This is what I have been growing my tomatoes in. My dirt is just dirt that I bought at Home Depot. I have used this dirt for a few years but I just can’t seem to get the dirt really healthy. Last year I put in Cal-Mag,
bone meal, worm casings. I used miracle grow with watering all season long. Just wondering what I should start putting in the soil right now before I plant my tomatoes to make sure that my soil is really good. Thanks!!!
by LopsidedAlbatross703
6 Comments
I would get a second bucket and use them in alternate years – in other words, do not plant in the same bucket for two years straight. Let the emptied bucket disinfect in the sun in its off year.
This practice should help to keep spider mites from flourishing.
The absolutely, positively MOST beneficial thing you can do for your tomatoes?
Water consistently.
That’s it. Water consistently. Water when needed…not on a schedule. Don’t under-water…don’t over-water. Or under-water then over-water. Because inconsistent watering causes nutrient deficiencies and can make them more susceptible to pests and diseases. Your plant can’t absorb and utilize nutrients efficiently causing distress.
Use a balanced fertilizer every 2 weeks like a 10-10-10 or 20-20-20. Once the flowering phase starts…switch to a fruit and bloom type fertilizer like a 10-30-20 or 10-20-30.
Plenty of direct sunlight. Good drainage.
But the most common problems with tomatoes in the garden subs come down to inconsistent watering. ICW causes Blossom End Rot. Because your plant can’t absorb the calcium that is already in the soil. Pests attack plants that are stressed out more than vital, healthy plants. Just like people. When we get rundown, stressed, dehydrated…we get sick.
Buy new rich soil not at Home Depot if that is an option for you.
This is the secret to consistent watering is 5 gal wicking buckets. Get the black or white buckets – orange and blue disintegrate into shards season 3. White are cheap or free from delis.
5 gal is too small for some varieties. Black Sea Man is a great heirloom for 5 gal.
https://youtu.be/oSl8s4hyVZY
What are you seeing as indicators that the soil isn’t healthy?
The orange buckets aren’t food-safe—can leach bad stuff into your dirt. They have white food safe ones (still in the paint aisle 🤷🏻♀️), which are safer and hold up better. A little more expensive but not terrible.
Keep in mind, for a container this size, you ideally want either potting soil (not raised bed or garden soil) or to amend those other things by screening out big chunks of bark and adding both compost for extra organic matter and some way to increase drainage (perlite or pumice usually).
Also if you are fertilizing with miracle gro literally every time you are watering, which I would imagine might be as much as daily in the summer for containers, that might be overkill? Better for building good soil typically to use slow release organic fertilizers (tho liquid can be key if it seems like they need something ASAP), and one optimized for your intended crop.
That mix will give you high nitrogen, high phosphorus, and plenty of calcium, but you’re missing potassium. Potassium is very important for flower development and fruit ripening.
Kelp meal can be a pretty good potassium source, but it has high arsenic, so only use it if you’re not worried about accumulation in the soil underneath your pots.
Langbeinite is another option. Or just potassium sulfate.