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Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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Posted by
joeworm FL (
My Page) on
Tue, Jun 28, 11 at 20:47
| Does anyone have a recipe?
Thanks |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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A good healthy soil with a pH in the 6.2 to 6.8 range and balanced nutrients. A soil well endowed with organic matter that is evenly moist but drains well.
Since the only good way to know if the soil pH is in the proper range and if the nutrients are balanced is with a good, reliable soil test contact your local office of your University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service and inquire about having a soil test done. That and these simple soil tests can help you get your soil there.
1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains� too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. |
RE: Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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| I'm looking for a fertilizer recipe also. My soil is great. I want fertilizer. |
RE: Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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| If your soil is great you do not need "fertilizer". If you need "fertilizer" your soilk cannot be great. |
RE: Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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| I'm not using my soil because I'm concerned that it has toxins and other crap in it. Previous owners used the property as a dump so I am forced to use raised beds for a garden. Need ideas on what to use to fill my beds with and a fertilizer also. |
RE: Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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| Have a look at this book. |
Here is a link that might be useful: COF
RE: Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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| Ahh, if the original post had clearly stated that you were growing tomatoes in containers the answers would have been different. I have for years grown tomatoes in containers using my compost as the growing medium.Some people say that cannot be done and then describe various potting mixes that are all organic matter, as is compost, with no thought to the plants nutrient needs. There are recipes out there, one I have linked from Cornell uses compost, peat moss and perlite, but I've not found that type of recipe necessary. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Potting soil
RE: Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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| The COF book link is interesting reading and looks like a good organic fertilizer but again it may be too expensive for me at this time. Forgot the obvious!! Growing in raised beds.
I've looked at the Cornell site but I find it too expensive to build a planting medium with peat, perlite/vermiculite etc.
What I have that I can get inexpensively or free is yard waste compost, horse manure with sand, pine bark fines and cow manure.
What can I make with these??? Thanks |
RE: Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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| That mix will likely be deficient in Mg and Ca, so some clay, limestone, wood ash and/or epsom salts could go a long way to rounding out that nutrient combo. In a raised bed, that's got to be a fast draining mix, so a calcium-containing clay like bentonite could help form better soil structure too. But those are all pre-seedling soil amendments, not soluble solutions (except the epsom salts). |
RE: Homemade organic fertilizer for tomatoes
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