nopeda
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Tomato-tone broth?

Is it good to mix Tomato-tone to a broth before applying it to plants in containers? I mixed a little bit today to see what it looks like, and it seems to mix up pretty well. What few solid chunks stayed in the cup would probably never make it down to the roots anyway.

gardenboy
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I use the Tomato-tone 3.4.6 ratio. What ratio do u have? The old formula was little better. I use it every 2 weeks around my tomato plants. I don't make a tea from it but just use 3 tablespoons around each plant and top off with more compost dirt. Never tried it as tea or broth. I have used worm casting for tea. I would think the Tomato-tone would be to thick. It dissolves in the ground pretty fast. I also use fish emulsion once a week.

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applestar
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I might be wrong, but it seems to me that you'd want to retain some of the slow-release property of Tomato-tone and NOT dissolve the dissolvables. With the amount of watering needed for container plants, fertilizers tend to get washed out pretty quickly.

( I heard about the old/new formulation too) I like them and I think they work really well, but Animals sometimes take strong interest in Espoma -tone products, so be sure to scratch into the surface of the soil and put some mulch (or compost as mentioned) on top

Some people use weak dissolved tomato tone "tea" for when growing seedlings after they get true leaves.

btrowe1
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applestar wrote:I might be wrong, but it seems to me that you'd want to retain some of the slow-release property of Tomato-tone and NOT dissolve the dissolvables. With the amount of watering needed for container plants, fertilizers tend to get washed out pretty quickly.

( I heard about the old/new formulation too) I like them and I think they work really well, but Animals sometimes take strong interest in Espoma -tone products, so be sure to scratch into the surface of the soil and put some mulch (or compost as mentioned) on top

Some people use weak dissolved tomato tone "tea" for when growing seedlings after they get true leaves.
Ah ha this could explain my squirrels!!!!

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rainbowgardener
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Ah ha this could explain my squirrels!!!!
Maybe, but if you have trees squirrels don't need much explaining. I don't use fertilizer products, but I still have plenty of squirrels. I have a big old black walnut tree that feeds them all winter.

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Garf
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I left an unopened bag of Tomato Tone in my back yard and something bit thru the bag.

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gixxerific
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I will do that wiht potted plants more so than garden plants. I actually did it today to my dwarfs in the basement. I don't use very much just a few pinches in a gallon of water.

nopeda
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applestar wrote:I might be wrong, but it seems to me that you'd want to retain some of the slow-release property of Tomato-tone and NOT dissolve the dissolvables. With the amount of watering needed for container plants, fertilizers tend to get washed out pretty quickly.
But it has to get disolved in water before it can get down to the roots. I water twice a week, and rain rarely happens enough to have much influence imo. I doubt they could survive on just rain water. That being the case, it seems that if you apply the broth every four waterings it would be a good way to make sure it all sinks down into the dirt.
Last edited by nopeda on Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

nopeda
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gixxerific wrote:I will do that wiht potted plants more so than garden plants. I actually did it today to my dwarfs in the basement. I don't use very much just a few pinches in a gallon of water.
I was thinking of doing it the other way, making a thick brothy mix using the amount suggested for the diameter container they're in.

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applestar
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I don't have mine nearby -- does the instructions then suggest you give the amount for the container diameter every two weeks?

nopeda
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applestar wrote:I don't have mine nearby -- does the instructions then suggest you give the amount for the container diameter every two weeks?
Yes, it says:

"Sprinkle 1.5 tsp. of Tomato-tone for every 4 inches of pot diameter into the soil along the outer edge of the pot. Wather thoroughly.

It also says to apply 14 days after planting and then twice each month. Since we can't really count on rain it seemed that making the broth would be a way of more evenly distributing the nutrients down into the soil. With the recommended thorough watering after feeding some of it would disolve and get down part way, but some would not and would stay on top. The if it didn't rain hard enough for a couple of weeks it would never disolve as well and it might get doubled up on after the next feeding. Or/and it could rain a lot for a day or two and that might wash it all out, or most of it. So because of those possibilities it seems that it would be good to make sure it gets disolved and distributed evenly so at least it gets a good first feeding...but maybe that's the wrong way of looking at it.

gardenboy
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What Tomato-tone do you folks have? I use to find the old version ratio 4.7.10. now the New one is 3.4.6 I find that using the Tomato-tone every 2 weeks around the tomato plant does a good deal. If u want broth..use fish emulsion or worm casting ( worm poo) mixed in 5 gallon bucket and let it steep for 24 hours and then use for broth..great stuff. I use the Tomato-tone according to directions on package. Our Walmart has tomato-tone in 8lb bags.



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