tape underneath. Holes are dug fairly deeply with a bulb auger in my cordless drill. __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

February 3, 2015	#13
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	I put a heaping teaspoon of Mycorrhizae sprinkled around the sides and bottom of the hole. Plop the tomato plant in and water with non chlorinated water. Its a recipe for mega plants and deep spread out roots. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

February 3, 2015	#2
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,821	A handful of compost from the bin until that runs out then its dehydrated cow manure. Greg

February 3, 2015	#5
Alan&Jayne Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Lady Lake FL (The Villages) Posts: 6	Loren Nancarrow said on youtube "If you do nothing else, I want you to do this....we want to give each plant a cup of agricultural gypsum". He says if will prevent blossom end rot.

February 3, 2015	#6
saltmarsh Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: 2 miles south of Yoknapatawpha Zone 7b Posts: 662	Water before and after transplanting to settle the soil around the roots.

February 3, 2015	#7
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	You'll never know

February 3, 2015	#8
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Here are a couple of the threads that Paul was referring to- you can probably find more by doing and advanced search. http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=27216 http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=26754 I'm still experimenting, but I usually mix some compost in the hole, dip the rootball into a fertilizer mix, and then spread, mix, and water in a dry organic fertilizer in a circle about 3" from the stem.

February 3, 2015	#9
Blueaussi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 1,205	If that's like my pie hole, I put more and more tomatoes in it!

February 3, 2015	#10
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Quote: "What PaulF and saltmarsh wrote" Exactly what I do too.

February 3, 2015	#11
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Two cups of worm castings, 1/2 cup tomato tone, mix with back fill and water. You could also add a handful of rock phosphate.

February 3, 2015	#12
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,540	I dig a deep hole, so that only the top 3-4 pairs of leaves wlll be above ground. Then I put a big handful (small hands) of alfalfa pellets into the hole and sprinkle soil over them. Tomato plant goes in next, backfilled with garden soil and sometimes some homemade compost. Near the top I sprinkle a spoonful of a humic acid product https://www.johnandbobs.com/buy/opti...oil-optimizer/ and cover with soil and then aged wood-chip mulch. If I have enough, and I have time to do it, I top-dress with a few handfuls of homemade compost per plant later in the season.

February 3, 2015	#14
shatbox Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Los Angeles County, CA Posts: 258	two weeks before planing I take a bucket & trashbag to a fish market and they fill it up with scraps. I dig a deep hole, dump it, mix a little, cover it back up, and put the tomato cage over it to keep the pests away. Its worked well so far. Anyone else do this?

February 3, 2015	#15
pdxwindjammer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 625	Pepper plants. Nah, they have their own hole. I save up eggshells all year and crush them up very finely and toss some in along with a dollop of worm castings from my bin.