Tomatoes are among the best plants you can grow in your home’s garden. What’s great about growing tomatoes directly off the vine is that they can produce a taste that you can’t compare to the ones offered in typical groceries. It will also let you grow the best versions of tomatoes at the comforts of your own home – firm yet juicy, blemish-free, aromatic, and sweet yet tangy.
When growing tomatoes, remember that they worship the sun. As a matter of fact, they need a minimum of six hours of sunlight every day. Also, they need plenty of nutrients for them to bloom and ripen. Excessive or insufficient fertilizer may harm the tomatoes. With that, it is crucial to schedule fertilizer application and watering.
Let’s learn more about the basics of fertilizing tomatoes through this article.
Best Fertilizer for Tomatoes
One important thing to do if you want your tomatoes to thrive and survive in your garden is to use the right fertilizer. How can you be sure that you are getting the most suitable fertilizer for this vegetable? Here are key factors to consider:
NPK Ratio
The best fertilizer for tomatoes is that which has the proper ratio of the three basic nutrients necessary for plants – nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This is what we refer to as the NPK ratio. The most favorable NPK ratio for tomatoes, if you plant and cultivate them in normal soil, is usually 5-10-10 or 5-10-5.
This means that you should basically look for a fertilizer with less nitrogen compared to the remaining nutrients. The reason is that excessive amounts of nitrogen may only cause the tomatoes to have big leaves but small blooms. While nitrogen is still necessary, it should have proper balance with other vital nutrients.
Soil Structure and Type
One way to choose the perfect fertilizer for tomatoes is to test the soil first. Note that various garden soils also produce different test results that will define the most appropriate fertilizer for the plant. It is even better to do the soil test before anything else as it will also give you an idea about the most favorable NPK ratio for your tomatoes. It will let you know what nutrients the tomatoes need the most.
Also, remember that tomatoes tend to survive better when grown in sandy loam or loam soil. The reason is that this soil guarantees proper aeration and an excellent drainage system.
Type
Assess the different types of fertilizers and their possible effects and benefits to the tomatoes. In most cases, these types are distinguished with the application methods, locations, sources, material, preferred output, and growing medium. Your choices include:
- Organic fertilizer – As its name suggests, organic fertilizer is indeed organic to the point that it is 100% good for the environment and chemical-free. It makes use of ingredients sourced directly from nature. With that, you have assurance that it is safe to use in the garden.
- Granular fertilizer – You can also go for the grainy, sandy, or powdery granular fertilizer. It is something that you have to spread around the tomatoes then water to activate them. Here, you also have two choices – the slow-release one, which releases nutrients gradually, and the water-soluble one, which you can dissolve in water with ease then feed to your plants fast.
- Liquid fertilizer – Another option is to invest in commercial or homemade liquid fertilizers perfectly suitable for tomatoes. These two classifications of liquid fertilizer are actually great for tomatoes. They are also suitable for any indoor and outdoor plants as well as those in containers.
When and How to Fertilizer Tomatoes?
You have to fertilize the tomatoes first right after planting them. After that, you can wait for them to produce fruits before you begin to fertilize again. Once they already start to grow fruits, add fertilizer lightly once every 1-2 weeks. Do this until the plant gets killed by the first frost.
To apply the fertilizer on tomatoes that you just have planted, combine it first with the soil that is specifically at the planting hole’s bottom. Put unfertilized soil on top of it prior to putting the tomato into the hole. This is important as the direct contact of raw fertilizer to the roots may cause the burning of the plant.
Once the fruits are already set, you can start fertilizing the tomatoes again. Make sure to water the plant well first before putting the fertilizer to prevent it from absorbing excessive amounts that may only result in it getting burned. Once you have finished watering the plant, spread your chosen fertilizer to the ground.
Start at around six inches from the plant’s base. Avoid putting the fertilizer at an extremely close spot to the plant as it may only lead to the product reaching the stem. When that happens, the tomato may get burned, so be extra careful.
How Do You Know If the Tomatoes Are Ripe?
With proper care and correct application of the right fertilizer, the tomatoes will soon ripen up. The number of days to harvest will depend greatly on the cultivar. In most cases, it would be sixty to over a hundred days.
One thing that you can do to determine if the tomato is already ripe is to check its skin. If it turns a bit shiny and glossy from having a dull and matte surface before, then it could be ripe already.
Examine the color of the tomato, too. The color should be in a particular shade that is fairly deep. For instance, for red tomatoes, the color has to be deep red while yellow tomatoes need to show a deep yellow shade.
It is also important for the color to be even. If just one side is red while the other is in another shade, perhaps green, then the tomato is still not ready for harvest. Ripe tomatoes also tend to deliver a nice fragrance.