This includes both granular and liquid-based tomato feed. Miracle Gro produces dedicated tomato fertilizer products that are designed for keeping tomato plants healthy and producing fruit. ![]() However, possibly the best option is to make a liquid comfrey fertilizer that is rich in potassium and ideal for promoting flowers and fruits. There are several options for making a homemade tomato fertilizer, this includes using homemade compost to feed the soil, adding wood ash to boost potassium, or using Epsom salt from the cupboard. (Image credit: Getty/erin1979/500px) FAQs Can you make homemade tomato fertilizer? A good example is the Jack's Classic 12-15-30 Tomato Feed available at Amazon A higher level of potassium is also regarded to make plants more resistant to diseases and also to tolerate stress. When the flowers have started showing, then use a tomato fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus and potassium, as these nutrients will help to produce flowers and ripen fruit. One example of such a balanced feed is the Expert Gardener All Purpose Plant Fertilizer available at Walmart. ![]() At the time of planting, it is best to choose a balanced fertilizer where all three NPK numbers are the same, eg. The requirements of the tomato fertilizer differ during each of the application windows. Consider the specific needs of your plants and soil, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for application rates and frequency.’ Organic fertilizers like compost, fish emulsion, and bone meal are also effective. She adds: ‘Slow-release and liquid fertilizers are popular options. A tomato fertilizer will contain NPK as well as micronutrients that are also important to plant health.Įmily Jones, grower of tomatoes for over 30 years and founder of Tomato Mentor, recommends that the ‘best fertilizer for tomatoes is a well-balanced one’ that provides calcium and magnesium as well as NPK. These three nutrients are referred to as NPK and their make-up in any fertilizer is shown as three numbers separated by dashes on a plant fertilizer label, eg. (Image credit: Getty/Zbynek Pospisil) What is the best tomato fertilizer?Īll plants need the main three nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to grow into healthy specimens. This can be done the day before, as the plants will take up the fertilizer much quicker if the soil is dry and faster than they ideally should. Whenever you do use tomato fertilizer, always water the plants before applying the feed. This may reduce the yield, but the taste will be enhanced.’ ‘As for growing, the thing to bear in mind is that generous watering and feeding is the enemy of good flavor. Of course, we can’t control the weather, but we can control the other two,’ he adds. ‘Flavor comes from three things: the varieties we choose, the way we grow the plants and the weather. Graham Rice, gardening expert for Homes & Gardens, claims that you actually have to ‘feed and water less for tastier tomatoes’ and giving the plant more fertilizer than it actually needs can impair the flavor of the fruit. You can over-fertilize plants and adding too much tomato fertilizer can burn the plant’s roots, cause a nutrient imbalance, and potentially kill a plant. ![]() When using any fertilizer, always apply at the rates recommended by the manufacturer. It is recommended to only apply water and feed to the base of the plant and avoid watering from above and soaking the plant’s leaves. Care must be taken to avoid the feed touching the plant’s stem and any granular fertilizer must be watered in well after applying.Ī liquid feed for tomatoes is mixed with water and applied to the soil when watering plants. The granular or pellet form of feed can be sprinkled on the compost around the plants. Take care to ensure that any fertilizer does not come into direct contact with the roots of the plant.ĭuring the flowering and fruiting season, tomato feed can come in granular or liquid form. This feed can come in the form of homemade compost or well-rotted manure, or a manufactured slow-release fertilizer. When fertilizing tomatoes at the time of planting, place the chosen feed at the bottom of the planting hole. She has also written many hugely-popular gardening books – such as No-Nonsense Container Gardening available at Amazon, and contributed to magazines, including Amateur Gardening. Christine has appeared on many notable TV programmes in the UK, including Gardeners' World, Glorious Gardens from Above and Christine’s Garden. Christine Walkden is a gardening expert who worked at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, based at Wakehurst Place, as well as for nurseries, and spent a period as a horticultural lecturer.
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