Kitchen Garden Forum

Title says it all really - what do you use ? And does it work well ?

I've used Chase organic tomato feed, and EcoCharlie recently. But the orgainc stuff seems to have disappeared from the garden centres, who only have Levingtons around here.

Usually just Tomorite but having lost almost 80% last year to blight I am feeding profusely this year in order to try and get as much crop off as possible before blight strikes.

So this year toms have had at various frequencies, Tomorite, BFB, Miracle-Gro and 6X dug in just prior to planting.

Most effective so far seems to be Miracle-Gro on the 'Tumbler' toms in hanging baskets, some are just beginning to ripen off

Personally, if they are in the ground, I don't use anything, but I have very fertile soil this year, having spent most of the last 2 years just digging in compost to the beds.
They are currently 6 foot higher than the lowest point I dug them to, (dug down about 4.5 for, built up about 1.5)

However that doesn't answer your question. If they're in pots I use tomorite, and sometimes nettle and comfry tea. But be careful, nettle and comfry tends to promote stems and leaves over fruit, so is an early season feed

I usually use Tomorite or Levington with an occasional comfrey tea. I got taken in this year by buying a large bottle of Levington which looked good value, but when I looked it was ready to use, so I'd paid for a large quantity of water as it was already diluted.

I'm pleased with the Miracle grow compost which does keep things growing well.

I grow mine in a mixture off chicken and pigeon muck dug into the soil, but I don't feed them that much I have given them a bit of Wilkinson tomato feed but only twice up to now ,by the looks of them I don't think they need anymore feeding

Hi Dan,
I except that I am totally thick but could you please explain in words of one syllable what this sentence of yours actually means.

dan3008 wrote:They are currently 6 foot higher than the lowest point I dug them to, (dug down about 4.5 for, built up about 1.5)

Sincerely,
JB.

JB, I think Dan excavated the soil where his beds stand to a depth of 4'6" either replacing the soil with something better, or backfilling with the spoil incorporating sand and organic material. Once that was done he made a 1'6" raised bed on top of that filling it in a similar manner, resulting in 6' of decent soil.

peter wrote:JB, I think Dan excavated the soil where his beds stand to a depth of 4'6" either replacing the soil with something better, or backfilling with the spoil incorporating sand and organic material. Once that was done he made a 1'6" raised bed on top of that filling it in a similar manner, resulting in 6' of decent soil.

That is a really helpful interpretation by Peter.

If it is correct I am only sorry that I am going for cremation when my time comes, otherwise Dan would have made a damn good hole digger

Dan can we expect to see a JCB for sale soon, one careful owner, only used once

Sorry, yes, I was sleep deprived (little girl hasnt slept more than 2 hours at a time all week) so that didnt really come out clear

peter hit the nail on the head. I dig down 4'6" and then built up 1'6" in for the beds where my tomatoes are (the outside beds didnt actually get dug that deep, they only went down 3' and up 6" roughly). And I backfilled with a mix of soil, sand and compost (and veg scraps from the kitchen)... That was a LOT of compost, But I had a lot to use, so I used it

Pa, It took me best part of a year to do the 2 beds which I have now put my greenhouse over (that's why the other 2 beds only got 3' I was fed up after a year of digging) I'm a really slow digger. But When I set my mind to a task, I get it done, weather it takes me a day, a week or a year (or 2). Besides, theres a flight of steps which are about 3/4 the height of an average 2 floor house from my door to the street, no way could I get a JCB down it, Although, I did rent a mini petrol tiller to get me started.

Hi Dan,
In order to grow perfectly good vegetables you need only double dig at the very most which is 20".
What was to logic behind your excavations?
Certainly things like potatoes can send a root as deep as 72" in periods of drought to seek water but most of the roots concerned with nutrition are contained within the 20" depth of a double dig.
Your posting absolutely confounds me.
JB.

Logic? Oh yeh, I know what that is

I dug that deep for good reason... At just over 1'6" deep there was a thick layer of Clay to dig through. Then I just kept digging. The soil below the clay was very heavy clay soil, so I kept going till I was happy with drainage... Then ended up with the greenhouse on top...

Hi Dan,
There is a very old saying about knowing the difference twixt fluffing and splitting your sit upon which you obviously have not heard.
JB.
Final:

Thanks for the input. Perhaps I should have specified that I'm growing my tomatoes in a greenhouse in 15L plastic pots with the bottom cut out, sitting on a 4" layer of grit sand. The compost is a mix of homemade garden compost, vermiculite and this year a couple of handfuls per wheelbarrow of hoof and horn, that certainly got them growing more quickly than normal.

On the subject of deep excavations and heavy clay, I double dug some beds at the allotment, leaving permanent paths around them. I found that the effect of the loosened soil surrounded by walkways of compacted soil was to create a sort of sump for the water to drain into, rather than away from. I'm now in the process of getting rid of many of the paths - waste of space, and need too much maintenance. Much easier just to dig the lot.

Johnboy wrote:Hi Dan,
There is a very old saying about knowing the difference twixt fluffing and splitting your sit upon which you obviously have not heard.
JB.
Final:

I admit to being completely baffled as to what that means. Not a saying from around these parts that's for sure.
Sounds sort of derogatory but I'm sure I am just misunderstanding it.

Pa Snip wrote:

Johnboy wrote:Hi Dan,
There is a very old saying about knowing the difference twixt fluffing and splitting your sit upon which you obviously have not heard.
JB.
Final:

I admit to being completely baffled as to what that means. Not a saying from around these parts that's for sure.

Cant say its one I've heard either...

But its probably true.
This is the problem with having so long with no job, and spending most my time in the garden. The manual labour used to relax me no end, so I'd just go out and dig if I was stressed/upset/annoyed/generally having a bad day. In all honesty, I didnt intend to dig that deep. Since the holes were all linked, I was just digging one day, and suddenly noticed I'd put my coffee down on the ground and it was almost at eye level lol (not quite, but I am only 5'6" so not far off actually...)

I'd been digging for 3 hours solid at that point, so I think I over dug a bit lol