Thursday, March 26, 2009

The BEST fertilizer for tomatoes





The best fertilizer for your tomatoes is a fresh caught trout. If it is full of eggs like this one even better. We catch small trout from the local ponds and use them to help the tomatoes and other veggies get their nourishment. Just dig a deep hole and drop in the fish. A couple of sharp whacks of the spade and we have bite sized pieces which break apart faster.

Those seedlings have all grown up and were first put under the grow light for 18 hours a day. Then they were put outside to harden off for a week. They are now ready to plant in the garden.The only fertilizer we will use is the trout in the ground and a spraying of kelp and worm magic. Both are used to keep bugs and diseases at bay.

That purple smudge tomato is a slow grower. Hope it has enough vigor to make a few fruits. It is too small to plant. The night time temperatures are staying above 50. That is my magic number when it comes to planting tomatoes. When the night time temps get closer to 60, I will put in the other warm season veggies, like peppers which are growing along side the purple smudge. As for squash and cucumbers and melons, I direct sow into the ground when the soil gets above 65.

The weeds are all pulled and the ground is ready to be dug. No tilling for me . I tilled the soil last year and unearthed so may weed and morning glory seeds,( another weed with pretty flowers),that I only dig in the places I intend to plant.

Finally the weather has turned and gardening has begun.

Frene says "grow on," Michael says"grow up".

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's my magic number too---50 degrees. I bought some healthy looking Better Boys this week at my garden center. They are under lights till it warms up outside. Your seedlings look awesome.

Anonymous said...

The best way to support your tomato plants is with The Tomato Stake.

Easier to use than metal tomato cages, stronger than bamboo, and won't rot or splinter like wood stakes.

DS said...

Trout??? I'll have to try that out..Nice page