Yes, that would be good. Of course, it would be better to add some compost. Don't forget to feed your tomatoes with liquid seaweed fertilizer and/or liquid fish fertilizer.
Also, when you plant the seedlings in their final pots add a handful of kelp meal to the hole before adding the seedling.
Kelp meal is an organic slow release fertilizer that will give your plants all the micronutrients they need to get started.
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opabinia51
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EAsy with the manure. Needs to compost some itself or it will be hot (chemically burn with ammonia). Put it in the garden now for next season.
NOW you're talking. Add in the seaweed and fish emulsions once and a while, like Opa is talkiing about, and get that compost started (a little manure there will get things cooking fast) adn you are on your way. Can't wait to hear how you do with tomatoes next season, Bobby. I think you're gonna be suprised; I was...
HG
NOW you're talking. Add in the seaweed and fish emulsions once and a while, like Opa is talkiing about, and get that compost started (a little manure there will get things cooking fast) adn you are on your way. Can't wait to hear how you do with tomatoes next season, Bobby. I think you're gonna be suprised; I was...
HG
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BobbyDigital
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It would be a big improvement, just be sure it's "finished"; I.e., composted enough to not be high ammonia/nitrite, as that can burn plants.
Frankly the peat thing is not that great for the garden or the environment. Sure it holds water; unless it dries out and then it EXCLUDES water until you get it rehydrated (hard to do when it's excluding water). It's a destructive mining process and a non-renewable source (Oh, sure it will renew...in a thouand or ten years!) AND it highly acidifies soil; while tomotes like a 6.2 to 6.5 ph fully peat soils like the one you were talking about can regularly get to 4.5, even 4.0!. Tomatoes don't like below 6.0; could be the basis of the problem that started this discussion. Plants can't access nutrition in soil that acidic, so it wouldn't matter HOW much you fed it or with what...
The kind of compost we are talking about addresses everything you are expecting peat to do, with none of the ugly side effects you didn't know about. If you are really liking that type of base for growing, coconut coir (the fiber from the husk) is becoming more available, has the consistency and characteristics of peat, and none of the down sides (it's a waste product, not mined and it's ph neutral). I'd still recommend the compost or manure to get a good biological culture going...
Scott
Frankly the peat thing is not that great for the garden or the environment. Sure it holds water; unless it dries out and then it EXCLUDES water until you get it rehydrated (hard to do when it's excluding water). It's a destructive mining process and a non-renewable source (Oh, sure it will renew...in a thouand or ten years!) AND it highly acidifies soil; while tomotes like a 6.2 to 6.5 ph fully peat soils like the one you were talking about can regularly get to 4.5, even 4.0!. Tomatoes don't like below 6.0; could be the basis of the problem that started this discussion. Plants can't access nutrition in soil that acidic, so it wouldn't matter HOW much you fed it or with what...
The kind of compost we are talking about addresses everything you are expecting peat to do, with none of the ugly side effects you didn't know about. If you are really liking that type of base for growing, coconut coir (the fiber from the husk) is becoming more available, has the consistency and characteristics of peat, and none of the down sides (it's a waste product, not mined and it's ph neutral). I'd still recommend the compost or manure to get a good biological culture going...
Scott
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opabinia51
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Hi Bobby, you don't need to have 10% this, 70% that recipe.
But, seeing that is what you want:
5 Gallons non sterilized soil
2 Gallons manure (I like composted chicken manure or mushroom manure)
2 or 3 handfulls kelp meal
2 gallons compost (you can buy some or ask a neighbour)
That would be a great mix for your tomatoes. You can add perlite to if you wish. Also, instead of using Peat Moss I would recommend getting some mulched cocoa bean husks.
They have nutrients in them and absorb water like peat moss does. Furthermore, with peat; it is very hard to be sure that water has been absorbed by the peat and with cocoa husks; well, throw a block into a five gallon bucket, add water and just watch!
But, seeing that is what you want:
5 Gallons non sterilized soil
2 Gallons manure (I like composted chicken manure or mushroom manure)
2 or 3 handfulls kelp meal
2 gallons compost (you can buy some or ask a neighbour)
That would be a great mix for your tomatoes. You can add perlite to if you wish. Also, instead of using Peat Moss I would recommend getting some mulched cocoa bean husks.
They have nutrients in them and absorb water like peat moss does. Furthermore, with peat; it is very hard to be sure that water has been absorbed by the peat and with cocoa husks; well, throw a block into a five gallon bucket, add water and just watch!