My tomatoe seedlings were showing a deficency(sp)in phosphorus. My friend at the nursary said to use a tomato food solution (miracel grow) but was hoping to use something more organic and less chemical. Any suggestions???

Why might they be showing signs of Phosphorus deficiency? Is you soil actually depeleted of P or is the soil temperature too cold to allow the plants to uptake available P? Or is the soils pH out of whack and inhibiting the uptake of P?

captain dirt, Miracle Goo is recommended as a fix-all by people who don't know what else to recommend that isn't a synthetic.

If, in fact, it is a phosphorous deficiency, then you could apply some additional bone meal, which is an excellent source of calcium and phosphorous. (Read label directions as to just how much to add, since more is not necessarily better.)

Bear in mind that bone meal is slow acting. IMO, it's something that (if needed) should be applied to the soil either at the end of the previous season or the very beginning of the next. Therefore, it may take awhile to see some results. There are venues online that sell liquid bone meal. I think Aggrand is one brand. The liquid would be a foliar feed and, therefore, utilized more quickly by the plant through its leaves.

Also, make sure it's not a magnesium deficiency, which can sometimes mimic a phosphorous deficiency in appearance. Magnesium deficiency can be supplemented w/some epsom salts. It's absorbed quicker by the plant than bone meal and even quicker still when used in a liquid solution and foliar fed. But, again, make sure just what kind of problem you've got.

Kimm's allusion to getting a proper soil test and/or id of the plant leaf itself from a qualified extension agent, will steer you in the proper direction as to exactly what your problem might be and proper recommendations. Also, as Kimm said, it may "just" be a pH problem. In which case, you could add all the bone meal and epsom salts you want and if the pH is off, then no nutrient will be properly utilized by the plant.

My guess is the underside of your tomato leaves are turning purple? If yes, you do have a P deficit, however it is due to low temperatures and the plants inability to take up P.

Increase temperatures or ignore the purpling leaves. This too will pass once summer warms things up.

Stiring in a tablespoon (of rock posphorus) per gallon of what ever soiless mix you use next spring may make you feel better when the leaves turn purple again.

It's been colder than usual where I am and the undersides of the tomatoes are a bit purple, but the new leaves are not showing it, so I second the temperature thing.

If you want a quick source of Phosporus in a small bucket of water add one egg and a handful of powdered milk. Pour it around one plant, then water it in with the hose.

a good source of long-term slow-release phosphorus is granite sand. I work in about a shovelful per tomato planting area. But this, and other bone meals and rock powders take about 6 months to kick in, so it's best to use a short-term solution until they do.

Sometimes if the pH is on the alkaline side plants have a harder time uptaking nutrients as well.

Sweetpea,
Thanks for the help. About how much water are you using? a qrt or a gal.?
By the way, would cows milk work or does it need to be Powdered milk?

thanks again,
CD

Sweatpea,

I guess I should have mentioned that I was talking about tomato seedlings.
And yes it's cool here too.
My plants have just got their 2nd set of leaves.
We don't plant out until Memorial day weekend no mater how nice the daytime temps are, because it's still cool at night.
Call me a traditionalist or overly protective but when you're talking 70 tomato plants, you want to be sure before planting.

Captian Dirt

Yeah, I understood you meant tomatoes, although this works for all vegetables.

I use a regular bucket of water (2 gallons?) (not a 5 gallon from a Big Box store) and one egg, one handful of powdered milk (just because it's the cheapest), but if you have other milk, that's fine, per plant. I beat the egg yolk until it mixes up thoroughly, and I pour it in the clock positions around the plant at 12, 3, 6 & 9. Then water it in with drippers at those points.

Or if I'm newly planting, I soak the plant hole with water (lots, like 5 gallons), then add the bucketful, then plant on top of it.

Add to this bucket with anything else you like as well

My tomato seedlings often turned purple, and I always added fish emulsion, seaweed, or kelp. The purple disappeared real quick, and the tomatoes were really happy, too.
I'm glad to hear about the cool temps. This happened when I had them under lites in the cool basement. Now they're on a sun porch, and not purple. I also can't set them out until MemDay.