A little fertilizer comparison

[MrBote]

Probably has been done here to death but I thought it was interesting being I have actually paid attention to what I have added to my plants this time around. Specifically, tomatoes.

I plant primarily in (large) containers, and use a sterile and common, peat based potting mix, at a ratio of 2:1 peat/perlite. I started out using granular (10-10-10) fertilizer and had great success with it. The next year I used Espoma's "Tomato Tone" and again, had a good crop.

Then as time went on, I started overthinking things and maybe read too many different articles on the subject of tomatoes and started fiddling with things, and trying a bunch of different additives. Then it occurred to me that in order for most of these things to work, they would have to rely on a decently established beneficial microbe presence. Well, that does not easily occur in a 'new' sterile mix. Half the reason it is sterile is because it is somewhat a hostile environment for such things. The positive side of this is that diseases also probably don't like it all that much either. In the South, we need all the help we can get with pests and diseases so that was the logic I was using, at any rate.

I'm not organo-loco by any means. My main aversion is to pesticides more than anything else. I don't mind using chemical fertilizers in a relatively closed system, especially since I typically exhaust the nutrients to where nutrient disposal, or runoff is less of a concern.

With that said, I am somewhat surprised that I have actually been getting a little stronger growth from the Tomato Tone fertilizer, which is based on poultry manure, in this sterile mix. I have read that Espoma includes beneficial bacteria (biotone) in their "tone" line of fertilizers, but I don't typically trust such things as advertised. Perhaps there is something to it afterall. The TT plant is growing slightly faster than the two with the 10-10-10 granular, and the trunk is a bit more stout as well. It also is the first to have blooms.

The round container is the TT and the other two to the right is regular fertilizer.

[rainbowgardener]

I like when people do the side by side comparisons. It does look like the Tomato Tone is giving you noticeably better results.

[Susan W]

I read this with interest. Please check my post under Whatever on working with containers. Today I used plant-tone, as that's what I have on hand, and may stay with that blend for what I'm doing.

[Susan W]

It's under What doesn't fit in elsewhere......

[imafan26]

Definitely looking bigger. Try the experiment again sometime and use the same size and volume of container to eliminate the different containers and volume as being a variable. When I have the same tomato in the same mix but in different size and depth of containers, I do get a size difference. To make sure it is the fertilizer that is really making the difference, you need to make sure there are not other variables that could be the reason for the difference.

[MrBote]

Imafan, I have considered that and you're right, of course. The one constant of all the containers is the soil depth which is right at 14". Volume, the round one is a 20 gal and the rectangles are 18 gal. Just the reservoir capacities are slightly different but at this stage, they are not at a point where they use the water differently, or anything like that and I have not had to hook up the automatic float valves that are installed in the tanks yet. Also, the roots are not yet to the edges of the containers, or past the fertilizer bands.

I am more surprised because of the organic fertilizer working in a sterile mix. Previously, I had used premade potting mix, including miracle gro, which comes with trace amounts of fertilizer already in it. So I was never really sure what microbial activity was already present. Some of the premade mixes use composted, or partly composted peat/wood to start with. These also have more perlite than most premade mixes.

I don't have any photos today, but the plants have all grown quite a bit in the last week and the tomato tone container is still looking noticeably more robust. Now I have planted another 'leggy' tomato plant in a 18 gal tote set up like the other two but with tomato tone, that had way outgrown it's starter cup and am waiting to see what kind of turnaround it has once it finds the nutrient, or see if it plays catch-up.

[MrBote]

One other note. When I removed the remnants of winter cabbage crop, the tone containers had this inch thick layer of what I can only describe as "humus" between where the roots stopped, and the soil began. The chemical pots did not have this layer. The tone container grew cabbages in excess of 8lbs and they were ready two weeks or more sooner. Still, it could be a container issue as they were different, but there was differences in the condition of the mix after the fact. I will see if there is any remnants of what I stripped from the containers before I repotted them for tomatoes.

[MrBote]

It's under What doesn't fit in elsewhere......

Susan, I will look for your topic when I get home. Unless you would like to provide a link to it? I have not been around this forum much.

[MrBote]

An update. The Tomato Tone plant is still outpacing the others, both in height and the amount of fruit. The manmade fertilizer plants certainly are healthy but more towards vegetative.

Here is one of the manmade nutrient tomatoes. Ignore the scrawny plant to the right. It was a leftover that lived in it's solo cup way too long and I decided to see if the Espoma fertilizer will turn it around, which it is as of this posting. I would not be surprised if it doesn't catch the plants with manmade fert.


