| I was wondering what you thought was the best food for tomatoes? I usually use 5-10-5. I have already given them some of that. Is fish emulsion good for them? What home remedies do you have that you can make to keep the worms off the tomatoes? |
| I like to start my tomatoes off by planting them in rich soil. I add lots of organic matter to my garden soil each year, and mulch with an organic mulch which I till under in the fall. I also add compost to the planting hole, and top-dress the soil around the tomatoes with additional compost. In the spring, I water my growing seedlings and new transplants with a dilute liquid fertilizer. I like to start out with a 5-10-5 at about half strength. Once the plants are well established in the garden, I switch to a combination of fish emulsion and kelp. These add micronutrients to the plant and soil, and are gentle to soil microorganisms. You'll find that every gardener has a different method! So whatever works for you is the best! About the worms/caterpillars: You can try covering smaller plants with a floating row cover, to keep pests off the plants. Once the plants are too large for this, hand-picking (yuk!) is about the best way. If you have a big problem with pests, try to identify the exact culprit. Submit another question (via the web site) with a detailed description, and we'll try to help! |
