| |
|
Entry Date
|
Nick Name
|
Location
|
|
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
|
|
Little Ketchup
|
Grittyville, WA
|
 |
Entry 225 of 241 |
 |
|
|
|
When I think about how to be successful, I keep coming to the conclusion that I still do not know very much. My tomato plants... in July they got the leftover foliar spray from whatever I was feeding the bushel gourd. But after that they were kinda on their own. I might have fed a little of this or that maybe once or twice a week. Everything I did was such an afterthought and I certainly didnt record anything I did. At one point I spread fish bone meal? and calcium (lime) under the drip lines. I fed boron a few times. I think 90% of my sincere gardening effort was on the bushel gourds. I guess the real question I need to ask is, why were most of the tomato plants just average, and the two in the grow hut so much better. I think its just balance. The correct amount of light creates the correct amount of root exudates to support the correct amount of soil biology... and the correct amount of organic matter and the correct availability of nutrients (no excessive fertilizer salts but no actual deficiencies).
I think one of the worst things is excess nitrogen. People say to not add too much browns to your soil because you will deplete the nitrogen. Well, that may be true for sawdust or something, but I think brown leaves are perfect. I think they create the perfect low-but-sufficient nitrogen levels. And they add good minerals. Compost, micronutrients, and a little calcium/phosphorus/nitrogen stimulation... just enough to get a nice size flower bud.
Healthy roots... and low salt levels. Sufficient, but low... Except potassium...?
And why were the other plants not in any way exceptional? I got some fat singles from the tomatoes planted in with the carrots. That was about it.
I think the answer is, everything must be perfect. Its not a matter of needing to be a perfectionist, its more an issue of... doing anything "wrong" cuts your results in half.
|
|
|
