Comparing Nutri Grow (Quadgrow Planter nutrients) with Chempak Standard Tomato Feed
All the best nutrient feeds are two part feeds (at least) because they give the most versatility and control.
If we look at Nutri Grow, the feed that comes with the Quadgrow Planter, we can see how the nutrients are managed.
Available Here
Part A contains:
Nitrogen, potassium and calcium – no phosphorus! – Nitrogen (N) 12 – Phosphorus (P) 0 – Potassium (K) 12.
Part B contains:
N, P, K, plus micro nutrients and trace elements – N 6 – P 9 – K 25
One of the biggest issues when feeding tomatoes is calcium. The problem is that it doesn’t get on with all other nutrients and
drops out of the solution, creating a white film on the inside of the watering can or reservoir.
Question: Looking at the nutrients above, which one would you say is the nutrient that calcium doesn’t get on with?
The answer is in Part A, phosphorus mainly, but other micro nutrients and trace elements can cause problems too.
One of the benefits of a two part feed is that nutrients that don’t mix very well can be added together just before use.
Chempak Standard Tomato Feed is a (one part) dry feed that contains calcium. It is mixed with water just before use.
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Nutri Grow also starts as a dry feed but water is added to each part so that it can be stored.
Remember – calcium won’t mix with some other nutrients when it is in a liquid form. That’s why Nutri Grow (two part feed) and Chempak (dry feed) contain calcium, whereas a feed like Tomorite doesn’t.
So you may ask … why doesn’t Nutri Grow mix all its dry nutrients together (instead of being in two parts), and the powder mixed with water just before use?
Having two parts that are measured in liquid form is easier to measure and can be increased or decreased more accurately.
Nutri Grow gives details on how the feed is to be increased as plants become mature.
It is possible, as I have suggested in a previous newsletter, to have a two part feed by using a general feed plus a tomato feed.
This gives the flexibility of being able to increase or decrease some nutrients as plants grow – more nitrogen at the beginning then more potassium as plants mature. The issue of calcium has still to be considered if using liquid feeds. Chempak calcium or indigestion tablets are options.
Regards,
Nick
Rhys Jaggar
Nick, one odd observation from this year’s growing is that my Tigerella plants are making much bigger trusses this year. Normally it is 12-14 tomatoes on each of the first four trusses, but this year truss two is well over 20 potential tomatoes and truss three looks similar (they are not fully set yet of course).
Is this a function of later sowing date, so plant adapts to fewer intended trusses by making bigger ones? Is it the very warm May we had? Or is just one of those oddities of nature which happen from time to time?
Nick
Hi Rhys, I would say it’s firstly the very warm May followed by a later sowing date of longer daylight hours – a combination of both I would think.