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General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.

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Old June 15, 2013   #1
Jaysan
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Default Regular or slow release in your SWC?

I saw on the earthbox forum instructions that they say to NOT use slow release fertilizer in the strip if using non-organic products.

Do you SWC growers go by that rule or not?

I want to make sure I am getting the best I can out of my SWC garden as this is my first year with them.
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Old June 15, 2013   #2
Sun City Linda
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You could use slow release or coated fert if you wanted too. It works but is very expensive compared to regular granular. I have been growing in Earthboxes for four years I use regular granular fertilizer. I supplement with a teaspoon of Calcium Nitrate down the water tube once a week. Occasionally I will supplement with additional ferts (liquid) but I have a very long growing season.
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Old June 15, 2013   #3
ginger2778
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Originally Posted by Sun City Linda View Post
You could use slow release or coated fert if you wanted too. It works but is very expensive compared to regular granular. I have been growing in Earthboxes for four years I use regular granular fertilizer. I supplement with a teaspoon of Calcium Nitrate down the water tube once a week. Occasionally I will supplement with additional ferts (liquid) but I have a very long growing season.
Linda, what liquid fert do you use? As you know I am also an earthbox grower, and use the "snack" too, but haven't gotten a liquid fert yet. I also have a long growing season and I think I need it too.
Thanks for the help,
Marsha
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Old June 15, 2013   #4
Jaysan
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I believe I saw where a fellow member was having good results with Lilly Miller 10 10 10 and I am trying it.

I have not used the snack but I do have some on hand.
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Old June 16, 2013   #5
Sun City Linda
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Ginger - I keep some of the Bonnie Soy based liquid around (All the big box stores carry it here) and use it sometimes if I need a boost to get things going. Later in the season when I have a lot of fruit set, sometimes I use a water soluble "ripening blend" (no N, high P and K) I ordered last year from Kelp4Less. Last year I used some seaweed product also. I think I will not need to use as many additional supplements this year as I have switched to a 10-10-10 fert.

Jason I am using Lilly Miller 10-10-10 this year also. So far so good. I start using the snack (Calcium Nitrate) right after plant out as an aid to help prevent BER.
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Old June 16, 2013   #6
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Sun City Linda - What was your experience ordering from Kelp4Less? I just heard about this place but they don't have a BBB report. I was thinking of ordering some Azomite and Calcium Nitrate.
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Old June 16, 2013   #7
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Sun City Linda - What was your experience ordering from Kelp4Less? I just heard about this place but they don't have a BBB report. I was thinking of ordering some Azomite and Calcium Nitrate.
I am not Linda, but my experience with them was very good service with fast shipping.

Linda, thank you for suggesting the no nitrogen blend, I have to get some! I am very familiar with Kelp4Less since I bought their calcium nitrate.

Marsha
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Old June 16, 2013   #8
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Originally Posted by Jaysan View Post
I believe I saw where a fellow member was having good results with Lilly Miller 10 10 10 and I am trying it.

I have not used the snack but I do have some on hand.
I use Lilly Miller in mine and I had some organic I tried this year, the Lilly Miller is far better. The tomatoes with the organic are not doing well and I will be pulling them shortly.
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Old June 16, 2013   #9
mdvpc
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I have done two things this year-the first was using tomato tone in the container as per the recommendations, supplemented with about every 2 weeks a soil drench with either GH FloraNova Grow, 1 tablespoon per gallon, or Texas Tomato Food, about 1/6 gallon per swc (this is in San Antonio). The second is in El Paso, and I am using only the liquid soil drench regimen. Both are working very good.
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Old June 16, 2013   #10
Sun City Linda
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I have had good experiences with Kelp4Less. One of the posters on the Earthbox forum recommends them often. Unfortunately the owner (I guess) joined here and was a first post SPAM! And, we all know what happens to spammers here!
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Old June 21, 2013   #11
Balr14
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I have 18 earth boxes and have been using them for 4 - 5 years. I use Alaska organic tomato and vegetable pellets on top of the soil and add MiracleGrow liquid through the feeding tubes every 2 weeks. I've get great results for Wisconsin's growing season. My neighbor has a regular in-ground garden, which is bigger than the area my containers cover. I easily out-produce her, by 4 or 5 times the plant size and yield. Here's a picture from last July and so far this June (it's been cold).
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Old June 22, 2013   #12
Jaysan
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That's quite an earthbox garden you have there!

The Lilly Miller 10 10 10 is doing well for me also. I started late with CN in the tube but the BER is still staying away.

One note, I have 4 sweet success cukes in one 18 gallon swc and they sure can drink some water when it is sunny. Probably close to 2 gallons a day. All my plants look healthier in SWC's also.
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Old June 23, 2013   #13
SharonRossy
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Does anyone here use a foliar fertilizer? I put in slow release fert when I planted, and then have been fertilizing weekly with MG. just wondered about any type of foliar feeding. My container plants do incredibly well too, as we don't have a long season in Montreal.
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Old June 23, 2013   #14
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Sharon

I have used our members Texas Tomato Food as a foliar. Works great.
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Old June 28, 2013   #15
luigiwu
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Linda, with the Lilly Miller 10-10-10, and the Calcium Nitrate snack when the plant starts fruiting, do you do anything else? These are notes for me for next year.

I am new to gardening and used Garden-Tone as the fertilizer ring for my tomats this year. I'm reading though, that the Garden-Tone is a really weak fertilizer. Now that there is some fruit setting, I need to supplement with something, right? What would you recommend?
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