Feeding Tomatoes Trial

[Dorthe]

Has anyone ever tried testing whether feeding tomatoes are of any benefit?

I would be prepared to do such a trial, but I don't know what feeder to use..

I have 12 "Gardener's Delight" tomatoes, which have just been potted into 3 inch pots (they are about 5-8 cm tall).
They were sown in early February and been in a unheated propagator on the window sill, where they are currently resting after being potted.
In a week, they'll be hardened off, then placed in outdoor plastic mini greenhouse for the summer. They'll have to stay in their pots all along (maybe a bigger pot later..)

I would feed the 6 of them and leave the other 6 for controls.

Any suggestions for feeders? Preferable Organic.. Any other hints are also appreciated.

[Dorthe]

[simon404]

I've tried not feeding tomotoes but they didn't fruit as well as when I have. I use Levington Tomorite.  ;)

[cleo]

I use a feed based on seaweed indoors,and comfrey liquid outdoors-I have used comfrey indoors but it stinks(smelly)

Stephan

[tim]

But have you tried not feeding them, Stephan?? I would just love to know that it worked!

[philcooper]

I don't think not feeding is a good idea, the results will be a very small croip.

The best organic feed (and is free) is comfrey liquid but can (if not produced carefully) smell a bit (well quite a lot really  :D)

Good organic feeds to buy are seaweed based eg SM3 from Organic Catalogue http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=SM3&search_in_description=0&x=12&y=6 (a long url but it takes you straight there!)

It's also good as a foliar feed on many plants, including spuds

Phil

[Multiveg]

Got some sm3 liquid and ground stuff.

Smelling comfrey - well, I think some of the perfumes in the shops smell just as bad!

[Derek]

I read about Comfrey solution smelling bad but they didn't say 'how' bad....if there was a monitoring scale for smell Comfrey 'tea' would be at the top end

Good stuff though

Derek

[Doris_Pinks]

Worse than steeped nettles??

[Derek]

I am currently nursing a bed of nettles so when I have sufficient I will compare the two...

I will make sure I have sufficient oxygen at hand though. ;D

Derek

[philcooper]

Comfrey liquid is not strong smelling if made without water, just leaves and a weight such as brick to squash them down a bit.

If done in a closed container, there is no smell at all, until you take out the liquid, then it's not too bad.

Phil

[Paul Dee]

Are you going to leave them in 3inch pots?

I'm not sure you'd get much of a result unless you put them in pots at least 3x that size....

[Dorthe]

Currently they are in a 3 inch pot, but as they grow bigger I will of course repot them in bigger pots.

I am just starting to worry that I wont have enough room for them, as I've only just discovered that they are large cordon type ones..

Maybe they will have to go out in the allotment after all :-(

[derbex]

I use the stuff out of the bottom of the wormery -they seem happy.

Jeremy

[aquilegia]

I wouldn't trust a plastic greenhouse to be warm enough overnight for at least a month or two.

Mine is down to 3C overnight and I've got a pretty warm garden in London. Also they definitely do not protect against frost and we haven't seen the last of those yet.