Tomato fertiliser questions

[Sylvan]

Two questions (to start with - I'm sure they'll breed )...

Firstly, My tomato fertiliser spent the winter in the shed. We had sustained temperatures of around -14. When I shake the bottle summat inside rattles . Are there likely to have been any potentially harmful changes?

(I've tried watering a few of my duplicates and separated them to keep an eye on them)

Secondly, I've always known tomato fertiliser to be 4:4:8 (5:5:10... whatever...) but the bottles I was looking at last week in Wilkinsons (both their own brand and the expensive stuff) were 10:5:10. Have they all changed the formulation or is it just those two? Seems like far too much nitrogen to me.

Thirdly, () I know they say you shouldn't feed till the first truss is setting but some of my toms have been in the same 3" pots since 18th Jan. Surely they need summat by now?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Sylvan,

I don't know whether anything could have happened to your feed but personally unless someone else can tell you I woudn't trust it. I would bin it.

Tomorite certainly has not changed its formula I bought some only a couple of weeks ago for use later in the year. I use it on all sorts of stuff so get through a bottle a year.

If your plants have been in the same compost for that length of time I would think they could do with a bit of a perk up. I have today sprayed my toms and peppers with Miracle Grow, high in nitrogen to get the greenery going.

Colin

[Kristen]

the bottles I was looking at last week in Wilkinsons (both their own brand and the expensive stuff) were 10:5:10.

definitely not right for Tomato-fruiting, but may be a misprint, or Irish (or is it EC?) figures which are portrayed differently (but I don't think that effects the "N" figure, so I still think its wrong)

Thirdly, () I know they say you shouldn't feed till the first truss is setting but some of my toms have been in the same 3" pots since 18th Jan. Surely they need summat by now?

Yeah, they need potting-on to a larger pot ... poor things !!!!

[Sylvan]

Yeah, they need potting-on to a larger pot ... poor things !!!!

I don't think the poor bitch would be happy with that. She's already complaining about the lack of floorspace in the room at night (It's where she sleeps).

Thanks. I'll hold off on the fertiliser till I can buy some then (and look somewhere other than Wilkinsons).

[Shadylane]

Get em potted on. They won't grow much otherwise I reckon. Tell the hound to scooch up

[Florence Fennel]

You'll be surprised how much they perk up when you've potted them on Sylvan.

[kingkano]

I thought before the first truss you could feed with regular fertiliser (nitrogen) to help them along. Thats what I always do 1 or 2 feeds before the first truss comes along.

Potting on will certainly help too (I combine the 2).

[MarkS]

its the potash you need to ensure is teh right ratio - the higher the better really. The N:K ratio should be something similar.
The reasons for the lower rates of phosphate are, i am afraid, political AND IF you belive in 'peak phosphate' things will only get worse.

[Sylvan]

its the potash you need to ensure is teh right ratio - the higher the better really. The N:K ratio should be something similar.
The reasons for the lower rates of phosphate are, i am afraid, political AND IF you belive in 'peak phosphate' things will only get worse.

No, it's the potash they've lowered, not the phosphate. That's what's bothering me.
The N:P ratio always used to be 1:1, with the potassium higher, but now they seem to have as much nitrogen as potassium.

I don't often use chemical fertilisers but thought those poor things could do with summat...

[Sylvan]

Get em potted on. They won't grow much otherwise I reckon. Tell the hound to scooch up

She wants to know how much further up we expect her to scooch

I thought before the first truss you could feed with regular fertiliser (nitrogen) to help them along. Thats what I always do 1 or 2 feeds before the first truss comes along.

Potting on will certainly help too (I combine the 2).

I'll send Grumpy to the lottie to cut some comfrey and make them some tea then.

[taff]

I can't see very many of them that need potting on immediately, and don't forget, early sowing doesnt necessarily mean early growing.
It just means unless you have optimum conditions they'll be sitting there waiting for the light to get better before they grow

[Sylvan]

There are 7 in the red tray that's just poking into the bottom of the shot taff. They were sown on 18th Jan and I have too many of those particular ones so I wasn't planning to pot on those last few. They're fairly pot-bound but not top heavy or anything.
I just thought the compost is probably exhausted by now so I maybe ought to feed them?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Sylvan,

Have checked tom feed bought from Wilko's last year NPK reads 4-4-12.

B & Qs own brand bought this year is 4-4-8.

Colin

[Sylvan]

Thanks Colin. I'll go to B&Q then.
Don't know what Wilkies are up to this year! (Could be a misprinted label I suppose...)

[Shadylane]

She wants to know how much further up we expect her to scooch

[ATTACH=CONFIG]23454[/ATTACH]

lol poor doggy, she is a bit cramped bless her.