How to feed tomatoes so they grow larger and faster

By providing tomatoes with good, balanced nutrition during growth and development, you can get a bountiful tomato harvest. If fertilized incorrectly, tomatoes weaken, become susceptible to disease, and lose yield. Overfeeding can lead to excessive foliage growth, poor fruit development, and increased susceptibility to late blight.

How to properly feed tomatoes

When fertilizing tomatoes, it's important to consider their growth phase, applying the elements the plant needs at that time. Before flowering, tomatoes require nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers, and during flowering, nitrogen-potassium fertilizers.

There is a sample schedule for introducing nutrients to tomato seedlings (both in open areas and in polycarbonate greenhouses), consisting of six main stages that take into account the development cycles of tomatoes.

Before planting in the ground

Seven to 15 days before planting the bushes in the ground (usually in May), apply nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer to the soil at a recommended rate of 30-40 g/m2. If organic fertilizers have already been applied, adjust the dose based on what has already been applied.

A small amount of potassium fertilizer should be added immediately upon planting.

A couple of weeks after landing

After a period of adaptation to new conditions, the bushes require not only nitrogen and phosphorus, but also other microelements for good growth and development:

• potassium;
• calcium;
• magnesium (sulfate or nitrate).

Of the magnesium varieties, magnesium nitrate is preferable, as it already contains nitrogen. In this case, additional nitrogen fertilizer is not necessary. If the seedlings require earlier feeding, don't wait two weeks – it's better to apply the fertilizer early and then apply it again later.

During the growth period

When entering the active growth cycle, tomatoes also require phosphorus for root development and nitrogen to help the plants develop stems and leaves. During this period, no more than two additional applications are required.

During flowering

Apply 2-3 root applications of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers to promote berry set. Potassium and phosphorus deficiencies cause flowers to fall off without pollination, and yields decline.

From this point on, nitrogen is reduced to a minimum or eliminated (the decision is made based on the condition of the tomato seedlings' greenery) so that the plants can direct their energy toward flowering and crop development.

At the stage of fruit setting

Phosphorus and potassium are the main nutrients for tomatoes; the number of fertilizing sessions per period is 2–3. Nitrogen can be omitted.

There are many complex preparations for use during fruit setting on the market, but the safest ones are organic.

During fruiting

Fertilize tomatoes 2-3 times a day for better flavor and faster ripening. Along with phosphorus, the following are essential:

• potassium;
• iodine;
• manganese;
• pine forest.

With this type of feeding, the ripe fruits will be fleshy and sweet.

Two weeks before harvesting, you must stop fertilizing the plants.

Extra feeding of tomatoes

The amount of fertilizing depends on the development of the seedlings and the soil condition. If the plants appear unhealthy, indicating a nutrient deficiency, an additional fertilizing session should be performed. Also, add fertilizers when planting There's no need to add fertilizer to the soil if the seedlings were fertilized before planting. If the plants are growing well at any stage, it's not necessary to follow the described schedule, performing all the fertilizing exactly. If the bushes are lush and healthy at any stage, the next fertilizing indicated in the schedule above can be skipped.

Fertilizing tomatoes grown in individual containers is carried out according to the described scheme, and, upon plant demand, fertilizers are added out of turn, since the soil in a limited space quickly becomes depleted.

Fertilizing tomatoes in a greenhouse

For tomatoes growing in a greenhouse, the given scheme must be maintained, since in the bulk soil of boxes and greenhouses, the circulation of nutrients is less active than in open ground.

Foliar treatments can be added to basic root feeding. Foliar sprays with nutrient mixtures can be used before flowering. Foliar feeding is very effective; tomatoes absorb it almost 100%. Foliar treatments strengthen the plant's immune system and increase bush yield. Spraying should be done no more than twice per season, alternating with root feedings. A concentrated solution is not required for foliar treatment; 0.1-0.15% is sufficient.

Greenhouse tomatoes can be fertilized up to 8-10 times per season (after planting in the ground). Although the leaves absorb nutrients well, frequent fertilization is not necessary, as tomato tops and stems do not like high humidity. If the plants do not respond to foliar feeding, it is best to apply additional fertilizer. If tomato seedlings are growing and developing normally, there is no need to overfertilize them; it is better to underfeed rather than overfeed.

Having properly prepared the soil before planting, you may need to begin fertilizing during the flowering period. The development and condition of the bush will help determine whether this is necessary.

