I agree with the above (though I use half strength of my stuff), and would not start any fertilization at all until the first true leaves start budding out, those are the ones after the opposite pair of tongue-shaped cotyledon seed leaves.

If you can pick up some Tomato Tone (Espoma) for transplanting, and you won't be sorry ;-) Be sure when transplanting to give them a well aerated soil and rich in compost is nice.

PC

Agree with the above for fertilizing.

"They will be in small clay pots under a florescent light until early May
when I will transplant them into large containers and place them
outside."

First, it's been my experience that small clay pots dry out potting mix rather quickly so keep an eye on that. Second, depending on exactly how small the pots are, you will almost certainly need to pot them up them before May rolls around.

Rodney

Like Rodney said above I'd be more concerned with your other issues than with the fertilizing right now. These are normally quickly growing plants that will get quite huge but growing in ordinary potting soil and in small clay pots means problems just keeping them alive, watering issues, root suffocation, root rot, stunted growth, soil compaction, etc. And inside for another 6 weeks?

They need to be repotted into a soil-less potting mix - preferably one with some nutrients in it - in plastic containers and then hopefully they will make it till May.

Always good to learn about the how-to before tackling something new. Saves you lots of time and wasted effort. :)

Dave

I brew some "liquid" mix using Tomato Tone. I have 3 qt. water bottles I place about an inch of tomato tone into and fill most of the way with water. They get capped and placed into the sun to brew. I shake them up every few days and after 2 weeks, it's ready for use. Be careful, it builds up a little pressure and gets very ripe.

That is an interesting practice garf. It probably breaks down the insoluble nitrogen in Tomato tone quickly if you need that. I hope it doesn't degrade the ability of Tomato tone to exclude Fusarium from the soil though it probably will to some degree. Thanks for the post, I'm going to try your idea!

PC

Does Tomato Tone have Calcium ?
I find MG blue stuff the most economical. It has a 24-8-16 composition. The only essential that is missing in it is Calcium. MG Shake-N-Feed (for tomatoes and peppers) has Calcium to but it has a lot of non-nutrient filler with a composition of 12 --4 - 8 with about 3% Calcium and 1.3% Mag. But this stuff is slow time release granular and thus not readily water soluble.

Seysonn

We have a lot of diseases here, but I have never had fusarium, at least not yet. The mix works well on growing seedlings when bottom watered.

garf, thanks again!

Seysonn, Tomato tone is literally loaded with Calcium and if you give the TT time to settle in (maybe 2 weeks), alternating with Miracle Gro you will have a fairly complete elemental mix, though not necessarily a healthy soil biota.

PC

Thanks much PC , for the info.
I have used TT in the past but it has been a long time ago. When come to think of it, any fertilizers geared for tomatoes has to have Calcium in it.

I make my own Calcium supplement: Add vinegar to dolomitic lime, eggshell . You will get Calcium acetate, which is in ionic form available to plants right away. I have already a quart of it from last year. Add a TBS per gallon.. Voila ! You can also use it as foliar spray, to bypass the root system.

Seysonn

I have read articles/opinions on how exactly plants import nutrients. It seems to me that despite fertilizer nutrient ratios...plants uptake the ratio of nutrients they want to uptake. This being said...I prefer to use ferts that are somewhat lower in nitrogen than P and K. Obviously, you have a smaller chance of burning your plants if you screw up. I screw up occasionally....haha.

Interesting use of Tomato Tone. Might have to try it when I eventually get around to having seedlings growing.

Rodney

I use calcium nitrate, once in awhile so no worries about calcium. Also dynamite slow release is something I like to use too. Has everything, and a good ratio of NPK too.