Is it beneficial for tomatoes to inc. peatmoss in soil mixture b4 I plant them TODAY? :-)?
Question:How else should I prep this soil for the maters?
thx!!
Answers:
Peat moss is good for making the soil lighter, and eventually the peat rots which is even better.
But Tomatoes prefer a heavy soil such as a loamy clay, so compost is the best bet.
.
You can buy composted manure at garden stores in 40 pound bags.
Did a hole 8-9 in across and a foot deep. Put 3in of compost in the hole and place your pant so that as much of the stem as possible is in the hole. Tomatoes quickly put roots out from any part of the stem that is buried and will be less likely to be tall and gangly when mature.
.
Place a coffee can, with the bottom cut out, over the plant. The can will keep cut worms away as well as certain birds, and in addition makes it easy to water the plants when they are young. Some people use newspaper or tar paper to protect the plants, but I use 3lb cans and they last longer.
,
You can also plant tomatoes in a shallow trench if the soil is too tough to till. Fill the trench with the compost and lay the plant down with the top exposed. This works good, but the roots are shallow so you really need to water them more often.
.
Don't forget,,, mulch heavily and keep the plants watered every day for a week or so.
If you have clay soil peat moss might help, but I find that peat moss is really just a filler - it does not add nutrients or improve the soil. If you really want to improve the soil add compost.
Sphagnum peat is beneficial for moisture holding and for dropping earth soil pH. It also helps boost organic content in soil.
If you have alkaline soil, some peat could be a good idea. If your soil is somewhat acidic, I wouldn't recommend it. you could cause nutrient uptake issues by dropping pH too low.
A better bet might be to integrate compost, composted manure, or potting soil. These are all high in organic content and typically have a nutrient (N-P-K) content that the plants can use. Be sure that you work it in to the soil very well by spading, tilling or hoeing it in.
Good luck with the 'maters!
PS- you might want to add just a little garden lime (calcite), too.. tomatoes need calcium to keep from getting blossom end rot.
More Related Questions & Answers...