Here is another growing with the manmade fertilizer. All plants are potato leafed, indeterminates.


Finally, here is the Tomato Tone plant. It is actually loaded with about 15 tomatoes as I post. The plant only suffered two dropped blossoms, while the others with the manmade nutrients have dropped about 5 each. This plant , from my past experiences with tomatoes has the perfect balance of foliage for a heavy producer. Subsequently, the plant will need less pruning which equals less stress, and better fruit.


Also, zero sign of blossom end rot with any of the tomatoes thus far. I do boost the calcium with a Tbsp of calcium nitrate to the reservoir when I see the first flowers start to appear,

Here is the first tomato with the 2nd right behind it and you can see the first two flowers dropped and that's been all so far.

[applestar]

...Unfortunately, image links seem to have broken...


Yesterday, when I went shopping for fertilizer, I drove out a little further to a garden center that changed owners last year from my regular stop source. The place has a huge attached greenhouse that used to be full with mature office plants (I think they used to run a service) in a roped off back portion -- HUGE, Healthy palms and flowering orchids -- almost like a botanical garden -- and seasonal nursery stock in the front, including a nice selection of heirloom tomatoes... But yesterday, right now in the height of spring cool weather planting and pre-warm weather planting season, the greenhouse stood empty and was being used for storage/display of fertilizers and potting mixes.

I went there because last summer, I happened by just after they re-opened for Grand Opening by accident, and I asked them to order Citrus-tone, which NOBODY carries regularly around here. They ended up ordering 8 bags of the smaller size rather than a single bag of the larger size that I asked for because it was "better deal" for them. I bought two when they called, and returned in the fall and bought two more. (It looked like no one else had bought any more at that point, which didn't surprise me.)  So, I figured they would have at least some of that 8-bag deal left over and I might as well buy their remaining stock for them, and I would also pick up the big bag of Tomato-tone since that was the reason I used to go there under previous management -- they were well stocked with the major Espoma products in large sizes because they catered to the local nurseries and landscapers.

Well, it turned out that they only had small bags of Tomato-tone. The new owner said I could just as well use Garden-tone -- "see it has a picture of tomatoes on the front" -- "but you don't have the bigger quantity bags..." "We're getting that next week." "... Just Garden-tone? Not Tomato-tone?" "They are the same thing."

Now, when I walked through the greenhouse, I picked up two small bags out of four Citrus-tone that were prominently displayed, thinking "Ah-ha! I knew they would still have these left." Well, when I went inside to the main Espoma display, which was now just a wall in front of the cash register that used to be the seed packet wall rather than one of the aisles in the warehouse in the back, I noticed they had a whole bunch of Citrus-tone -- at least another 8 bags. So they re-stocked on Citrus-tone, but didn't listen to me when I told them last year that they should stock the big bags of Tomato-tone which is highly regarded by tomato growing hobbyists.

I ended up up leaving with just the Citrus-tone, and headed to the Ace hardware where I think I've mentioned they hide the Espoma which cost about 1/2 of Dr. Earth for similar quantity bags. I walked by the Dr. Earth display, still right there by the cash registers, and discovered to my dismay that THEY don't have Big bags of Tomato-tone either. But they did have big bags of Garden-tone for $18 in glossy new bags. All-Purpose 4-4-4 Dr. E (in faded dusty bags -- obviously last year's stock) was $28, but comparing the labels, Espoma directions say to use 9 cups per 50 sq.ft. And Dr. E say 6 cups. Hmmm. I also noted that Tomato-tone has way more calcium in it for one thing.

(Oh! I realized I'd forgotten about the possibie Flower-tone alternative. But, just looking at the Citrus-tone label, there are a bunch of micro-nute differences between the different -tone products so you can't just go by the NPK... )

I started looking around -- some interesting reads but I'm pretty much lost. I'll probably just use Garden-tone and dolomitic lime, and add some alfalfa pellets, then supplement with AACT and fiddle with the tea ingredients for extra nutes.

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https://ucnfanews.ucanr.edu/Articles/Reg ... rtilizers/

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https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/upload ... rition.pdf

[ButterflyLady29]

I'm happy to read this thread. I garden in containers quite a bit and have been contemplating using some of those -Tone fertilizers. I bought a couple different bags last fall but just haven't used them yet. I've had some issues with using just the rabbit manure mixed with potting soil. That mix provides too much nitrogen and although the growth is wonderful I don't get as many flowers as I would like to see. A 10 gallon pot with one dahlia bulb should produce more than 1 flower.