Tomato Tone

13 years ago

How do you all feel about Tomato Tone fertilizer? I tried a small bag of the stuff and I like the looks and smell of it a lot better than the other stuff I had been using. I hope my tomatoes like it.

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Comments (12)

helenh
13 years ago
Watch your dogs, they will eat it.
laccanvas
13 years ago
I used it last Summer 2010. I think it helped because I had a really good harvest. I also put in a scoop of Greensand.
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'New' Tomato-tone vs 'Old' Tomato-tone - - Myth-Busters Challenge
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Tapla and Justaguy, I wanted to point out your dislike of organics in containers was reaffirmed by Ray's experiment. I know the problems associated with using organics in containers and that researchers have tried to obtain results equal to conventional methods with much tweaking of the organic systems and have had some success. But Ray's experiments last year certainly back up your contentions in other threads that using organics in containers would give disappointing results. At least it certainly did using Fox Farm vs the old formula of Tomato Tone. The old T.T. formula was a mix of synthetics and organics and look at the results in Ray's picture--the tomato with lots of fruits on the right (TT) VS the pitiful organic one (Foxfarm) next to it that you can barely make out. Even Ray's miracle gro soil mix WITH fertilizer did not help Fox Farm. Now having said this I have had good results growing certain vegetables organically in containers. Perhaps they would been bigger with synthetics but I was happy with the results. I certainly would not be happy with the results that Ray got with Fox Farm and was surprised the difference was that dramatic. By the way I use both synthetic and organics fertilizers but I am interested in improving organic results particular when told it just can't be done. Any chance that some of the non-plant ingredients are soil-type microbes that would help the organic fertilizer breakdown and be utilized in containers? Ray, I also noted the change in the formulas on my old bags of TT and the new. I was disappointed that they did this as I liked the higher potassium and the synthetic components ameliorate some of the organic drawbacks. I already had Plant-tone if I wanted to go purely organic. As far as your new experiment, it will be interesting to see how the new TT with all the biological microbes stacks up to the old. Also the ferts, in the Miracle Gro are long gone now and won't impact the experiment.
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Espoma Organic Tomato Tone - Truly Organic ?
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Comments (13)
Yeah I know what you mean. Some people go by the OMRI listings to know if what they are using is completely organic. And, I think, the USDA is the agency the does the whole 'certified organic' program. I think that under their guidelines you don't even use mechanical devices like tractors and tillers, etc. Some organic stuff even gets a bad rep. due to it's sustainability. It's a good question, though. The one thing that I've always questioned is the presence of UREA. I have read that it is not an organic, but i have found it in organic fertilizers and potting mixes. Urea is probably found in 'poop' fertilizers, in which case, would be naturally occuring and is ok, but if it was added in some kinda of synthetic form could manufacturers still get away with calling it 'organic'?
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Miracle Gro Tomato Vs. Tomato Tone
Q
Comments (5)
You can use both. I definitely think the tomatotone is superior, it works a little more slowly, but it includes more trace elements and has soil microorganisms that help the plants take up nutrients.. I use tomatotone in the soil when planting out then add it by scratching it into the soil around the plant as directed every four weeks. But I grow in containers, so I also use a liquid chemical fertilizer once a week through the season. I use Foliage Pro for the chemical feed now. Years ago, I only used MG for tomatoes in my containers, and it was more like famine and feast for my plants. Growing in the ground with good soil, you probably would be better off using only tomatotone.
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Plant Tone vs Tomato Tone
Q
Comments (6)
If you follow the link below, it takes you to the tomato tone contents anaylsis. It shows TT to be a 4 7 10. This is quite a different ratio of Nitrogen in particular from the PT. I've never used Plant Tone, but my guess is with more nitrogen in PT, you will promote more leaf development and growth as opposed to promoting flowering. (This is a guess based on what others have said to similar posts in the past.) FYI, you can order TT on line from Espoma and probably other vendors. Good luck. Here is a link that might be useful: tomato tone
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garf_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
Ain't got no dogs, thankfully. My cats don't mess with the tomatoes.
tomakers
13 years ago
Garyf,
I answered at PP also.
I used TT last year and was very pleased with the results. I would normally use 12-24-12 and 15-15-15 and the TT seemed to do a better job, although I did give them a shot of 12-24-12 at blossom time.
JMO,
Tom
garf_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
It seems that not only dogs go for Tomato Tone. What is in this stuff anyway? I live in a fenced suburban lot. No dogs get in here. We have no deer. We have cats and possum and an occasional raccoon. I used to see rats cross the power lines, but I haven't seen one for a while. I left an unopened bag of Tomato Tone out in the back yard. Today I found it was moved and has a hole eaten in it.
PrestonFarmer
13 years ago
I have had great results with that product.
ladon
13 years ago
Nice 'mater forest Preston.
bleedingheart89
13 years ago
i work at a garden center and we have store cats, and they chew the bags sometimes. so it's probably your cats or strays or whathaveyou. they are attracted to the dried blood in it. you could put it in a plastic container or inside a shed maybe? i don't think they would ingest much because its just the smell they like, once they taste it they don't want it. but they will most definitely make a huge mess and waste it.
rnewste
13 years ago
Folks,

Don't be fooled into thinking the Tomato-tone circa 2005 is the same Tomato-tone sold today. Formulation on the left is the "original" Tomato-tone. The Espoma folks significantly changed the ingredients and lowered the potency (as well as the bag size from 5 lbs, to now 4 lbs.

{{gwi:16931}}

My trials last Season comparing the "Old" Tomato-tone vs. their "New" Tomato-tone showed me, using the same dosage, poorer growth and productivity. Is the "New" Tomato-tone effective? Yes, but give me back the "Old" formulation any day!

Raybo
cerri
13 years ago
Looks like the old recipe was not fully organic, but now it is.
tomakers
13 years ago
I know I used the new formulation and it seemed to work fine. Of course, the old one may have been better, but it is unavailable. Is there something else that is close to the old formulation??
rnewste
13 years ago
tomakers,

I have not found any other tomato fertilizer at big box chains comparable to the "Old" Tomato-tone. This Season, I am trialing a product called FloraMato:

{{gwi:1304565}}

Available through most Hydroponics Shops.

Raybo

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Tomato Tone

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helenh

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Tomato Tone

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