Potting soil: Don't be penny wise and pound foolish

Fred Hempel · April 14, 2019

I feel compelled to write this after looking at multiple recent posts at Tomatoville, and also after having the guy who shares my greenhouse make up every reason in the book that his plants look like garbage, while mine are green, vigorous and happy. When it is obvious that he is using garbage potting soil.

If you are going to grow tomatoes from seed, the first thing you need to do is make sure you have a good potting soil. One conducive to root growth and with nutrients to get the plants growing without adding a bunch of liquid fertilizer.

One reason I don't like liquid fertilizers with kelp and/or fish emulsion is that it attracts birds, and the last thing I need in the spring is birds trashing my greenhouse seedlings.

There are plenty of garbage products out there. I won't list them.

As for good potting mix -- In my experience FoxFarm "Ocean and Forest" is the Gold Standard. But I can't afford that. So I have recently found that the Miracle Grow Organic Potting Soil is now the best alternative, in my area.

I suggest that anyone serious about growing tomatoes do a soil test to see how what is locally available to them compares.

April 14, 2019	#1
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Potting soil: Don't be penny wise and pound foolish I feel compelled to write this after looking at multiple recent posts at Tomatoville, and also after having the guy who shares my greenhouse make up every reason in the book that his plants look like garbage, while mine are green, vigorous and happy. When it is obvious that he is using garbage potting soil. If you are going to grow tomatoes from seed, the first thing you need to do is make sure you have a good potting soil. One conducive to root growth and with nutrients to get the plants growing without adding a bunch of liquid fertilizer. One reason I don't like liquid fertilizers with kelp and/or fish emulsion is that it attracts birds, and the last thing I need in the spring is birds trashing my greenhouse seedlings. There are plenty of garbage products out there. I won't list them. As for good potting mix -- In my experience FoxFarm "Ocean and Forest" is the Gold Standard. But I can't afford that. So I have recently found that the Miracle Grow Organic Potting Soil is now the best alternative, in my area. I suggest that anyone serious about growing tomatoes do a soil test to see how what is locally available to them compares.