THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

Thanks for the help, Sandy...my local independent GC had this in stock, which I think is the type you suggested, so bought a couple of bottles to use instead of the Tomorite and Nutrigrow which will now be used around the garden.



Last year I used Tomorite and if I'm honest I was a little disappointed with it, my toms tasted just like shop bought ones, really lacking in flavour and that was with feeding directly into the Quadgrow pot and with just water in the reservoir.

So hopefully this Maxicrop will make a difference and produce tasty toms.

 

£4.20/Litre £4.53/Litre Maxicrop Plus Tomato Fertiliser | Tomato Fertiliser, 10 Litre | Improve Size, Shape & Flavour - ProGreen EDIT: It was only £41.99 incl deliv and VAT when I posted

£10/Litre Maxicrop PPTF61L Plus Tomato Fertiliser, 1 Litre, Red: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

 

It is expensive, Scrungee...but the 10 Litre bottle certainly is better value, even with the £10 delivery charge.

 

That is expensive I only paid £6.50 for a litre bottle at local GC

 

Not the one I use , I use the organic one in a brown bottle
Maxicrop XOTNF61L Organic Tomato Natural Fertiliser, 1 Litre, Brown
regds Sandy
https://www.maxicrop.co.uk/wp-conte...-Gardeners-World-April-2016-Tomato-Trials.pdf

 

Morning Sandy...when you are feeding directly into the Quadgrow pots, how much liquid feed are you giving the plant?

Last year I was pouring in about 1 Litre of feed, but not sure if that was a waste as it would have been running all the way through into the reservoir.

 

Hi all am I too early to put some tomatoes in the polytunnel, they are currently clogging up the house and windows

I’m located in Derby the max/min thermometer has had a high of 30c last week and a low of 2c

I have had a couple outside in a sheltered back garden and all are still ok.

Thanks, James

 

Hi Sheps
I do not give them a large dose I feed two to three times a week depending on how compost dries on top at half strength about half a pint each feed, I leave the wick in the quadgorw pot 2" below the surface so the surface of the compost dries out a little, if you read my diary extract you will see my compost also contains fertiliser.
Quote
Pots filled with Canna compost + worm compost FBB (fish blood & bone) seaweed meal mychorrhizae fungi, and Cal/mag. (calcified seaweed)

The exact amounts I use as follows
Worm compost 10% of total compost , this adds vital microherd, + various elementsand beneficial bacteria
50grams of seaweed meal adds loads of goodies vitamins minerals + nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium, cytokinins (particularly kinetin). seaweed products are completely biodegradable and provide an excelled nutrient source for rhizosphere bacteria. As an organic nutrient, seaweed products provide the needed carbon source and minerals for introduced bacteria (in worm compost) to multiply and become established in the root zone. contains over 60 minerals and elements, more than 12 vitamins, including Carotene, Tocopherol and Folic Acid; valuable carbohydrates including Alginic Acid, Laminarin and Mannitol, as well as a full range of Amino Acids. seaweeds contain 10 times the mineral levels of land-based plants and are particularly rich in iodine and calcium.
I can not overstate IMO the benefits of seaweed meal and extract.
30 grams FBB general fertilizer. Combining fish meal and seaweed increases the NPK ratio in the seaweed meal nutrients,
50 grams calcified seaweed. Adds loads of calcium as well as vitamins and minerals
and prevents the compost becoming too acidic

I did use rock dust but I found no benefit in this mix as everything is there, I use rock dust in my pot grown chrysanths.
I find with the mychorrhizae fungi the roots grow realy strongly down into the tank water, this does not seem to dilute the taste.
Regards Sandy

 

Thanks very much, Sandy...I will try the same amount of feed and do the same with the wick.

 

Does anyone here use good old comfrey for tomatoes? I have a big patch which I grow specifically for my tomatoes and I get excellent results. Just have to get used to the smell tho - it’s very pongy!

 

Don't forget the flies and rat-tailed maggots! Comfrey leaves

 

Hi Susieshoe
I used to use comfrey and nettles and they worked very well on soil grown plants. However I moved to a small bungalow and space is limited so I have to grow in containers and raised beds and no growing space for comfrey, and there are no nettles around here. A five year waiting list for an allotment, I probably will not last that long.

Comfrey tea is rich in nitrogen and potassium The nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) ratio of dried comfrey leaves is 1.8-0.5-5.3; comfrey also contains calcium.

Stinging nettles are lower in potassium than comfrey and contain an average N2:P0:K5 but with high trace elements

Regds Sandy

 

If only we had some growing in the garden!


Instead, I will be making liquid feed out of these:


Alkanet - it's the second best option to comfrey, apparently.


Last year, I used a mix of Juice of Worm and Pong of Nettle liquid feed on the Morrisons "Grape" cherry tomatoes prior to flowering and they turned out to be fantastic. Hopefully, alkanet will produce similar results.

Right now, I don't have the heart to hack them down just yet as they are in full flower and the bees love them.

 

I’m the same with comfrey. It has to flower first because the bees love it!

I’ve found this
COMFREY PELLETS, 1 litre pack CMPL2 - The Organic Catalogue

Also available from Sarah raven but more expensive!