Finally getting some tomato plants tucked into their pots yesterday made me all dreamy and excited. I LOVE fresh, sweet, sun-ripened tomatoes. . .just about any way they can be used.
I have room for ten plants this year. . .two in hanging baskets and the rest in containers. Four are various cherry/small varieties (regular, purplish black, pear, and yellow) and the rest are a mix of hybrids and heirlooms. I can almost taste them now. . .tossed with some good olive oil, sea salt and fresh basil from my herb garden! YUM!
I’m hoping that I’ll have enough to can this fall, too, so I’m planning on feeding them like kings from the get-go to try to increase production. But with so many plants this year to address, and my Practical Pioneer side itchin’ a bit, I suddenly thought that I’d like to see if there were any home made tomato feed/fertilizers that could help things along a bit. Enter Google!
Some of the following I already knew (and used) but some were new to me! Can’t wait to see how they work! Well, some of them, anyway! (There’s one, in particular, I think I’ll probably pass on. Wonder if you can guess which one?)
Coffee
Ingredients:
- Coffee Grounds or
- Black Coffee
Method:
- Either sprinkle coffee grounds around the base of tomato plants as it grows (only 2-3 times) but not after beginning to fruit)
OR - Dilute black coffee (no cream!) and use to water plants every few weeks during the season
Urine
Ingredients:
- Urine
Method:
- Um, if you can stand this one, just use urine from non-sick family members to water your plants on occasion
- Theoretically it’s great for the plants and doesn’t, um, affect the taste at all
- (I’ll let other people tell me how this one works!! Gross!!)
Molasses
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Hot Water, plus almost a Bucketful of Cool Water
- 1 Tablespoon of Molasses
Method:
- Mix Molasses and 2 Cups HOT water
- Mix until thoroughly combined
- Add to bucket
- Fill the rest of the bucket with cool water
- Use to water your tomato plants
Compost Tea
Ingredients:
- Bucket
- Water
- Handful of Organic Material (either compost or animal fertilizer)
Method:
- Fill bucket with water
- Add a handful of organic material
- Stir ( a stick works well )
- Leave in the sun for a few days to steep
- Carefully water the base of your tomato plants (avoiding leaves)
Fish Tea
Ingredients:
- Bucket
- Water
- Fish (six inches, or so)
Method:
- Fill bucket with water
- Add your fish
- Leave in the sun for a few days to steep
- Use to carefully water the base of your tomato plants (avoiding leaves)
Fish Tank Water
Ingredients:
- Fish Tank Water! (shocking, huh?)
Method:
- Save your water when you clean your fish tank
- Carefully pour around base of tomato plants (there’s cold in that there poop!)
Epsom Salts
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons Epsom Salts
Method:
- Sprinkle two tablespoons Epsom Salts around the base of your tomato plants once or twice a season
- Water as normal
Formal Mix
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Bone Meal
- 1 Cup Fish Meal
- 1 Cup Wood Ashes
- 6 Eggshells, Toasted in the Oven, then Crushed
- 1 Teaspoon Epsom Salts
Method:
- Mix ingredients together in tightly lidded, labeled container
- When you want to fertilize, add a couple tablespoons to the base of your plants
- Water well
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