I add cottonseed meal and alfalfa pellets along with some homemade compost and chicken manure when preparing my soil. I then use Texas Tomato Food as a supplement every 7 to 10 days and adjust the amount according to how my plants are doing. This year for the first time I am adding peat and pine bark fines to my soil as it has gotten too sandy and needs more structure. I am afraid to add any more cow or horse manure since my P levels are too high. My K levels were too low a few years ago and I added a good bit of greensand and it helped both production and taste of my tomatoes.
Heading to Lowes to pick up some more peat and pine bark fines for my three smaller beds which have become particularly sandy. Last year keeping them watered was a chore and I'm hoping the addition of those two things will help maintain better moisture levels. I will add a little extra nitrogen when I till them in along with my usual amendments; but I am out of compost so none of that this summer for those three beds so I guess I'll add even more peat.
I know that adding too much peat and pine bark fines might lower my ph which I hope it will since my beds are too alkaline. I will check the ph a few weeks from now and see if it made any difference.
Bill
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