Quote:
Originally Posted by Buehler445
I'd probably try to test the pH of the soil. I don't know what the acidity tolerance of tomatoes are, but I'm sure it's googleable.
If your pH is low, lime. If you have clay under there, organic matter is your friend. Id get into the clay as much as you're tough enough to do and mix in some 50/50 manure and something like sawdust and cedar chips. And then do your topsoil/manure whatever mix for your bed. Organic matter is your friend in clay.
I'd also plant some sort of brassica in the fall when you're done. If you can get roots to penetrate it, you'll gain a shitload of water infiltration in wet spells.
God ****ing clay.
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I never did get around to testing the pH and clay is not a concern in this area. I ended up mixing into the existing soil; 6 bags of bison manure, 2 bags of compost and 3 bags of potting soil I already had. I bought a small tiller so I got it all mixed in real good.
The bed is 4' x 12' and I put in a Big Boy, a Better Boy, a husky cherry and a grape tomato plant. Plus 4 different peppers; Anaheim, hot banana, serrano and some variety of jalapeno.
Sonofabitch if these aren't the best tomato plants I've ever had. They are all getting big and bushy. Not many 'maters yet on the vines, but there will be. And then that hot banana pepper is going crazy. There are already 4 big peppers on there with more starting.