Fertilizers are chemical or organic elements supplied to the crops to boost their productivity. Using the best fertilizer for tomatoes will ensure you get healthy growth and large, tasty, and increased tomatoes yields.
It is important to note that tomatoes need different proportions of nutrients during each growth cycle. If you are new to cultivation or gardening, fertilizing tomatoes correctly and accurately may seem like a burdensome task. This article will help make it easier and help you understand what is required of you.
What is the Importance of Fertilizers?
Fertilizers are essential because they will deal with pests, lack of nutrition, and lack of soil fertility. Fertilizers contain the vital nutrients necessary for plant growth, including nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.
They also enhance the water retention and preservation potential of the soil while at the same time increasing its fertility. Besides, the fertilizers will also improve and increase the root depth.
Additionally, the fertilizers have a rapid effect on the plants, increasing the crop's tolerance towards pests and reducing the dependence on herbicides and insecticides. Now that we understand the importance of fertilizers, let us look at the five best fertilizers for tomatoes.
1. Jobe’s- Tomato Fertilizer Spikes For All Tomato Plants
- Pre-measured fertilizer spikes nourishes at the roots; Time...
- Easy to use fertilizer spikes; No wasteful runoff, no mess,...
- Continuous supply of nutrients below the surface, where the...
- Jobe’s spikes feeds for 8 weeks; Continuous nourishment for...
- Guaranteed fertilizer analysis: (6-18-6) 18 spikes in waterproof...
Kicking off our list is Jobe's tomato fertilizers which is you can carefully or spraying them. Jobe’s tomato is the best tomato fertilizer that works greatly for eight weeks within the soil for the tomato plant’s active roots. These fertilizer spikes give nutrition to tomatoes planted in containers and the ones in the garden.
These Jobe’s tomato spikes are pre-measured and provide nutrients to the plant through the plant's roots, promoting active germination. In addition, the fertilizer is easy to use and does not cause hazardous mess or smells.
A benefit of using these fertilizer spikes is that they will not be easily washed away by rain compared to those applied on the soil or plant surface. In addition, tomato fertilizers have an NPK ratio of 6-18-6.
Pros:
Cons:
2. Dr. Earth Home Grown Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer
- For more nutritious and tasty vegetables
- Optimum levels of primary plant nutrients
- Contains no GMOs, chicken manure or sewage sludge
- Feeds for several months
- Made with 100% organic and natural ingredients
Dr. Earth Home Grown Tomato, Vegetable & Herb liquid Fertilizer is another great option formulated with all organic components like chicken manure, kelp meal, bone meal fish emulsion, fish bone meal, alfalfa meal, and seaweed extract.
Dr. Earth Home Grown Tomato, Fertilizer tea promotes tomato plants' healthy and productive maturity and other vegetables. This product is also enriched with multi-minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and humic acids that help promote healthy and nutritious soil. Dr. Earth’s fertilizer tea is a bit more expensive than other products, but it is a high-quality product that will give great yields.
Pros:
Cons:
3. Tomato-tone Organic Tomato Fertilizer
- An all natural and organic plant food enhanced with thousands of...
- It is perfect for all tomatoes, helps prevent blossom end rot and...
- It is specifically formulated to produce consistently plump,...
- Power Source Type: Manual
- A complete plant food with all 15 essential nutrients
Tomato-tone Organic Fertilizer is all organic and natural that will guarantee good and high yields. It is enhanced with major microbes and is approved and tested for organic farming or gardening. This fertilizer is ideal for tomatoes. It will provide safe and constant feeding for a couple of weeks.
This plant food is good at preventing blossom end rot and will give you organically grown tomatoes that are juicy. The fertilizer is formulated with all 15 nutrients that will promote healthy germination. It also contains an NPK ratio of 3-4-6, which will work great in all fruiting plants.
The tomato tone organic plant food is an environmentally safe product that does not contain hazardous components that can cause pollution. In addition, it has slow-release nitrogen that is in the right amount needed by the plants.
Pros:
Cons:
4. Tomato Fertilizer 4-18-38 Powder- Water Soluble Plus Micro Nutrients
- 5 Pounds of Greenway Biotech 100% Water Soluble Tomato Fertilizer...
- Contains 4% Nitrogen, 18% Phosphorous, 38% Potassium, Boron,...
- Professionally Formulated with Highest Quality Ingredients
- Great for Hydroponics and Soil Use
- It Doesn't Have any Heavy Metals or Harmful Materials
Greenway Biotech Tomato Fertilizer is another perfect option that contains 100% water-soluble components plus traces of minerals. The water-soluble fertilizer contains 4% Nitrogen, 18% Phosphorous, 38% Potassium, and other micronutrients like iron, boron, and magnesium, which tomatoes need and that will help with tomato germination is effective for the growing season.
This professionally formulated water-soluble fertilizer has come in a package that contains five pounds of the product that will compost tea of up to 1000 gallons of liquid plant food. The advantage is that the fertilizers do not contain heavy metals or hazardous components that will harm the plant or the environment.
Pros:
Cons:
5. Burpee Organic Tomato and Vegetable Plant Food
- Burpee Organic All Purpose Granular Plant Food is formulated for...
- The easy-to-apply granules release essential nutrients...
- Contains beneficial microbes, and nutrients, plants will produce...
- Omri listed for organic use
- Ideal for young bedding plants, established vegetable gardens,...
Burpee’s organic tomato and organic vegetable fertilizers are designed and come in granular mode. It is incorporated with the soil before planting or growing tomatoes. The organic fertilizers will last for up to eight to twelve weeks, and then you will need to fertilize your garden again.
