Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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March 18, 2013 | #16 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: northern new jersey
Posts: 683
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My test kit reveals nitrogen is depleted,, the PH P and K are good color match ..I use that soil test kit with the four color viles and color capsules.. My tomato plants are slow to grow and flower but than every year was different , bad weather,, no sun too much rain.. still, I know I need nitrogen,, just not sure if I need anything else.
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March 19, 2013 | #17 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Czech republic
Posts: 2,534
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March 19, 2013 | #18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: northern new jersey
Posts: 683
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Melissa, If I may be so bold to answer part, if any of your test soil questions, I think I read that PH is high .. mine looked high last season so i used peat moss as was recommended, and think that helped,, my PH test this season reads second color below the darkest on the chart.. so likely around 7 PH which if fine.. N is very low for my five separate small gardens around my yard too , according to my 14 dollar capsule color test kit ,, anyway.. the K and P is showing adequate in all but one of my five gardens around the house.. so the test capsule color kit seems to work at some degree.. not sure if it is crucial a lab test for lab test numbers. Organic matter is best, I plan on using cow or horse manure tilled in the beds.. It took me a few seasons to get my beds enriched to pretty good looking soil. compost maintenance and basic test kit.. add deficiency matter. In my case, I do not want to raise PH or P or K so.. going to try just mixing a little horse manure I get free from a local horse stable now and few weeks later during planting, mixing a little blood meal and fish fertilizer just outside the roots to get the nitrogen up.. jmho, john
Last edited by nnjjohn; March 19, 2013 at 10:35 AM. Reason: wording spell check |
March 19, 2013 | #19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allen Park, MI
Posts: 178
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N is a constantly changing item. It migrates through the soil fairly quickly.
Most soil tests won't list it in the results.
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A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins. ~Author Unknown~ |
March 19, 2013 | #20 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: northern new jersey
Posts: 683
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so what you are saying than is the PH green capsule test kit is crucial but also importantly are the NPK TESTS.. I know why my tomato plants were slow to grow after seeing the low nitrogen test..I am going to concentrate on raising the nitrogen deficiency results using blood meal and fish while planting .
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March 19, 2013 | #21 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allen Park, MI
Posts: 178
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You want to be careful with N levels; too high and you'll get a lot of foliage and less fruit production.
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A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins. ~Author Unknown~ |
March 19, 2013 | #22 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: northern new jersey
Posts: 683
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Thank you for reminding me.. Believe me , I experienced foilage and no flowers or crop yield for other reasons as well.. like planting too late going into the hot dry season.. also overfeeding using that box granular blue 15-30-15 all purpose Tried two summers with mixed results..mostly poor results.. but I do know my soil needs nitrogen enrichment.. one over thought was thinking the horse manure from the stable would have been sufficient but as it turned out, not so.. Only after I learned that the wood chips the stables use to for horse bedding due in large the greater percentage wood chip mix was responsible for depleting the nitrogen.. this is what I read somewhere. So yes, i want to be sure not to overdose using 12-0-0 blood meal and fish as well but at the same time see something visual on the color test for N. before planting or while planting.
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john |
March 23, 2013 | #23 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
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Peaceful Valley sells a Foothills Mix for use with Sierra foothills
soils. It is intended for in-ground beds. I do not know how it would work with container mix. (You could email them and ask, perhaps.) They also sell high-reliability soil tests (not a kit). http://www.groworganic.com/fertilize...l-testing.html http://www.groworganic.com/foothill-...s-n-25-lb.html
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March 25, 2013 | #24 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: northern new jersey
Posts: 683
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Quote:
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john Last edited by nnjjohn; March 25, 2013 at 06:20 PM. |
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ash , lava , sand , soil , test |
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