I know a lot of people like to push organic marketing, however, I've used pre-emerge herbicides for years. Discouraging the use of herbicides around the garden is far from "pushing organic gardening". The two issues aren't even related. Herbicides have their role in landscaping, commercial agriculture, and horticulture, no doubt, but the issue with using them around the vegetable garden is the damage to the plants you WANT to grow, not the herbicides themselves. Every year both the tomato and pepper forums are inundated "what is wrong with my plant" posts with pics of plants damaged by herbicide use. And no it is not just from spraying. Herbicide damage can also result from using mulch that has been exposed to it. Dave

Here's the question: In your opinion..do I really need to fertilize these plants in these conditions? Or would it be sufficient to feel the tomatoes (which I realize are heavy feeders) with a solution of compost or manure tea? I see so many points of information here and elsewhere that I admit I'm thoroughly confused. I realize the question I am quoting is from March 2006 and the thread has long since diverged into another (interesting) discussion, but I think the question posed is well worth spending a bit of time on. The question, as I read it is this: Do I need to fertilize (name the plant here) if I grow it in (fill in the growing medium here). The answer is, the plant will tell you. Unfortunately the plant won't tell you in a timely manner. It will tell you only after you notice the effects of the plant getting too much or too little of something. There really is no shortcut to experience and don't be in any rush to have perfect growing results from day one. There is always the farmer's market or grocery when the garden plants fail ;-) It simply takes time to learn what conditions a given plant does best in and all the guides in the world are, at best, approximations and often they are simply inaccurate or only accurate in the writer's growing conditions. As an example, srburk said in his OP that he realizes tomatos are heavy feeders. Now, where did s/he get that idea from? No criticism of srburk intended at all, it is a common misperception propagated by many sources. Tomatos are not heavy feeders, they are moderate feeders. This is an example of the kind of misinformation involved in gardening that is spread by many otherwise helpful and knowlegable sources. How on earth can the newbie seperate the wheat from the chaff? It can't really be done. Nothing short cuts experience with a plant. Whether or not a plant requires supplemental fertilization or not can really only be determined by the grower after observing the plant. If you know you are growing in a nutrient poor condition (like growing in containers) then you can pretty much be assured that supplementation will be required, but when growing in soil amended with organic matter, the plants simply have to be observed. There is no short cut.

Hi hareball - part of your confusion might come from the different requirements for container growing vs. in-ground growing. Containers do best with a soil-less mix. You can either buy pre-mixed bags of it sold under many different brand names (Miracle Grow, ProMix, Metro Mix, Scotts, Expert gardener, etc.) or you can mix your own. The reason for this is that for plants to do well in a container the mix has to drain well, allow sufficient air/oxygen for the roots to develop, and not compact. Dirt, in its various forms doesn't do any of those things. Thus the recommendations you see to not use dirt/soil in containers. ;) Dirt becomes water-logged, pack down over time, and ends up suffocation or drowning the roots. Dirt work in the garden because the roots can spread out. But in pots they have no where to go. I have no idea what is in the "landscaper's mix" but would guess that it is a dirt-based product. You would have to ask the seller what it contains. If no dirt, then it may be fine to use. The potting soil and garden soil you have are both also likely dirt-based. The only way to know for sure is to read the ingredients on the bag. You say you have peat. One of the most common recipes for making your own mix is 1/3 peat, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 vermiculite or perlite. Some also add bark fines or some sand. Small bags of all these extra ingredients are available at any garden center. So you could go that route if you wish. You could also add some time-release fertilizer to the mix to help feed your plants. Or you can just buy bags of Miracle Grow Potting Mix or MG Potting Mix with Moisture Control or one of the other similar products - they have fertilizer already added to them. One word of warning: Miracle Grow also Makes something called Miracle Grow Garden Soil. It is NOT for containers (says so on the bag) so don't mistake it for potting mix. Hope this helps. Enjoy your plants! Dave

Lol, poor Daniella. Ask him if he will do my laundry too. I throw it all in together and everything looks like crap, lol. I was telling John about this and he said ohhh good idea about the pots and the roots now that winter is coming he is wanting to bring in more of them so he is liking the idea of burying the pots in the ground then lifting the pots for the winter. He forgets before we did all these flower beds and I told him about this he told me I was crazy and why would I want to dig a hole and buy a pot. Just put the dang things in the ground and leave them there he said, lol. How soon he forgets now that he is getting excited that they are going to start blooming, lol. I bet we have sunken pots next year, lol. The one I had last year bloomed in the garage nearly all winter long. I think he is remembering that and realizing all those in the ground are going to have to be cut down and he will miss them blooming. Who wants to make a bet he digs up some of his to bring in the house instead of cutting them, lol.