Burpee’s tomato and organic vegetable foods are the best fertilizer for tomatoes that will give you strong, healthy growth and large, tasty tomatoes. In addition, the fertilizers are easy and quick to use and contain microbes that are beneficial to the plants and the garden soil.
Pros:
Cons:
Types of Fertilizer
There are two types of fertilizers for a tomatoes plant; liquid and granular.
1. Liquid Fertilizers
Liquid fertilizer is a type of fertilizer that comes in both organic and non-organic forms. They come in high concentrations and have to be diluted using water before applying. You can apply the fertilizer using different methods, and you can spray the concentration or water it directly.
Pros:
Cons:
2. Granular Fertilizer
Granular compost is applied by spreading it over near the root section of your plants or by combining it with the soil before you plant your tomatoes. The granular type is then divided into two other types the quick release and the slow release.
Quick-release nutrients are in an inorganic form that will break down faster, providing an instant nutritional boost to the plants. The slow-release fertilizer, on the other hand, comes in both organic and inorganic forms. The slow-release fertilizer also takes time and releases nutrients to the plants slowly over the growing season.
Pros:
Cons:
Factors to Consider Before Purchasing the Best Fertilizer For a Tomato Plant
1. Condition of the Soil
The first factor that you must consider while purchasing the best fertilizer for tomatoes is knowing the status of the soil you will be planting your tomatoes. You can get the soil tested, and the macro and micronutrients of the soil will guide you on what compost you can get.
2. Stage of the Tomato Plants
In the growth cycle, the tomatoes will use one type of fertilizer, and it is very important to understand the different stages. For instance, if your plant is sprouting, you will need compost with high levels of phosphorous like Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Tomato Plant Food that will help with root development to make your plants stronger.
When the tomatoes are flowering, you will also need a tomato fertilizer to help with the fruit development. At the flowering stage, the plant will not need much nitrogen. Still, it will require you to increase phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients like calcium, promoting fruit growth and limit blossom end rot.
3. Chemical Fertilizer Content
The fertilizers contain micro and macro components that are necessary nutrients for plant growth. It is important to know what your plants need to choose a fertilizer that will fertilize tomatoes. The micronutrients are a complex blend of minerals and organic components that will help in fertilizing tomatoes. They may contain boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, sulfur, and calcium.
On the other hand, the macronutrients are packed with three main vital nutrients; nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Nitrogen will stimulate the natural production of chlorophyll, Phosphorus will promote the growth of roots, stems, and fruit production, and Potassium helps plants produce strong stem and root systems.
It is important to know that most brands will indicate the components of the fertilizers. Most of them, for example, will have the nitrogen NPK ratio of 4-6-4, respectively. The ratio will indicate the percentage of the components.
4. Organic Tomato Fertilizer Options
Organic tomato fertilizer comes from natural ingredients with low nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (N P K), but they provide high micronutrients. The greatest advantage is that organic fertilizers are less likely to damage or blossom end rot your tomato plant. Organic fertilizer is a great option because they contain beneficial microbes, fungi, and bacteria. In addition, organic ingredients like soil microbes will help boost soil and plant health.
When Should I Fertilize my Tomato Plants?
Fertilization should be done first when you are planting your tomatoes. Then you could do it again when your plant starts flowering or went it start growing fruit. You could also apply an extra light fertilizer at least once or twice in two weeks.
Apply the best fertilizer for tomatoes to the soil you intend on planting the tomatoes. You could opt for the liquid fertilizer or the Granular fertilizer at this point and then work on the soil lightly and grow your plants. While flowering, you can opt for the Liquid tomato fertilizer because they are easy to apply at this level.
Signs of Tomato Over-Fertilization
If you are worried that your vegetables or plants are over-fertilized, you could tell by looking at the listed signs. However, it should be noted that container-grown plants are affected more than those grown in the ground soil.
a) Yellowing leaves; Having yellow leaves can be caused by excess nitrogen, leading to less or minimum water absorption.
b) Sudden leaves loss
c) Wilting of lower leaves
d) A heavy build-up of fungi, sediment, and debris on the top of the soil
e) Bushy leaves and decayed flowers.
f) Black brown or rotting roots
How to Fix Over-Fertilization
Reversing the impacts of using too much fertilizer is feasible; however, it may take some time for the vegetables to return to proper health. Nevertheless, there are a few steps you could follow if you want to reverse over-fertilization.
First, you could use mulch on the soil to help treat excess nitrogen in the soil. Second, you could rake off the top layer and discard it if you see sediment and debris build-ups. Lastly, if you plan to have container-grown plants or vegetables, you could soak the soil in water and dry it out, and you could do this a few times before planting.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Best Fertilizer For Tomatoes
1. What is a good natural fertilizer for tomato plants?
If you are looking for a good natural fertilizer for your tomatoes, you could use a cottonseed meal as a great option. You will only need to mix the cottonseed meal into your soil before planting. The cottonseed meal is a great tomato fertilizer because it contains a 6-2-1 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
2. How often do you put Epsom salt on tomatoes?
Using an Epsom salt and water solution will help increase tomato yield and keep vegetation green and bushy. To make the solution, you will need to use one teaspoon of the Epsom salts and a litter of water. Then use a spray bottle to wet the foliage on your tomatoes.
3. Do my tomato seedlings need fertilizer?
Of course, tomato seedlings will need the best fertilizer for tomatoes to help with the roots, stem, and foliage growth. The fertilizer will fasten the germination process and will see it through the growth till the flowering stage, where you will need fertilizer.
