Did you know that tomatoes help fight against cancer and control blood glucose in people with diabetes? To add to this, it is also considered the most popular vegetable-fruit in the world.
Tomatoes are filled with antioxidants and vitamins; valuable nutrients to keep a healthy heart, good eyesight, beautiful skin, and much more. If you are thinking of starting a diet plan, do not forget to include tomatoes in your daily meals.
Considering its huge benefits, it is better to grow the perfect tomatoes yourself rather than buy these from the market. This way, you can be 100% sure of what you’re eating. To ensure you get the best out of your tomatoes, you need to find the right fertilizer. Our research indicates that a proper fertilizer provides your tomato garden all its necessary nutrients in the perfect amount.
Which Are the best fertilizers for tomatoes?
Before you select a fertilizer for your plants, you need to understand certain basics. These are essential for growing healthy red, large tomatoes in abundance.
This will help you choose the right fertilizer specifically for your garden. The important factors to consider are:
Type of soil and which fertilizer goes with it?
You need to know your soil type before choosing any fertilizer. Tomatoes grow in almost all types of soil, but loam or sandy loam is preferable.
If you don’t know your soil type, I definitely recommend you to test it. This way, you can have an understanding of the nutrient contents and pH level. There are test kits available in almost all garden stores. By testing the soil, you will easily find out what elements are lacking in your ground.
It is best to have a pH near 6.5 to 7. If the pH is very high, you may apply fertilizer that contains ammonium sulfate to reduce the pH level. If, on the contrary, you need to increase the pH of your soil, you need to use agricultural lime for neutralizing.
If your garden soil seems moderately fertile, you may use all-purpose fertilizers (for example Plant Magic Plant Food Organic Fertilizer). The three most important elements in a fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These are essential for the healthy growth and a nice color of the plants.
For tomatoes particularly, don’t go for a high nitrogen-containing fertilizer as too concentrated fertilizers cause large leaves and small fruit. My research indicates to provide a sufficient amount of potassium, phosphorus, and just a small portion of nitrogen.
- potassium causes rapid growth in plants
- phosphorus helps to grow strong roots and healthy fruit.
Chemical fertilizer application
While applying a chemical substance to your garden, you need to make sure you are using it in the correct amount. Overuse of chemicals can harm your tomatoes. Our research shows that using 2-3 pounds fertilizer with nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio of 10-20-10 for 100 square feet is good.
Differences between an organic & a non-organic fertilizer
People often get confused about whether to select an organic or a non-organic fertilizer. Well, these both work quite well. Organic fertilizers are completely safe to use. Not all chemical fertilizers are safe, however, some of them work incredibly well (I have named these below). Both organic and non-organic fertilizers have different compatibility and their NPK ratio differs a bit.
If you are new at gardening, then this is the safest choice for you.
- Made of natural ingredients
- Safe for humans and wildlife
- Restores the soil
- Safe for long-term usa
- Keeps the diseases and weeds away
- Provides all the essential nutrients
- Gives a healthy growth, color, and sweetness
Non-organic fertilizer works best if you are looking to find the perfect balance of nutrients to be able to grow lush tomatoes. After testing your soil, you’ll be able to buy a synthetic fertilizer that best matches the needs of your soil.
- Made with chemical substances
- These work faster than organic fertilizer
- Cheaper in cost
- Gives rapid growth to the plants
- Filled with all the chemical components that the plant needs
- Distinct NPK ratios for different soil nutrient requirements
Growing stages of a tomato plant
After fertilizing your garden, you are then ready for seeding. Usually, tomatoes take 50-70 days to reach harvesting time. During this period, the plants need to be fertilized several times.
The entire growth stage of the plant can be divided into four stages:
The first stage is the time between seed to flower. This is the period when we see the vegetative growth of tomato plants. Right after you seed these in your garden, you need to fertilize your plants properly. Espoma Tomato-tone Organic Fertilizer provides the right nutrients, so the plants start progressing in healthy growth. Within a month, the flower will start to bloom.
In the second stage, the flowers slowly begin turning into fruits. At this time, the tomatoes will be young and green.
The third stage is the first harvesting period. It starts when the tomatoes turn into a deep, bright red color.
The last stage is the period between the first harvest to the last harvesting time.
Best products to grow plentiful large red tomatoes
Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Tomato Plant Food
This synthetic fertilizer is specifically designed for tomatoes. It makes the soil more water-soluble. This ensures your plants get all necessary nourishment from the ground. This is a chemical fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 24-8-16.
You need to apply Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Tomato Plant Food after every 2 weeks. This helps to grow the tomatoes bigger, healthier, and more bountiful.
It comes in two different size bags – 1.5 lb and 3 lb. This is a liquid fertilizer and the application process is done just in 3 simple steps:
- Add 1 tablespoon of Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Tomato Plant Food to 1 gallon of water.
- Mix it well.
- Apply using any water can or sprayer.
A bigger 3 lb bag can cover about 600 square feet.
Jobe’s Organics 9026 Fertilizer
This is an OMRI-certified fertilizer which indicates it doesn’t carry any synthetic chemicals. It is safe for wildlife, plants, and kids.
It is an eco-friendly product with a fast-acting capacity. It is renowned for its abundant amount of harvest. Moreover, Jobe’s Organics 9026 Fertilizer protects the tomatoes from getting any insects, diseases, drought, or other unavoidable conditions.
