i've been round and fed all my babies. I feel better now, and i hope they do too
Not entirely sure what I'm going to do with 130 tomato plants though...
when to feed tomato plants
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
i've been fretting about this all night!
i've been round and fed all my babies. I feel better now, and i hope they do too
Not entirely sure what I'm going to do with 130 tomato plants though...
i've been round and fed all my babies. I feel better now, and i hope they do too
Not entirely sure what I'm going to do with 130 tomato plants though...
Where do you go to my lovely, when you're alone in your shed...
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oldherbaceous
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Dear Lynne, can you put a little sign outside your house, saying tomato plants for sale 60p each.
Or if you have a selection of plants for sale you could try a car boot, just make sure you don't come back with more stuff then when you went.
Or if you have a selection of plants for sale you could try a car boot, just make sure you don't come back with more stuff then when you went.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
Some people say under fed/under watered tomatoes taste better. but thats another issue.
what i would like to know, is what feeds people are using pre-truss. i have been using regular seaweed extract liquid feeds. ie maxi crop. but would say a a balanced liquid fertiliser like say miracle-grow be good also? Is there enough npk in seaweed extract do you think? i know its great stuff, but is that cause its a plant stimulent/ micro nutrient provider!would you johnboy suggest i use a npk liquid fertiliser too?
what i would like to know, is what feeds people are using pre-truss. i have been using regular seaweed extract liquid feeds. ie maxi crop. but would say a a balanced liquid fertiliser like say miracle-grow be good also? Is there enough npk in seaweed extract do you think? i know its great stuff, but is that cause its a plant stimulent/ micro nutrient provider!would you johnboy suggest i use a npk liquid fertiliser too?
Hi Dewwex,
Pre-truss tomatoes need a 1:1:1 NPK in other words a balanced application. This is needed but really there should be enough in one application to last until you come to when the first truss has set and then the more regular feeding with a 1:2:2 NPK.
My Tomatoes have a general application and I then go to Comfrey Concentrate.
I do use Vitax fertilizers for the initial feed but that is because I have masses left from when I was in business but Chempack will do just as well.
As regards Seaweed preparations which are very good and contain many trace elements apart from the NPK aspect required.
Probably the best of the Seaweed Preparations is Marinade.
I don't know about under watering and flavour but you must never over water tomatoes especially when you have fruit on the vine. At this stage over watering will/can cause fruit to split.
JB.
Pre-truss tomatoes need a 1:1:1 NPK in other words a balanced application. This is needed but really there should be enough in one application to last until you come to when the first truss has set and then the more regular feeding with a 1:2:2 NPK.
My Tomatoes have a general application and I then go to Comfrey Concentrate.
I do use Vitax fertilizers for the initial feed but that is because I have masses left from when I was in business but Chempack will do just as well.
As regards Seaweed preparations which are very good and contain many trace elements apart from the NPK aspect required.
Probably the best of the Seaweed Preparations is Marinade.
I don't know about under watering and flavour but you must never over water tomatoes especially when you have fruit on the vine. At this stage over watering will/can cause fruit to split.
JB.
In reply to johnboy:
just a mute point. you say regular feeding with 1:2:2 NPK post truss. I realise that you probably just giving a simple ratio. but the ratio does not sound correct. 1:2:2 npk would be more like a 'low-nitrogen feed'. But in fact it is a high pottassium feed we need. 1:1:2 npk is a more realistic simple value. The 1:2:2 npk ratio puts importance on phosphorus as much as potassium. which is wrong??
heres the npk ratio of a few common tomato foods:
Phostrogen tomato plant food: 6:5:9
Westlands Tomato Concentrated Plant Food: 3.9:2.7:7.7
Westlands Organic Tomato & Vegetable Plant Food: 4:2:6
Just clarifying!!
Ya. I think i will go for 1 dose of balanced liquid feed for my tomatos near the end of april. i do find that tomato leaves go paler in May even with the seaweed extract! thanks john boy.
I do feel we shouldn't over do the pre-truss feeding though. we don't want to stimulate too much leaf growth! And it is common practice to let nutrients run low and reduce watering on tomato plants for say a week in May to induce first truss formation.
Indeed this is why we only plant out tomato plants after 1st truss formation. If you plant out just before the plant was going to set its first truss, the plant may abort the 1st truss, due to higher nutrient levels etc in growing site!
just a mute point. you say regular feeding with 1:2:2 NPK post truss. I realise that you probably just giving a simple ratio. but the ratio does not sound correct. 1:2:2 npk would be more like a 'low-nitrogen feed'. But in fact it is a high pottassium feed we need. 1:1:2 npk is a more realistic simple value. The 1:2:2 npk ratio puts importance on phosphorus as much as potassium. which is wrong??
heres the npk ratio of a few common tomato foods:
Phostrogen tomato plant food: 6:5:9
Westlands Tomato Concentrated Plant Food: 3.9:2.7:7.7
Westlands Organic Tomato & Vegetable Plant Food: 4:2:6
Just clarifying!!
Ya. I think i will go for 1 dose of balanced liquid feed for my tomatos near the end of april. i do find that tomato leaves go paler in May even with the seaweed extract! thanks john boy.
I do feel we shouldn't over do the pre-truss feeding though. we don't want to stimulate too much leaf growth! And it is common practice to let nutrients run low and reduce watering on tomato plants for say a week in May to induce first truss formation.
Indeed this is why we only plant out tomato plants after 1st truss formation. If you plant out just before the plant was going to set its first truss, the plant may abort the 1st truss, due to higher nutrient levels etc in growing site!
Hi Dewwex,
You are quite right with the ratio 1:1:2 and as regard the proprietary brands you mention I don't really think any of them to be correct for Tomatoes.
You say that too much P is incorrect but it is P that gives you a superior root growth and cellular structure to your plant.
Once you have started the concentrated feeding N is the one to be the lowest and K the highest to my mind. Too much N will give you a good looking plant but not necessarily the best tomatoes. Lets face it we are after a good crop of fruit and not a magnificent display of foliage. My foliage gets hacked back most of the time and when you have 5 set trusses the leaves can be a great drawback to the ripening process.
The plants that I have in the greenhouse are indeterminate and up until the fifth truss I remove side shoots and thereafter I let them grow as they will and feast on the masses of small but 'Oh so sweet ones' up until about Christmas time.
JB.
You are quite right with the ratio 1:1:2 and as regard the proprietary brands you mention I don't really think any of them to be correct for Tomatoes.
You say that too much P is incorrect but it is P that gives you a superior root growth and cellular structure to your plant.
Once you have started the concentrated feeding N is the one to be the lowest and K the highest to my mind. Too much N will give you a good looking plant but not necessarily the best tomatoes. Lets face it we are after a good crop of fruit and not a magnificent display of foliage. My foliage gets hacked back most of the time and when you have 5 set trusses the leaves can be a great drawback to the ripening process.
The plants that I have in the greenhouse are indeterminate and up until the fifth truss I remove side shoots and thereafter I let them grow as they will and feast on the masses of small but 'Oh so sweet ones' up until about Christmas time.
JB.