My cherry tomatoes doubled after I checked the soil pH for the first time

So I've been growing cherry tomatoes on my 3x5 foot balcony for about 6 months and they were always kinda sad and small. Last week I finally bought one of those $12 moisture/light/pH meters from the hardware store and tested my soil. Turns out my tap water had been pushing the pH up to like 7.8 over time, way too alkaline for tomatoes. I added some coffee grounds and a tiny bit of sulfur mix and within 5 days the new flowers started setting fruit way bigger than before. Anyone else ever tested their balcony soil pH and found something weird?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna_green9d ago

The pH meter thing was a game changer for me too @lane.drew... it's wild how one little thing can mess everything up. Reminds me of how my phone battery drains faster when it's too hot or how my car runs rough on cheap gas. Fine print stuff we ignore but it makes a real difference.

lane.drew9d ago

Yeah I used to think pH meters were just a gimmick for people who overthink gardening, but after reading this I might actually have to grab one and check. My tomatoes have been okay but not great and now I'm wondering if this has been my problem too.