What's your secret ingredient?

[AnyDream]

Just wondering, when it comes to growing fruit & veggies, what's your secret ingredient?

My friend has this amazing orange tree, turns out they put their coffee grounds around it.

I'm having problems this year with the tomatoes - which are doing pretty much nothing - and i've read to add epsom salts - apparently this is a real old timers solution and something to do with the mineral magnesium.

Also, my pumpkins are putting on lots of leafy growth but very slow with the flowers...is there something I could feed it to move this along? I've realised belatedly after fertilising it that I probably should've given it rose food instead of normal fertiliser.

So, what's your secret ingredient?

[Olive]

did you change the spot inwhich you planted your tomato plants?
i cant remember why but my dad always says you cant plant them in the same spot the next year they must be moved

[AnyDream]

Olive, hmm, they're in potting soil with some compost added, so that shouldn't be a problem (in special tomato pots). I'll remember that next time I grow them in the ground.

I'm a bit peeved actually cos my Dad is growing the other plants out of the same punnet, he used non-organic fertiliser and all sorts of whackodoo pest products on his and they are coming along magnficently. My all-organic ones are a bum-steer

[Phteven]

Worm castings and manure are the bomb.

[Party-of-five]

Im with Onyx on all things wormy...we use worm castings and worm pee on our vegies and they are fantastic!!

someone told my brother pee is good for lemon trees and he says his tree is going great now he pee's on it (remind me to pass on the tequila next time im at my brothers)

[Gigi]

marydean
crop rotate ESPECIALLY with tomatoes (to avoid tomato diseases).

when the tomatoes stop cropping, plant a nitrogen fixer like beans, peas, where you grew the toms, they will replenish the soil for you

a guild to plant WITH tomatoes, to fight bad pest and attract good ones, is basil, marigolds, chives.

bloodnbone, manure, compost and a layer of peastraw on top, will help your tomatoes grow happily. the peastraw will act as a weed mat also, and you'll get some peas sprouting up, adding nitrogen to the soil *yay*

pruning of the young tomato plant is crucial, cutting off the low down HORIZONTAL growth (to avoid fungal diseases)
staking of the young tomato plant is crucial

i'm not going to go into the getting rid of the infertile leaves and keeping the fertile ones, cos i cna't explain that in words, need diagrams. then all the nutrients go in the fruit bearing parts, not wasted.

needs good sun in the morning
shade in the afternoon
if you're in a spot that gets too much afternoon sun, rig up temp shade over the top if you can

water the tomato plant in the straw mulch (at ground level), not on the leaves

water when plant is in shade

that's all i can remember
you prolly do that already, but - heck - it's all i got.