It may seem easy to remember to water your tomato plants, but when it comes to feeding them the need may not be as evident. Knowing how often to feed tomato plants can be just as important as knowing when to water them. Keeping up with the right schedule is key to getting the most out of your tomato plants.
It is recommended to feed tomato plants with a balanced slow-release fertilizer such as 8-8-8 or 10-10-10. A small handful of fertilizer placed around the tomato plant every month or two will yield extra fruits. It’s essential to use a nutrient-rich soil since tomatoes feed rigorously during their growing season. Gardeners can use an organic fertilizer if they choose; however, they must be cautious not to over-fertilize with organic products.
Experts suggest feeding the plants to ensure enough nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen encourages healthy foliage, phosphorus enhances the root system, and potassium helps with overall plant health. Each of these three nutrients has an essential role in plant growth. When these three fundamentals are in equilibrium, the tomato crop should be a success.
The amount of fertilizer you need depends on the variety of tomato you are planting. Primarily, determinate tomatoes require less fertilizer when compared to indeterminate tomatoes. Determinate tomatoes reach full size quickly and produce a single crop while indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow and produce more tomatoes throughout the season. Thus, indeterminate tomatoes will need to be fertilized more frequently.
Calcium is another key component in fertilizer that helps the plant create larger, tastier fruits. Tomatoes require an adequate amount of calcium to keep the soil in balance. Adding a compost containing calcium helps ensure your crop will be healthy and fruitful. This will help the root system of the plant absorb the optimum amount of nutrients and water, leading to bigger, healthier tomatoes.
Organic fertilizers, such as compost, manure, fish emulsion, and bone meal are a popular choice among backyard gardeners. They provide the plants with a slow release of necessary nutrients needed to keep the plant healthy. While organic fertilizers are usually mild, gardeners must be sure not to over fertilize or the plant will become overburdened with nutrients.
Ultimately, it is best to consult your local nursery or garden center for advice on how often to feed tomato plants in your particular location as weather and soil condition can change how often fertilizing is needed. But as a general rule, it is generally best to fertilize the plants every four to six weeks during the season.
Balance of Macronutrients
Knowing which type of fertilizer works best for tomato plants is important for maintaining the plant’s balance of macronutrients. As mentioned before, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are all essential aspects of plant health. The right balance of these three additives can make all the difference in achieving bumper crops of delicious tomatoes. Before applying fertilizer, research the NPK value of the product, to ensure the proper ratio of these three nutrients is achieved.
When fertilizing the soil, gardeners should strive to achieve a balanced 8-8-8 fertilizer. Combined with regular water and proper sunlight, this amount of fertilizer should be optimal for tomato plants. Gardeners should sprinkle the fertilizer about 8 to 10 inches away from the base of the plant, and water after application.
Too little fertilizer can cause the plant to become undernourished and negatively affect the growth of the plants. Follow the instructions and appropriate dosage on the fertilizer bag. The amount of fertilizer used also depends on the type of soil and climate. If the soil is already nutrient-rich, then using organic fertilizer or compost may be enough.
In order to keep heavy rains or watering from washing away the nutrients, gardeners can spread a thin layer of compost or mulch over the soil. A cover helps keep the soil moist which retains fertilizers and prevents increases in weeds, too.
Organic Fertilizers
Organic fertilizers provide tomato plants with valuable nutrition produced by natural substances such as manure, plants and animals by-products, and cover crops. These natural food sources have proven to work better than synthetic fertilizers for tomato plants and vegetables. This is because organic fertilizers break down slowly and are more sustainable over a longer period of time, allowing them to consistently be absorbed by the plants.
Organic fertilizers, unlike their synthetic counterparts, also contain beneficial microorganisms which are important in the development of robust root systems and healthier plants. Additionally, organic fertilizers help to improve soil structure by enhancing the natural microbial population of the soil. Long-term effects of these soil improvements can result in healthier plants, better yields, and more resistant plants.
Organic fertilizers also provide tomato plants with beneficial macro and micronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and iron, thus improving soil fertility and helping the plants to condition, develop, and grow more vigorously.
Organic fertilizers, however, can be expensive and take longer to become effective than synthetic fertilizers. It is, therefore, important to remember that organic fertilizers must be reapplied regularly in order to keep the nutrient levels at proper levels, to achieve desirable results.
Additional Supplements
Adding Epsom salts to your tomato plants can help boost the nutrient intake and increase the yield. This is because Epsom salts are enriched with sulfur and magnesium, which are two key nutrients responsible for determining the size and health of your tomatoes. It is best to add Epsom salts once a month during the growing season and sprinkling them around the roots of the plants, as this helps improve growth and yield.
Oyster shell powder is another great natural supplement that can be used to increase the size of your tomatoes. Oyster shell powder is a high source of calcium, and when added to soil, helps increase the nutrient density in it. The addition of oyster shell powder helps prevent calcium deficiencies in tomato plants and increases the size and flavor of fruits.
Algae-derived fertilizer is a beneficial supplement for tomatoes due to its high content of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. It contains trace minerals and compounds that are beneficial for tomato plants, and it is known to enhance the growth and yield of vegetables.
Finally, coconut water is also known to be a great nutrient-dense food supplement for tomato plants. It contains electrolytes, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals, which are beneficial for the growth of the plants. Coconut water also helps to break down organic nutrients in the soil, thus helping the roots absorb more nutrients.
Gardening Tips
It is important to be vigilant about the health of the tomato plants and maintain a proper balance of nutrients. Regular soil tests can provide gardeners with essential information to help determine if any correction is needed. Testing the soil can provide insights to the exact amount of fertilizer and nutrients needed.
Rotating the crops is also essential for every tomato gardener. Planting the same crop in the same spot in consecutive years can lead to a nitrogen deficiency. This is why it is advantageous to keep track of the fertilizer used year by year and rotate the tomatoes to new spots.
Finally, it is important to choose a fertilizer blend that best suits the tomato variety you’re planting. Feeding the same fertilizer to all plants could cause significant damage and yield less than expected. Pay attention to the ratio of macronutrients and the quality of fertilizer when considering which one to buy.