How to fertilize tomato plants

https://youtu.be/DyQ02fQXx2E

Tomato seedlings grow well in soil fertilized with tomato tops from last fall:

• collect greens from healthy plants, dry them, and chop them;
• fill into the ground.

There are many inexpensive and accessible means for fertilizing tomato plantings.

At the first feeding After planting, you can fertilize Here's how: add a tablespoon of nitrophoska, half a liter of water infused with mullein, 1–2 tablets of micronutrient fertilizer, and 5 grams of boric acid to 10 liters of water. Water with 1 liter of the mixture per bush.

For the second feeding, use a similar recipe, replacing nitrophoska with potassium sulfate.

For foliar treatment you can use:

• non-concentrated boric acid - dissolve 10 g of powder in 10 liters of water, carry out the treatment when the second and third brushes are flowering;
• potassium nitrate - pour a teaspoon into 10 liters of water;
• monophosphate – add 5 grams to 10 liters of water;
• urea - dissolve a teaspoon in 10 liters of water;
• whey - add 1 liter of whey and 20 drops of iodine to a bucket of water.

You can use these solutions one after the other, or one of them at the required frequency.

Folk recipes for feeding tomatoes

Natural organic fertilizers, beloved by gardeners, are just as effective as ready-made chemicals. When used, tomatoes produce just as well and delight owners, giving confidence in their natural origin.

1. Add 8 drops of iodine solution to a bucket of water and water 1 liter per bush.
2. Dilute chicken manure with water: fill a bucket a third of the way with fertilizer, top it up with water, seal tightly (nitrogen is a volatile substance), and let it sit for 1 to 1.5 weeks, stirring daily. When watering, add half a liter of this infusion to the bucket and water between the rows at a rate of 5 to 6 liters per square meter.
3. To make mullein fertilizer, fill half a container with manure, top up with water, cover, and leave in a warm place for about a week. Then mix everything together. Water, diluting with water 1:10, using 0.5–1 liter per plant.
4. Fill the container 2/3 full with young nettles (dandelion, alfalfa), add water, leaving a little space, seal, and leave in a warm place for 7 to 10 days until fermentation begins. Water at a 1:10 dilution, using up to 2 liters per plant. Apply nettles no more than twice a month.
5. Place 2-3 banana peels (they contain a lot of potassium) in a 3-liter container, fill with warm water, leave for 3 days, strain and water the seedlings with the infusion.
6. Crush the eggshells of 3-4 eggs, pour 3 liters of warm water over them, cover loosely, and leave in a dark place for about three days. The infusion should become cloudy and smell unpleasant (due to the decomposition of hydrogen sulfide). Pour this infusion over the tomatoes.

During the fruiting stage of tomatoes, the following recipes are recommended:

1. Moisten the soil and sprinkle dry ash on it: 3-5 tablespoons per square meter. This can be used throughout the season, no more than two weeks after the previous feeding; the ash will add sweetness to the berries.
2. Prepare a mineral mixture: pour two liters of ash into 5 liters of boiling water, cool, top up to 10 liters and add 10 ml of iodine, use by adding it to water for irrigation 1:10, 1 liter is enough for the bush.
3. Place a 100g sample of live yeast in a 3-liter container, add 0.5 cups of granulated sugar, and fill to the top with water (37°C/98°F). Place in a warm place to ferment, shaking occasionally. Dilute 1 cup of the prepared substrate with 10 liters of water. Water each plant with 1 liter of the mixture. This method is sufficient once per season, as yeast contains no nutrients; it is more of a growth stimulant.

Many gardeners also use ammonia for soil application, treatment of the above-ground part and watering.

To avoid overfeeding tomato seedlings

Soil richly enriched with organic matter is contraindicated for tomato seedlings; manure or bird droppings should not be added to the planting holes – the bushes will become fat, bear fruit poorly, and begin to get sick.

You should not feed plants with mullein infusion more than two or three times per season.

Excessive urea application also negatively impacts tomato yield. It's best not to apply it directly to the roots of tomato plants when planting, and avoid frequent watering with a urea solution. Instead, apply it as a foliar fertilizer during the initial stages of seedling growth.

Excess nutrients and moisture create conditions for the bushes to grow green and delay the ripening of berries. Tomatoes ripen evenly in "thin" soil, not in "rich" soil.

Having studied the rules tomato feedingYou can create a fertilization plan for your plants. However, as the plants grow, you need to monitor them. You may need to adjust the plan.