Tomatoes in the ground

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Most of the soil around is silt loam, but it is pretty alkali. I guess it probably isn't terrible, but the yellow dirt is kind of shallow.

I looked on our mapshots program and it is Bridgeport loam.

I may be overstating things. Compared to the dirt out of the valley, this dirt isn't all that good. But most of the dirt in the county is very good dirt. I'm not all that worried about it. Mom has had a garden down here for years, and she makes it work.

Are you thinking the dirt is going to be iron deficient?

without knowing what any of that means i would assume after running hogs on it that long it would be calcium deficient and high in nitrogen.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by MOhillbilly

without knowing what any of that means i would assume after running hogs on it that long it would be calcium deficient and high in nitrogen.

To be fair, we quit running hogs on there in 95, I think, so it should be mellowed out. And the composted manure we put on composted for a year (IIRC), so it isn't hot.

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

To be fair, we quit running hogs on there in 95, I think, so it should be mellowed out. And the composted manure we put on composted for a year (IIRC), so it isn't hot.

Did you put any fertilizer down?

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by MOhillbilly

Did you put any fertilizer down?

We put composted cow manure down.

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

We put composted cow manure down.

id still throw some 3-13 or 3-17 on each plant. Teaspoon each. JMO.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by MOhillbilly

id still throw some 3-13 or 3-17 on each plant. Teaspoon each. JMO.

I'm not familiar with those products. Fill me in?

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I'm not familiar with those products. Fill me in?

commercial grade fertilizer the 13/17 refers to the % amount of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium in the mix. its what damn near everyone uses north to south. If you knew your PH level you could add or detract what was needed to make the soil more or less acidic as needed, between 4-7 is the basic guideline on soil ph.

edit- had a truck. But anyway this will explain ph better than i can. if you dont wanna screw w/ it just sprinkle a teaspoon of 3-13 around each plant and abit less 3-17.
i paid i think 10$ for a 50# bag and spead it over the yard and garden then kept some in reserve for spot fertilization. This is how i learned to do it from dad & grandpa.

http://soil.gsfc.nasa.gov/soil_pH/plant_pH.htm