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Tomato plants require a lot of nutrients to grow and produce healthy fruit.
Here’s what you oughta know about how and when to fertilize tomato plants.
Should You Fertilize Tomatoes?
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Tomatoes would benefit from an tool of fertilizer at several different points in their growth.
If you are growing tomatoes for the first time in-ground, your soil probably has sufficient nutrients.
A balanced fertilizer, such as 5-5-5 or 5-10-5 works best applied during watering.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Tip
Soil pH for tomatoes is 6.2 to 6.8.
When it’s too high or low, correct this before applying fertilizer.
They come as liquids, granules, powders, dust, and pre-mixed formulas.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Organic Fertilizer
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Organic Fertilizers vs.
Soil Conditioners
Organic fertilizers differ fromsoil conditionersbecause they feed your plants.
Manufactured Fertilizer
Commercially manufactured fertilizer is formulated to immediately provide specific nutrients to feed your plants.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Labels indicate anNPK ratiogiving a percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
Tomatoes cannot grow without adequate amounts of these primary nutrients.
Many companies offer fertilizers specifically for tomatoes with labels that also list macronutrients like magnesium and calcium.
When purchasing these products it’s important to read and understand the labels.
The rest is filler and may include small amounts of other minerals and vitamins.
Products with a higher P number may be labeled as bloom boosters.
Manufactured fertilizer can correct deficiencies quickly but plants also use them up quickly.
Overuse with repeated applications can cause harmful salts to build up in soil.
Tomato plants benefit from secondary macronutrients (e.g., magnesium, calcium, etc.)
along with minerals and vitamins.
The best fertilizer for tomatoes comes down to preferences.
Fish emulsion is a mild, nitrogen-rich organic that can be used all season long.
This all-purpose fertilizer is also great for many other vegetables growing in your garden.
Epsom salt is beneficial for tomatoesby adding micronutrients magnesium and sulfur to soil.
It promotes chlorophyll for healthy green foliage and helps the tomato plant take up nitrogen and phosphorous.
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