New plant startup, what go's in the hole?

NEPAsonnyboy · May 15, 2016

Getting ready to put tomatoes in garden. When I dig my holes to plant, what do you find is the best startup cocktail for a super lift off?...........sonny

jmsieglaff · May 15, 2016

Assuming your garden soil is good to begin with I don't think you need to throw much in. I dig a hole, put in the plant, throw a handful of composted manure and then pull some of the existing soil around, push down, water and move on to the next. I amended my beds each fall.

Labradors2 · May 15, 2016

Some compost, fish meal and Kmag usually. I'll use Tomato Tone this year!

Linda

NEPAsonnyboy · May 15, 2016

I have herd about putting down miracle grow an then a compost layer on top, so when the plant is growing it hits the second pocket of fertilizer an takes off again!!!!.................sonny

jmsieglaff · May 15, 2016

I alternate my bucket grown tomatoes with miracle grow liquid and a fungi rich granular fertilizer with good results, so it would also work well in the ground.

**carolyn137** · May 15, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEPAsonnyboy

Getting ready to put tomatoes in garden. When I dig my holes to plant, what do you find is the best startup cocktail for a super lift off?...........sonny

I have never put anything in the hole except the plant, firm it up then water well to get rid of any air bubbles that occur so that the roots can make direct contact with the soil. That's the way we did it on the farm where I was raised,with many acres of tomatoes, and being the farmer's daughter,I learned what to do from my father.

Yes,I know that many use this and that, I can't believe some of the stuff, from matches for S,to epsom salts to whatever, but I'm one who wants SLOW CONSTANT growth in the vegetative phase and won't fertilize until I see new growth in about 2 weeks or so. Pushing rapid growth with amendments in the hole favors BER, upside down leaves,etc, b/c it is a stress.And yes,back in the dinosaur age we had fertilizers,that's for sure,but at the farm they were used as I indicated above.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it and when Freda plants my tomatoes in a few weeks,nothing will go into the hole except the plants and water.

Carolyn, with the caveat that the above is her opinion only, lest she upset the folks who put virtually the kitchen sink in the hole.

AlittleSalt · May 15, 2016

Like Carolyn posted above - I just plant the plant.

However, I had some extra plants that I had no garden space for. I could either toss them Into the compost bin or plant them out in the yard. I chose to plant them and experiment a little. I put both a handful of compost and some fertilizer in the hole. They look like they're growing the same to me.

ContainerTed · May 15, 2016

The only thing I put in the hole is the plant itself. The plant needs to have a few days to get its act together and then, if you've prepared your growing medium properly, the plant will, as you say, get a "super lift off".

BTW, all cocktails in my garden are for me. But only if the liquor cabinet is well stocked.

BigVanVader · May 15, 2016

I always add manure/compost before planting and plant directly into that. I then begin fertilizing every 2 weeks until I have good fruit set with a mixture of fish emulsion and kelp.

Cole_Robbie · May 15, 2016

The only plants I sell are in either 4" or gallon pots, and have a nice compact root ball that is holding a generous sprinkle of Osmocote. I had several market customers come up to me yesterday and remark that all the plants they had bought from me were taking off and out-growing their other plants. They think I have some magic touch with plants, but the magic is just fertilizer.

ContainerTed · May 15, 2016

I tried fish emulsion a few years ago and the danged raccoons dug up everything.

BigVanVader · May 15, 2016

Yeah my dog dug a few up the first time I used it, but he knows better now. Luckily they keep everything else away.

ContainerTed · May 15, 2016

Van, could you help me with how to train wild raccoons???

The only training they have understood up to now is my 20 guage shotgun. They really don't taste that good, so I would prefer to have a different solution.

BigVanVader · May 15, 2016

Get coonhounds, I have a redbone and he was slightly easier to train than a raccoon.

May 15, 2016	#1
NEPAsonnyboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Northeastern PA Posts: 4	New plant startup, what go's in the hole? Getting ready to put tomatoes in garden. When I dig my holes to plant, what do you find is the best startup cocktail for a super lift off?...........sonny

May 15, 2016	#4
NEPAsonnyboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Northeastern PA Posts: 4	do you put down some miracle grow under a compost layer I have herd about putting down miracle grow an then a compost layer on top, so when the plant is growing it hits the second pocket of fertilizer an takes off again!!!!.................sonny

May 15, 2016	#8
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	The only thing I put in the hole is the plant itself. The plant needs to have a few days to get its act together and then, if you've prepared your growing medium properly, the plant will, as you say, get a "super lift off". BTW, all cocktails in my garden are for me. But only if the liquor cabinet is well stocked. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

May 15, 2016	#11
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	I tried fish emulsion a few years ago and the danged raccoons dug up everything. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

May 15, 2016	#13
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Van, could you help me with how to train wild raccoons??? The only training they have understood up to now is my 20 guage shotgun. They really don't taste that good, so I would prefer to have a different solution. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

May 15, 2016	#2
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	Assuming your garden soil is good to begin with I don't think you need to throw much in. I dig a hole, put in the plant, throw a handful of composted manure and then pull some of the existing soil around, push down, water and move on to the next. I amended my beds each fall.

May 15, 2016	#3
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,888	Some compost, fish meal and Kmag usually. I'll use Tomato Tone this year! Linda

May 15, 2016	#7
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Like Carolyn posted above - I just plant the plant. However, I had some extra plants that I had no garden space for. I could either toss them Into the compost bin or plant them out in the yard. I chose to plant them and experiment a little. I put both a handful of compost and some fertilizer in the hole. They look like they're growing the same to me.

May 15, 2016	#9
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	I always add manure/compost before planting and plant directly into that. I then begin fertilizing every 2 weeks until I have good fruit set with a mixture of fish emulsion and kelp.

May 15, 2016	#10
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	The only plants I sell are in either 4" or gallon pots, and have a nice compact root ball that is holding a generous sprinkle of Osmocote. I had several market customers come up to me yesterday and remark that all the plants they had bought from me were taking off and out-growing their other plants. They think I have some magic touch with plants, but the magic is just fertilizer.