Earthbox question......Lime question..epsom salt question

hornstrider · February 8, 2009

I started a few tomato seedlings a bit early this year, and I am wanting to plant a few in my greenhouse in an earth box (early start).......In the past I have had problems w/ BER in my EB's......(never in my in-ground maters)...I prepared an EB today, and it is ready for planting, and I have a question......I am using Ferti-loam potting mix....it has no fertilizer added, but I read the ingredients, and it states it contains dolamite lime, but does not give me a percentage.....it just states that dolamite is in the potting mix......should I add garden lime anyway since I don't know how much is in the package.......Also when I plant my in-ground maters I always add 2 tbs of epsom salts, a tbsp of bone meal, and a tbsp of fert in the hole.....Can I do the same for my EB's........at least the epsom salts, and bone meal......any help would be appriciated.

mvan · February 8, 2009

Just for info, I have a bag of Hi-Yield Brand Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salts) that specifically says on the label:

"This product is not intended for nor recommended for container grown plants."

Matt

dice · February 8, 2009

Did you also use Ferti-loam the years when you had BER in
the Earthboxes? If so, however much dolomite there was plus
a Tbsp of bone meal was not enough calcium.

You could add a cup of gypsum to raise the calcium (and sulfur)
without changing the pH of the Ferti-loam significantly. Or
maybe 1/2 gypsum, 1/2 lime. (It sounds like Ferti-loam is already
pH-adjusted, and you don't want to raise it too much more
by adding a lot of lime.)

hornstrider · February 9, 2009

Thanks..Matt.........I bought my epsom salts at Walgreen's.....says it's great for sore feet.........I assume epsom salt is epsom salt whether you buy it at Walgreen's or from a nursery..........but I won't be putting it in my EB thanks to your advice...

Dice....In the past years I have used potting mix from the EB folks, also the dolamite, and fert........This year I was gonna' try something different.....I have not thought about gypsum.........maybe 1/2 gypsum, and 1/2 lime might be a good idea.....Thanks for your imput!!....anybody else have an opinion??

creister · February 9, 2009

Is the lime added due to the low pH of the peat moss? I only ask, because this year, I am using coir fiber instead of peat. I wonder if I need to add any lime to my HEB's this year, as pH of coir is about 5.5 to 6.5.

February 8, 2009	#1
hornstrider Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hutto, Texas Posts: 230	Earthbox question......Lime question..epsom salt question I started a few tomato seedlings a bit early this year, and I am wanting to plant a few in my greenhouse in an earth box (early start).......In the past I have had problems w/ BER in my EB's......(never in my in-ground maters)...I prepared an EB today, and it is ready for planting, and I have a question......I am using Ferti-loam potting mix....it has no fertilizer added, but I read the ingredients, and it states it contains dolamite lime, but does not give me a percentage.....it just states that dolamite is in the potting mix......should I add garden lime anyway since I don't know how much is in the package.......Also when I plant my in-ground maters I always add 2 tbs of epsom salts, a tbsp of bone meal, and a tbsp of fert in the hole.....Can I do the same for my EB's........at least the epsom salts, and bone meal......any help would be appriciated.

February 8, 2009	#3
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Did you also use Ferti-loam the years when you had BER in the Earthboxes? If so, however much dolomite there was plus a Tbsp of bone meal was not enough calcium. You could add a cup of gypsum to raise the calcium (and sulfur) without changing the pH of the Ferti-loam significantly. Or maybe 1/2 gypsum, 1/2 lime. (It sounds like Ferti-loam is already pH-adjusted, and you don't want to raise it too much more by adding a lot of lime.) __________________ -- alias

February 8, 2009	#2
mvan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fairburn, GA z7 Posts: 72	Just for info, I have a bag of Hi-Yield Brand Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salts) that specifically says on the label: "This product is not intended for nor recommended for container grown plants." Matt

February 9, 2009	#4
hornstrider Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hutto, Texas Posts: 230	Thanks..Matt.........I bought my epsom salts at Walgreen's.....says it's great for sore feet.........I assume epsom salt is epsom salt whether you buy it at Walgreen's or from a nursery..........but I won't be putting it in my EB thanks to your advice... Dice....In the past years I have used potting mix from the EB folks, also the dolamite, and fert........This year I was gonna' try something different.....I have not thought about gypsum.........maybe 1/2 gypsum, and 1/2 lime might be a good idea.....Thanks for your imput!!....anybody else have an opinion??

February 9, 2009	#5
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Is the lime added due to the low pH of the peat moss? I only ask, because this year, I am using coir fiber instead of peat. I wonder if I need to add any lime to my HEB's this year, as pH of coir is about 5.5 to 6.5.