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The Right Way To Fertilize Tomatoes To Produce Delicious Fruit

By Kaye Dennan

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 05Jun2010
Word count: 458
Viewed: 168 time(s)

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Tomato plants are rapid growers, especially those larger varieties that can reach 6 to 8 feet tall. One could be excused for thinking that they need feeding every week during the growing period but that is not the case. In fact too much tomato fertilizer will burn the roots and possibly even kill the plant or at least end up with blossom-end rot. What tomato plants do need is a well prepared soil before the seedlings are put in the ground.

Preparing the soil.

Soil acidity testing is the first step. The soil should be slightly acidic and the pH balance about 6.0 to 6.8 for the best results when tomato growing. If there is not a way to check the soil acidity then simply mix ¾ cup of lime and ½ cup of 8-8-8 fertilizer together. The 8-8-8 fertilizer may seem a mystery, but in actual fact it relates to the contents of the fertilizer which they designate by weight, the percentage of the three major nutrients that all plants need for strong healthy growth. This mix is very popular in the tomato growing industry.

The mix is nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. The three '8's' relate in the sequence mentioned here. If the numbers are different it means that in that sequence the particular amount of that mix is changed.

When digging in the 8-8-8 also add some lime to the soil as this helps reduce the overall nutrient imbalance of the soil and as well as that it also controls the blossom-end rot problem which is very common when growing tomatoes.

Dig in about 3 inches of organic compost before planting as well.

Side dressing growing plants.

Growing vegetable and fruit plants need fertilizer during the growing cycle if they are to produce a robust healthy end result. Side dressing should be done when the fruit branches start to form and about every 3 to 4 weeks thereafter. If the side dressing is done too early, the plant will produce masses of large leaves and not much in the way of fruit.

Apply the side dressing by digging a through in the soil about 6 inches away from the stem and add the 8-8-8 fertilizer at a ratio of about ½ a tablespoon for each plant. Some gardeners prefer a mix of 5-10-10 once the plant is growing. Back fill the furrow. There is no need for special watering as the regular weekly watering will take the nutrients to the roots.

Fertilizing tomato plants is an important step in the production of beautiful, sweet tomatoes, but it is not something to be overdone as that will burn the plant. Care needs to be taken not to get the tomato fertilizer on either the tomato stem or the leaves during the fertilizing process.

Growing tomatoes can be challenging but when you have read how to plant them and how to maintain them you can reap luscious tomatoes for months. Read how to Grow Tomatoes Successfully by signing up to our FREE 10 part mini-course 'Luscious Tomatoes'.

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