Organic tomato feed

I grew tomatoes in pots for !st time this year and had bumper crop use a general purpose feed .However next year I would like to go organic.Any recommendations for an organic feed that can be diluted for use from a watering can.Grateful for any suggestions.

 

I'm going to try nettle tea because that would deal with two issues in one: organic feed + weed control.

 

Grow comfrey and make your own feed - it's excellent for feeding tomatoes.

 

Seconded

Make sure you get the Bocking 14 variety, which is sterile, otherwise it will seed everywhere, and deep roots make it hard to get rid of.

Easy to propagate from bits-of-root - most allotments have it, so if you know someone with an allotment they should be able to beg a few roots off another allotment holder.

 

Hi Doug,
Try this out and see if you like it. Also I shall be splitting mine again this year if you would like some.

http://www.comfreybocking14.co.uk/

My leaves go for feed and the stems for compost.

 

Thanks to everyone that replied but unfortunately I only have a very small garden so cannot grow my own feed. Im looking for to buy a commercial product.

 

If you cannot grow it, then might I suggest this.

http://www.webbsdirect.co.uk/scotts-levington-tomorite-tomato-food-1-litre-prod11077/

or from any good outlet.

 

I had a look and they offer 1/2" root offsets at £1 each. Sounds reasonable, but IME a small piece of root like that will take a whole year to get to the point where it could then be "harvested". I think would be better to buy a plant instead, if possible, as it should make a big enough plant for a first "cut" within a few months.

For anyone not in a rush it should be possible to find some root offsets for free - if no local allotment then often offered online etc. e.g. on this very forum (although not sure if JJ has any at the moment )

http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/free-comfry-bocking-14-root-cuttings.41757/

Don't think Tomorite is organic though? Its mostly seaweed AFAIK, so "organic" in that sense, but the processing, including adding trace elements, may not be regarded as organic?

I also think that Tomorite is blinking expensive, compared to similar Brand-X products. I suppose it does't make much odds for anyone with only a few plants, as it will last a while, but for 10 plants or more I think its worth doing the maths; there was a thread about this a while back (probably a thread about it every year!!) and from memory the consensus was that Tomorite is at least twice the price of other similar brands, and if you can be bothered to dissolve a granular fertilizer instead (which, lets face it, only takes a few seconds stirring with a stick ) that route is probably 1/10th of the price compared to a "just dilute it" liquid fertilizer.

 

Thanks for this , can you recommend a granular one.

 

Chempak Tomato Feed (there is also a Potash one, which is probably much the same - I guess some different trace elements in the Tomato one).

Definitely not Organic though. (Not sure I know of a proprietary Organic Tomato fertilizer. There are products based on Seaweed, so they have the potential to be formulated in an organic manner, and there are "Comfrey Extract" products - likewise, could be formulated as organic - but don't think I've seen any specifically Organic ones for sale.

Chempak Potash £8.99 makes 1,600 Litres
Tomorite 2.5 litres £9.97 (Tescos) Makes 563 litres

so not exactly 1/10th of the price I'm afraid ... 1/3rd of the price.

I can't find Chempak Tomato Fertilizer. T&M have taken over Chempak and the products have not listed properly on the T&M site - maybe they are still in flux, or maybe no one at T&M has noticed ....

 

Comfrey is widespread in the wild, here in the south east you find it everywhere!

 

Tamar Organics Andy's Organic Comfrey Liquid Concentrate 1 litre http://www.lamourbotanique.co.uk/ou...ganic-Comfrey-Liquid-Concentrate-1-litre.html

Accredited by the Soil Association http://www.tamarorganicspro.co.uk/TradingSchedule2011.pdf

 

Thanks Scrungee
Andy's Organic Comfrey Liquid Concentrate 1 litre £8.95 makes ... 30 Litres

 

Here's some more (but I don't see the Soil Association symbol on them)

http://www.agralan.co.uk/Home-and-Garden-Catalogue/Feeding?product_id=7773

http://www.gardening-naturally.com/acatalog/Comfrey_Odour_Free_Liquid.html (I've also seen 4L containers of this one for about £40 somewhere)

There's also Comfrey Pellets (some of which are Soil Association accedited) which can be mixed with water to make liquid feed.

Much, much cheaper to make a really big stinky tub of your own stuff: