Any ideas on a good soil mixture for tomatos?

Hey all, I am gonna try and grow some bush beefsteak tomato plants in 2 1/2 gallon buckets this year and was looking for any info on a good soil mixture to do such. Thanks!!!

Think I'm gonna try me a few things. Took a couple of 2 1/2 gallon buckets to day and filled them this way. My first bucket got 1 gallon of ewc and 1 gallon pro mix peat moss and then 1/2 gallon of composted horse manure. Moistened all that up with some rain water then topped it off with 25 big red worms from my compost.

Second bucket got 1 gallon rotted wood chunks, 1/2 gallon ewc, 1/2 gallon pro mix peat moss and 1/2 gallon composted horse manure. Again this was moistened with rain water and 25 worms were added.

They should have about 7 to 8 weeks cooking time then in go the tomatoes.

Gonna mix up a few more recipes tomorrow. Got some rabbit manure and other things to mix up!!!

Peat changes PH as it breaks down... Just letting you know

Thanks Stash. Well I think I will remix each batch up to 1 cu/ft, which is 7.5 gallons of soil. Then I'm gonna add some ph buffering to the mixes. 1/2 cup each of oyster shell flour, crab shell meal and gypsum. That should take care of the ph issues.

Top soil. peat moss and worm castings and perlite - cheap and work well - use 5 gallon bucket's if you can

kkt3 said:

Thanks Stash. Well I think I will remix each batch up to 1 cu/ft, which is 7.5 gallons of soil. Then I'm gonna add some ph buffering to the mixes. 1/2 cup each of oyster shell flour, crab shell meal and gypsum. That should take care of the ph issues.

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use the same soil recipe that you use for cannabis my man
it'll work juuuuust fine
sweetest tomatoes ya ever had
guaranteed

Thanks Grease. Guess I should have figured that one out. I had some soil left over from last years grow. Wasn't the living soil that I made this year, but it had quite a few amendments in it. Had 4 tomato plants in 4 different sized buckets ranging from 1 gallon up to 5 gallons. Each one did amazing!!! Trying a few different soil recipes this go around. Taking a lot of the rotted wood chunks from my old wood pile out back and mixing a lot more of that into the soil. Like you say, good for aeration, like little sponges of water, great for microbe housing. Got lots of rotted wood for sure.

Standard raised bed mix:

1/3 peat moss
1/3 5 different kinds of manure composts
1/3 vermiculite

I use a lot of mushroom compost because it is so cheap. And turkey manure compost because it's free. I add peat moss, potting soil, lava rocks, lime, Epson salts, blood meal, bone meal and coffee grounds. Epson salts helps prevent end bloom rot.

kkt3 said:

Thanks Grease. Guess I should have figured that one out. I had some soil left over from last years grow. Wasn't the living soil that I made this year, but it had quite a few amendments in it. Had 4 tomato plants in 4 different sized buckets ranging from 1 gallon up to 5 gallons. Each one did amazing!!! Trying a few different soil recipes this go around. Taking a lot of the rotted wood chunks from my old wood pile out back and mixing a lot more of that into the soil. Like you say, good for aeration, like little sponges of water, great for microbe housing. Got lots of rotted wood for sure.

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it's also a cool way to add humus over time, they degrade pretty fast once they get out of the log, even after ONE run they are half gone

Yes, here's a pic of a couple bush beefsteak tomato plants in a 2 1/2 gallon bucket. The soil is a batch that I made up, and the tomato plants are the best they have ever been this early in the grow.

kkt3 said:

Yes, here's a pic of a couple bush beefsteak tomato plants in a 2 1/2 gallon bucket. The soil is a batch that I made up, and the tomato plants are the best they have ever been this early in the grow.

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Good looking tomato. Here is four Pruden's Purple in a swimming pool. I might have got the mix a little too hot. They haven't really grown since I transplanted them.



Also some of mine in my Red Neck Rain Gutter Grow System. It has gotten a little out of control. I tried to lolly pop them this morning, but when my wife saw me cut a three foot branch full of little Yellow Pear tomatoes, she ask me to stop.

5Gal leaf mould
-5Gal sandy loam
-5Gal aerated compost
-5Gal pure vermicastings
-Small handful of lime if it isn't present in your sandy loam (soil test)
-Small handful of ash
-Small handful of crushed bones
-Small small handful of hummates (BD500 can be added to compost if you make your own)
-small small handful of crushed quartz
-Half gallon of Bokashi

Mix the base soil 3 times then mix the additives into the bokashi, add this and mix again 3 times.

Or get a cement mixer....

Wew gardening