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| Hello. I would like to ask if anyone has used pure compost in planting tomatoes. I've read somewhere that you should use it only as a soil amendment and that fresh compost will harm the roots. I compost kitchen scraps in plastic bins measuring 16 inches in diameter and about 18 inches in height. Usually they are finished in about 6-8 weeks and there are seedlings that sprout from the bins - tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic. Now I have a couple of tomato plants which I scooped out when they were 5 inches tall. I transplanted them to a container with pure compost. I figured they looked healthy growing in the compost bin so I used pure compost that is about a month old. The tomatoes are now 8 inches tall. Do I need to feed them, and when? Here is a pic. I know they're kinda crowded in there, right? I'm planning to transfer one of them when I have time. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by diemoldau123 none (My Page) on Wed, Aug 27, 14 at 21:18
| This is another shot, under the shade. I add compost as the plants grow. This is based on a video I saw on youtube, Praxxus Method Proof. Thanks in advance for any inputs! |
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- Posted by diemoldau123 none (My Page) on Thu, Aug 28, 14 at 9:11
| "This is based on a video I saw on youtube, Praxxus Method Proof " ..On the video Ray says that if you bury your tomato plants deep they will grow roots along the entire stem. The video did not mention using pure compost, that's just me. |
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| It's not good to use anything in containers except potting mix (with maybe a small amount of compost mixed in). The reason is that drainage in the pot will be compromised because the medium needs something that will hold AIR. If I were you, I would take out one of the seedlings now, and fill up the rest of the pot to the brim with potting mix. Believe me, I have tried both pure aged compost and aged chicken droppings in my containers over the years and it was always a disaster! Linda |
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| Yes, many have tried it based on lots of discussions I have read here over the years. And it doesn't work. It compacts over time and drains poorly leading to root suffocation and root rot. As Linda said, growing in containers requires special techniques and the growing medium used in them is one of those unique requirements. It must not compact and must provide both adequate water retention while still draining effectively. Compost can't do either. I don't agree with "layering" soil types as it creates a water table, a water dam. So mix the components well. Use your good compost as a soil amendment as intended, not as a straight growing medium. Dave |
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| Yeah, main problem with smaller container soil is compaction. With that, the roots won't get enough air. You can remedy this problem by adding lots of coarse perlite and/or pine bark fines. Lots of discussion on the subject in "container Gardening" and I have educated my self there. This year, for he first time, I am growing about 20 peppers and tomatoes in containers (Plastic pots, buckets, fabric bags, home made cedar boxes). They are all doing fine. I have used a version of 5-1-1(pine bark fine , mostly plus some perlite + some peat moss). |
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- Posted by diemoldau123 none (My Page) on Sat, Aug 30, 14 at 0:35
| Thank you thank you for the inputs! "...I would take out one of the seedlings now, and fill up the rest of the pot to the brim with potting mix." Done. Usually I procrastinate but your responses inspired me to help my plants :) "And it doesn't work. It compacts over time and drains poorly leading to root suffocation and root rot." Now I know why my plants die out after a couple of weeks. They start out healthy and then just keel over and die. I take care not to overwater them but whenever I pull out the dead plants, the stems and roots are all macerated. Mystery solved. I am learning a lot in the forums, there are exchanges of experiences, opinions, and practical tips, these I did not get from the gardening books I read. Thank you. |
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- Posted by ramonsalladesignerbe none (My Page) on Sat, Aug 30, 14 at 3:18
| "Yeah, main problem with smaller container soil is compaction" I agree. |
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- Posted by diemoldau123 none (My Page) on Tue, Oct 14, 14 at 20:58
| Hello guys, this is an update on the 2 tomato seedlings. I transplanted them to big clay pots. One has produced fruits and the other one I pulled out a week ago because the leaves gradually started curling inwards and become sort of crunchy, like dried leaves. I dont know what I did wrong, they have identical environments but one made it and one did not. |
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- Posted by PupillaCharites 9a (My Page) on Tue, Oct 14, 14 at 21:19
| Thanks for giving the follow-up, that's the best part of these posts ... to find out what happened. Also congratulations on the tomatoes ;-) The plant with tomatoes looks very stressed also, so it may just have been that it was the stronger of the two and able to pull through, or perhaps one soil was contaminated. The plant's leaves make it look like there is a problem with drought stress, but it looks to be a hardy plant! PC |
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| Leaf rolling/curling is often a sign of stress. Too much water can cause it too. And some varieties are more prone to tubular curling. Last year my Black Krim was like that all season long. This year I have 2 Bush Steaks, one in ground and one in pot. The one in the pot gets leaf rolling. It tells me that the plant gets stressed with too much fluctuation in moisture. And it has been the only one showing BER. The next time I will use a bigger pot. |
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- Posted by diemoldau123 none (My Page) on Tue, Oct 14, 14 at 22:29
| Thanks PC! There are days it suddenly rains and I come home to find soil sticking to the undersides of the leaves. So I used plastic as mulch, is that ok? They're the bags of UCG from Starbucks. I dont know if maybe the plastic heats up the soil ? I think the leaves are also starting to curl. Btw the pot on the left is where the other tomato was. In case the soil is indeed contaminated, can I still use it? I have a tomato plant waiting to be transplanted :) It is about 2 feet tall now. Thanks. |
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- Posted by diemoldau123 none (My Page) on Tue, Oct 14, 14 at 22:43
| Thanks for the input, seysonn. Yes there is a fluctuation in moisture, most days it is so hot then suddenly it rains for hours. Stress can also cause fruits to be small right? These fruits look like they are not going to get any bigger. My plants come from seeds which sprouted from my open compost bins. I'm sure I did not buy any cherry tomatoes so I'm thinking these are malnourished fruits:) |
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- Posted by diemoldau123 none (My Page) on Sat, Nov 1, 14 at 10:05
| Hi guys. Here is an update on my tomato plant. I pulled it today after a wait-and-see period. You were right, the plant was really stressed, I was amazed that it survived enough to sustain the 4 fruits. Anyway, I'm happy (and surprised) with the 4 fruits, that to me is a bountiful harvest :) On Oct. 18 I transplanted a new one on the left pot, it has 1 fruit now! Never say die :) |
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- Posted by ken_adrian MI z5 (My Page) on Sat, Nov 1, 14 at 10:11
| second pot from left ... your media turned into mud... causing water management issues ... i NEVER had luck in clay pots ... especially in sun .. the clay dries.. and actually starts wicking water out of the media... on top of your media going mucky ... never forget.. roots need air.. almost as much as water ... and mucky media doenst allow much air in ... i too would be stressed .. keep experimenting... we never learn anything new.. if someone doesnt try ... ken |
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- Posted by diemoldau123 none (My Page) on Wed, Nov 12, 14 at 7:03
| Thanks Ken. I recently bought 2 coco peat bricks that I want to "experiment" on this tomato plant, it might help solve the drainage and aeration issues. Problem is, I'll probably have to evacuate most of the media and the roots might get injured in the process. (Shaking head)
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| I am not a container farmer, but have transplanted volunteer seedlings over the years. Mostly the results were low fruit yield or small fruit. These volunteer plants were in the garden beside healthy and good producing plants. I have concluded that the reason for poor production from the volunteer plants was that the seedlings were from hybrid tomatoes. |
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