Tomatoes


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Old 03-24-06, 05:51 PM
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Tomatoes

I had a very bad yr on my tomatoes in 2005! I don't no what I did wrong! This year I have mulched all my leafs and grass and added a 5*10 trailer load of horse manure and tilled very good! I will keep tilling every couple of weeks tell may when its time to plant! (grass and leaves our about 80% decomposed now) Only thing I did not do last yr was the manure! I put lime down! Do you think I put to much?
 
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Old 03-26-06, 03:02 PM
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Tomatoes prefer well-drained, loamy soil with lots of organic matter and nutrients. They prefer a slightly acid soil with pH of 6.2 to 6.8. Manure is best applied in fall and tilled in. Applied in spring manure that has not been composted will leach out salts that may harm plants and provide too high nitrogen level that can burn plants. You can work in 2 to 3 inches of compost, peatmoss, or other forms of organic matter in the top 6 to 9 inches of soil to supply more organic material.

Tomatoes respond well to fertilizer, especially phosphorous. Too much nitrogen fertilizer causes lots of vines and little fruit. Apply 2.5-3 lbs of 5-10-10, 5-20-20, or 8-16-16 per 100 square feet of area for tomatoes and work in two weeks before planting. A sidedressing of nitrogen fertilizer may be necessary after the first flowers have set fruit.

Getting a soil test will tell you what the pH is of your soil and what amendments need to be made. If no soil test has been taken, you can apply 3/4 cup of lime and 1/2 cup of 8-8-8 fertilizer for each plant. Lime reduces imbalance of nutrients, especially calcium and helps control blossom end rot. But, without a soil test it's difficult to guess. Your local Dept. of Agriculture Extension Agent can provide soil test info and recommended tomato cultivars for your area.
 
 

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