How to fertilize tomatoes when planting

Where is the best place to plant tomatoes?

Before you think about it, what fertilizers to apply When planting tomatoes in the ground, it's important to determine the best locations for growing them. For example, if the soil lacks nutrients, the plants won't thrive, as they won't absorb fertilizer well after planting. Therefore, gardeners should find a location that was fertilized last fall.

If a gardener already knows that he or she will be planting tomatoes in a particular area in the spring, then he or she should apply various fertilizers there in advance. For example, about three kilograms of manure is suitable. If manure is not available, then compost should be used; about sixty grams of this substance should be used per square meter.

What do tomatoes like?

Before you think about what fertilizers to apply when planting tomatoes Before planting tomatoes in a hole, it's worth learning about this plant's nutrient preferences. Experts say tomatoes thrive on phosphorus-based fertilizers, but they use much less of this fertilizer; they prefer potassium and nitrogen. If a gardener is looking for information on which fertilizers to use when planting tomatoes, phosphorus-based fertilizers are recommended.

When planting each seedling, add a small amount of fertilizer to each hole, after which you can leave the tomatoes to continue growing. Phosphorus fertilizers help tomatoes bloom much earlier than expected, and the fertilizer allows roots to develop quickly and well. Furthermore, this substance improves the quantity and quality of fruit, and the tomatoes themselves will ripen several days faster than in regular soil.

In addition to phosphorus fertilizer, there are a number of other important nutrients. For example, potassium is responsible for rapid and high-quality ripening. However, if the soil lacks sufficient nitrogen, tomatoes will not ripen quickly, even with sufficient phosphorus and potassium. It's best to supply nitrogen to the soil in the form of ammonia.

Potassium and nitrogen-based nutrients are especially essential for plants when the first buds begin to appear on tomato plants. These two nutrients also help tomatoes bloom and produce their first fruits. Too little nitrogen, or potassium, in the soil can seriously weaken plants, causing them to wilt and become thinner. Insufficient nutrients also lead to a reduction in the size and number of fruits on each plant.

But don't get carried away, as too much nitrogen in the soil can cause the plant to overextend its foliage, but the fruit to grow is small, significantly reducing the fruiting of each plant. Excess nitrogen can completely destroy the plant's yield. Another disadvantage of too much nitrogen in the soil is that it weakens tomatoes and makes them susceptible to various diseases.

Scientists' opinion

If we consider some of the experts' findings, we can see that plants consume about ninety percent of the phosphorus, and all of this substance is used only for the formation of new fruit. If a gardener is looking for fertilizers to apply when planting tomatoes outdoors, they should consider granular fertilizers. The fact is that powdered superphosphate cannot produce the same results as granules; the powder contains about one hundred and eighty grams of phosphorus, while plants can only extract fifty grams, and sometimes even less, from the fertilizer. This requires careful monitoring. fertilizing tomatoes 2 weeks after planting.

Using granular superphosphate can yield an excellent harvest, as plants can absorb four times more phosphorus than from powdered fertilizer. Young plants have a difficult time releasing phosphorus from fertilizer; only mature tomatoes can do this, so when planting seedlings in the ground, it's recommended to add a small amount of granular superphosphate to each hole.

Let's talk about potash fertilizers

If a gardener is wondering what fertilizer to use when planting tomatoes in a greenhouse, they should use only potassium sulfate. Using other types of fertilizer will quickly increase the chlorine level in the soil, which will negatively impact not only the yield but also the health of the plants themselves. A chlorine deficiency will also be noticeable: without enough chlorine, tomato leaves will soon turn brown and curl into tubes. In this case, the root system will completely stop developing, and fruiting will not begin until the balance of chlorine and other essential nutrients in the soil is restored.

Top dressing outside the roots

Tomatoes respond well to fertilizers applied externally to the roots. Fertilizers such as boron promote the formation of a special pollen that pollinates the flowers, where the tomato fruits will later develop. It's worth noting that several other minerals also affect fruit formation. For example, if the soil lacks manganese or copper, all the flowers on the plants will begin to fall off, and the fruits in their place will no longer be able to form, as the buds will fall off along with the ovaries.

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Excess of substances in the soil

Avoid adding too many beneficial nutrients to the soil, as they can harm the plant. For example, if the soil contains too much nitrogen, it can deplete potassium, leading to poor plant health. If the soil contains too much potassium, it will deplete magnesium and calcium, which are just as important for plants as phosphorus and nitrogen.

If a gardener wants a truly good harvest, they should calculate in advance the amount of fertilizer to be applied to each hole or per square meter. When tomatoes begin to ripen, but even when ripe, they remain light in color, it's worth adding a little mullein to the soil; bird droppings are also a good fertilizer.

Mix one part bird droppings with ten parts clean water, then add ammonium nitrate and a small amount of potassium sulfate. Use just a small spoonful of each. After this application, apply the next fertilizer no sooner than two weeks later.

To get a large and high-quality tomato harvest, it's important to correctly calculate the amount of fertilizer; only then will the plants thrive.