Successful cultivation in poor soil
The first steps in the life of a tomato plant take place in the poorest possible substrate. In order to put the seeds in a germinating mood, light, heat and water are required. Nutrients tend to be a hindrance at this point. The mineral salts could damage the delicate seedling roots. In addition, the young plants saw no reason for the desired root growth, with a richly covered nutrient table right in front of the root tips.
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Recommended cultivation soil:
- commercial seed or cultivation soil
- Peat and sand mixed in equal parts
- pure coconut humus as a peat substitute
- Standard soil made from white peat, perlite (€ 32.90 at Amazon *) and natural clay
May it be something more? - the right earth for pricking
After germination, tomato plants show how powerful they are. The growth progresses at an impressive pace, so that after a few days it is pricked. Now the nutrient content of the earth can be increased a little, because after all we are dealing with heavy eaters. These substrate mixtures are ideal:
- Commercial vegetable soil, emaciated with peat, sand or perlite in a ratio of 1: 2
- special standard pricking soil with a proportion of green compost (available in specialist shops)
Hobby gardeners who value first-class soil right from the start mix themselves. Ingredients are compost (25%), garden soil (15%), coconut fibers / perlite (40%), bark humus (10%) and sand (10%).
Tomatoes thrive in this soil until they are harvested
Successful cultivation results in vital and vigorous tomato plants that are now hungry for nutrients. After planting them outdoors, experienced tomato gardeners pamper their magnificent specimens with these soil qualities:
- in the bed: humus-rich, nutritious soil, fresh, moist and permeable
- in the bucket: high-quality vegetable or potting soil
In both cases, the substrate is additionally enriched with ripe garden compost, horn shavings, horn meal (€ 6.39 at Amazon *) or appropriate organic fertilizer.
Tips & Tricks
Despite all the manufacturer's assurances, potting soil is often infected by insect eggs, fungal spores or bacterial pathogens. Before use, simply sterilize the substrate in the oven at 150 degrees top and bottom heat for 30 minutes. It's even faster in the microwave at 800 watts for 10 minutes.
