Looking for fertilizer recipes for 5 gallon buckets

[FALaholic]

Hello everyone.

I wanted to ask everyone if they could share their knowledge and experience on what they think would be a good fertilizer soil mix. Unfortunately this time I'm going to have to go store bought on soil and fertilizers.

The only item that I'm leaning on is Miracle-Gro's potting soil w/ Moisture Control. The Fla weather just drys out my pots too fast.

So I wanted to ask, what products, strengths, and amounts would you recommend for 5 gallon buckets.

Thank you

 

[Fisherman]

I use miracle gro for tomatoes and epson salt and iron supplement. Have used a calsium supplement also. My mix for soil is 1/3 peat 1/3 composted from Lowes and 1/3 happy cow cow manure compost from lowes also. I also used a tomatoe fertilizer from walmart. We have a member working on fertilizer formulas now that will be both solid and water soulable.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Miracle gro(MG) is good as long as you do not use it on small seedlings because of the urea. Keep in mind that tobacco needs micro-nutrients such as Boron, which I believe is in MG

 

[deluxestogie]

Since you're in Florida, a choice might be to fill the entire 5 gallon bucket with Black Kow composted manure, which is produced in Florida. (You should really try a few like that, if you can afford to.)

Bob

 

[FALaholic]

Miracle gro(MG) is good as long as you do not use it on small seedlings because of the urea. Keep in mind that tobacco needs micro-nutrients such as Boron, which I believe is in MG

I have had positive results with MG on my seedlings, although I am using a 50% solution.

 

[FALaholic]

Thank you Fisherman. Recipe noted.

 

[FALaholic]

Since you're in Florida, a choice might be to fill the entire 5 gallon bucket with Black Kow composted manure, which is produced in Florida. (You should really try a few like that, if you can afford to.)

Bob

Straight manure?

 

[deluxestogie]

The Black Kow is composted. Analysis: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5. Go to www.blackkow.com, and look at the video of planting tomato transplants directly into a bag of Black Kow.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Straight manure?

Composted manure. It's some good shit.

 

[FALaholic]

Composted manure. It's some good shit.

 

[Fisherman]

$1.54 at your local Lowes

It says "and compost"... Isnt pure composted manure tho

 

[deluxestogie]

I can't find any info on "Hapi-Gro". Most of the cheapie "Manure and Compost" products have an analysis of 0.05: 0.05: 0.05, which is pretty useless (1/10 of the Black Kow) and generally a waste of money.

Bob

 

[Fisherman]

I had good success with the Happy-Gro... It could be that it is not composted cow manure but is what it states is why it does good. It states "Cow manure and compost"?

 

[deluxestogie]

What is the stated analysis of Hapi Gro?

Bob

 

[Fisherman]

It isn't on the bag and I also could not find website.

[h=1]Hapi-Gro[/h] P.O. BOX 1271
Hope, AR 71802

Phone: (870) 777-5714

 

[spencerpearson]

I use half horse compost and half hamster wood chips and half dirt from were you are going to plant. All my other plants love it cause it feeds and gets them ready for the dirt they well be growing in. so less shock on the plant. have not done my tobacco plants this way yet but sure it will work.

 

[bonehead]

could you set up a drip system to solve your moisture problem? i grow some tobacco in 5 gallon sheetrock taping compound buckets with a drip system and they do very well. you can use a plastic barrel set a couple of feet above the height of the top of your planters and use gravity to feed and water them. the trick is to find out how big an opening to make in your line to water and feed at the rite rate or you can buy drip emiters for a low presure run to waste hydroponic system. if you do this you only have to refil the bucket once in a while. if you want to get fancy you can run a selinoid on/off switch on a timer. it depends how big your water resevore is how often you have to refil it. if you try it, try to find a complete fertilizer with trace elements in it. you can also run strait water through it sometimes and it is a good idea to anyways so you don't build up to many salts in your dirt which could burn their roots.

 

[FALaholic]

I was just thinking about using 100% manure. What does one do when, after topping, you cut off fertilizing. Wouldn't the manure still continue to feed?

 

[DonH]

I was just thinking about using 100% manure. What does one do when, after topping, you cut off fertilizing. Wouldn't the manure still continue to feed?

Yes, but tobacco depletes Nitrogen really quickly and composted manure is different from adding chemical fertilizer. So I'm thinking by the time the plants are ready to top, it would have much less nitrogen and you would be OK. Only way to know is to test the soil at the beginning then when the plant flowers. It would be good to know.

 

[spencerpearson]

thats has been my thoughts on it as well but i do not know that. as this is my first time on tobacco. i do know all my other crops love it. and it is dirt out like dirt buy the end of the season so it is just good soil now.