Re: [tomato] Mycorrhizal Fungi Experiments
Louis Mensing (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Wed, 18 Feb 1998 21:37:25 -0800
Hi Doreen and all,
I did not have the space (or the inclination) to grow my garden as an
experiment. Consequently I have no way to compare fruit size or flavor (or
anything else for that matter) with anything but my experiences from
previous years. I was very conscience of flavor however, as I had only one
heirloom (Brandywine) and the group was very vocal on the superiority of
heirlooms for flavor. My tomatoes had more flavor than any vine-ripened
tomatoes I had ever tasted. I was not aware of any smaller size fruit.
The fertilizer routine I used was similar to yours Doreen in that I used
pelletized fish meal (7-7-2), Volcanic trace elements, and Dolomite lime in
preparation for planting. Twice during the summer the plants seemed to need
a boost and I used a mix of weak liquid fish fertilizer with liquid kelp. I
used this on all my garden vegetables.
While the tomatoes were truly wonderful, the most amazing performers were
the Ichiban eggplant. Eggplant has difficulty ripening here. Not only did
they ripen but the fruit set was incredible.
My interest in this is to hear the results of others using VA Mycorrhiza.
It really takes a new 'mindset' to feed the soil rather than feeding the
plant.
Best wishes,
Louis Mensing
Eugene, OR