Topic: Tomato and spud questions

[Moggle]

These are probably quite stupid questions, but how tall a stake should I put in with a cordon tomato?
Also, my spuds in containers, what should I feed them, I have miracle grow and tomato feed now.

Thanks

[gilgamesh]

If you plan to stop your cordons at the end of July / 7th truss, I'd plan for 6' stakes, earlier or fewer, you'll get away with a sorter one.

Don't feed spuds on tomato food - that's to promote flower / fruit production, about the last thing you want for spuds. They are fairly gross feeders, but I'm not au fait with spuds in pots (rather the pots I use are half-filled with compost from rabbit & hen droppings with straw, and half with growbag medium)

[Moggle]

Thanks gilgamesh.  :)
Ok, 6' stakes, no problemo.
Could someone tell me what the main component(s) of manure like that as far as NPK or whatever else is in it that feeds the spuds then?

[aquilegia]

I've been mixing chicken manure pellets in with my compost for the spuds (also in containers). Will that work?

I know they like manure... I now have a load of well rotted horse manure. Is it ok to earth up with a mixture of manure and compost? Or will that scorch the growth?

[Multiveg]

I think you are ok as long as the manure is well rotted...

[gilgamesh]

You won't get scorching from well-rotted manure. It's as much a soil conditioner as a fertilizer, and its compositon varies widely. Chicken manure is high P and high K, not as high N, so any of the "miracle gro" or "leafmaker" type feeds, used when watering, will probably balance it up nicely for your spuds. Don't really like them on toms so much, they tend to promote green growth, you need higher P & K with lower N for them (that's why tomato fertiliser is often recommended for your flowering plants).

[tim]

Question - what do spuds like? I'm not too sure about low K - our 'specific' spud fert is N7:P12:K14. But there are years when we put nothing on. It's not that critical. = Tim

[Moggle]

The miracle grow I am using is 15-30-15, so I think that's what I'll stick with unless someone tells me that it is really wrong for spuds. I figure they need something, considering that there's just whatever is in the potting compost.
Am I doing the right thing by giving the same stuff to my toms until they start flowering, then go on to tomato food?
Many Thanks
Moggle

[tim]

Spuds? Who knows?? Not many practical folk will have tried all combinations. All one can say is that 15;30;15 is out of kilter with tradition. But it's not going to kill them??

Toms? - tom food from the time the first truss is in flower? (From the first fruit in the g'house). And nothing till then, apart from what's in the compost. = Tim