I have a question about watering garden

[eggcited2]

We grew some tomatoes last year and they were awful tasting. We had three different kinds, so it wasn't the kind of tomato.

We used our well water to water the plants, when we didn't get rain. Our well water is not drinkable. It has large amounts of iron and sulphur, but it also has methane gas in it and some oily stuff. Well water is all we have; we are in the country so no city water. Could that be why they were so disgusting tasting?

We also grew them in those plastic 55gal drums, cut in half. They were very popular and pictures of them and instructions all over the internet. Is it possible the plastic was contaminated (even though we were assured they had been washed and cleaned out). As for soil in them: we made up a mixture of garden soil we purchased in bags, some of our own soil, and added in some 2 year old manure (horse, and donkey, and chicken droppings). Could all that have contributed to the bad taste?

Our soil is not good stuff. We have 5-6 acres of recovered open pit coal mine soil.

I have three kinds of tomatoes to plant and try growing again this year. I sure do not want them to turn out like last year.

I have never had this kind of trouble growing any garden veggies. I am 67 years old and helped my parents with our garden, and then had my own once I was married.

 

[Acre4Me]

Sorry that you had such a disappointing experience!

We use well water to water ours, no issues. The well water goes to the back barn area before the water softener for the house, so it is not treated water. Our water can smell of sulfur too and does have iron in it.

Your manure sounds well aged, so it shouldn’t be that.

The soil around your home could be an issue, but not sure as I’m not there to see it/smell it, and no experience with recovered mine soil.

I’d use something else besides the drums. I’d try again this year, but new varieties, and new growing situation. You can buy inexpensive LARGE pots for the tomatoes. We e used large plastic pots on our deck for 1 tomato each pot for a few years. The pots were left behind by last owner. One disintegrated this year, so it is over 5 years old -sat out in sun and snow and all kinds of weather all year/every year. Or you can use an older bale of straw: just hollow out an area in the bale, add soil and plant the toms. Keep it moist.

Soil: you can repurpose the previous soil if you want. I do this and put all soil from my old pots into a wheel barrow, add some fresh soil or compost, maybe some fertilizer, mix then refill the pots. This way I can fix any drainage issues, or any other issues with the pots that needs attention.

Tomatoes: some varieties do not taste very good. Hopefully the ones you bought this year will taste better!


Last: you can get your soil tested. The soil you are growing in. The county extension office may have kits to get your soil tested.
Good luck.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Hmm it could be a variety of things. I'm thinking either the oil and methane gas in the water, your container being contaminated, or just an improper variety of tomato for your location.

Are you trying different tomato varieties this year or the same? I think you should try some different ones along with those same ones. You could even make an experiment of this and try some plants in the existing barrels using the well water, and some in some plastic pots using well water. Then maybe have other pots that you use water from a rain barrel or store-bought jug. Then by the end of the season, you may have your answer.


One other thought: I know you fertilized at the beginning of the season with manure, but did you also fertilize throughout the season? I use organic "tomato tone" or "plant tone" fertilizer from the Espoma brand every 2 weeks and it does well for me. Tomatoes can taste very bland sometimes for me without those extra nutrients.

Best of luck!!!

 

[theoldchick]

I'd have the water tested to see if it is suitable for your garden. Oily, foul smelling water is something to be concerned about. I've used sulfur water for gardening with no problems but it was not oily and it was tested twice yearly because of a landfill five miles away.

 

[saysfaa]

It could be the water

• The sulphur is likely a help to them.
• Iron can build up to toxic (for plants at least) amounts.
• oily would keep me from using it to water and plant I planned to eat at least until I knew what it was. That could be toxic.
• Methane is biologically inert so would be causing these problems.

It could be the dirt. I don't know much about open pit coal mine soils except that it can be reclaimed/healed and that there is more to doing it then just time - at least if doing it in years or decades instead of really long timeframes.

If I were you, I would set up at least one tub that is as clean as possible:

• a rain collection into rain barrels for watering.
• Bring in new soil for the tubs (not use any from your land).
• a new/different container. Used plastic is okay if you can know it has been used for food or food grade products only. Washed and cleaned out wouldn't be enough without knowing what was in it before.

I might also set up other tubs that used some of your soil or some of your well water if you find out what is in them.

I would use the containers and soil from last year's tomatoes for things I didn't eat - flowers or companion plants.