This organic fertilizer comes in a granular form that has a balanced NPK ratio of 2-5-3. You can get it in 3 different bag sizes:
- 1.5 lb
- 4 lb
- 16 lb
Application, again, is very straightforward. Take a gallon of water and mix 1 tablespoon of product. Spray the fluid all over the garden.
Jobe’s Tomato Fertilizer Spikes
This fertilizer is quite unique in its application process. You need to insert the spikes around your tomato plants. This fertilizer slowly releases its formula into the soil and enriches it with all valuable nutrition; the plants feed up to 8 weeks.
These spikes have a number of benefits:
- never wash away like other fertilizers
- super easy to use
- a mess-free fertilizer
- enriched with slow-releasing formula
One bag carries 18 solid spikes which go up to two months. Other vegetables also can be fed with this fertilizer, but it works best for tomatoes.
Espoma Tomato-tone Organic Fertilizer
If you were thinking of growing plump, juicy tomatoes, then Espoma Tomato-tone Organic Fertilizer is the right choice for you. Estoma has an exclusive bio-tone formula with a long-lasting, slow-releasing process. It is enriched with 15 types of nutrients. The fertilizer bears 8% iodine to prevent blossom and rots.
This fertilizer provides 100% natural and organic ingredients. It is a top-quality product for organic gardeners. It has been proved that Espoma Tomato-tone Organic Fertilizer promotes healthy growth of the plants. More flowers will appear to get better fruit production. This fertilizer can be used in any type of soil, although, it is specially made for tomatoes.
To prepare your tomato bed, take 3 lb of product (which is equal to 9 cups), and apply it to an area of 50 square feet. One bag carries a 4lb product.
Fox Farm FX14092 Grow Big Liquid Concentrate fertilizer
If you were looking for a fast-acting, water-soluble fertilizer, then this is the perfect choice for you. You will notice a lush, vegetative growth in your plants. Its NPK of 6-4-4 gives an extra boost to young plants. An ideal blend of organic and trace mineral nutrients brings a perfect balance to your soil and provides all the necessary nutrients that a plant needs.
Our research demonstrates that it works best during the early season. This fertilizer is most suitable for tomatoes, but other vegetables will also benefit from it.
The early-stage plants get all kinds of nutrients from this product for their robust foliage and rapid growth. This fertilizer promotes
- healthier leaves;
- -large-size flowers that make bigger tomatoes;
- lush, vegetative, and compact growth.
This a concentrated liquid fertilizer. The using process is quite similar to other liquid fertilizers. Just add half a tablespoon of Fox Farm FX14092 Grow Big Liquid Concentrate to 1-gallon water. Mix it well. Then spread it all over the garden.
You will see the results during the first flowering.
Miracle-Gro Continuous Release Plant Food
Miracle grow has been a renowned synthetic fertilizer for years. The chemicals it contains are beneficial for multiple plants. You can choose Miracle-Gro Continuous Release Plant Food for its fast-acting formula and abundant crop production.
This can be applied to all types of flowers, vegetables as well as house plants. It has an NPK ratio of 17-9-11 with added magnesium and other micronutrients. It won’t burn your fruits. The micronutrients provide stable growth with better production. It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor plants.
It is a synthetic fertilizer, but doesn’t carry any harmful chemicals.Use the product as directed to get the best outcome.
An 8 lb bag lasts up to 3 months. It’s easier to use and apply than any other fertilizer. All you have to do is shake the bottle and spread the granular fertilizer all over your plants. After that, simply mix it into the soil and water the plants as you would normally do.
Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer
This is an organic fertilizer made of 100% natural and organic ingredients. NPK 4-6-3 provides an optimal level of all primary nutrients for all your plants. Its probiotic formula and seven champion strains of beneficial soil microbes bring the best out in plants. It’s safe for both the plants as well as animals. I recommend this for growing more nutritious fruit with an eco-friendly nature.
The product comes in a 4 lb bag. This covers almost 60 square feet. It has a granular structure and the fertilizing process is similar to Miracle-Gro Continuous Release Plant Food.
It can be used for other vegetables and herbs as well.
Earth HomeGrown Tomato Fertilizer
As we already know, Dr. Earth is famous for its pure organic ingredients. Its NPK of 4-6-3 ensures total safety for plants as well as animals and humans.
It is a perfect choice for tomatoes, but can also be used for other plants. The advantages you get by using Dr. Earth HomeGrown Tomato Fertilizer are:
- contains TruBiotic advanced soil microbes and mycorrhizae which provide deep nourishment
- restores your garden soil
- safe for long-term usa
- promotes deeper roots and healthy growth
- contributes to drought tolerance
- 100% eco-friendly.
This fertilizer is suggested by many environmentalists to bring a positive change to the world.
It is sold in 5 different bag sizes – 1 lb, 4 lb, 15 lb, 25 lb, and 50 lb. A 4 lb bag carries about 6-7 cups of granular product which is sufficient for 60 square feet.
Neptune’s Harvest Organic Hydrolized Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer
This is an organic fertilizer made by the perfect blend of hydrolyzed fish. NPK ratio of 2-3-1 ensures its complete safety for the environment. This product is also OMRI-listed, so you can choose it without any doubt for your organic garden.
Neptune’s Harvest Organic Hydrolized Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer:
- keeps a natural sugar balance within your fruits;
- grows a beautiful healthy garden;
- gives plenty of harvest with vibrant colors;
- longer-lasting formula.
1 gallon carries 9 lb of liquid fertilizer. The application process is also very simple. Take one ounce with a gallon of water, then spray all over the plants. With 1 gallon of this product, you can prepare 64 gallons worth of fertilizer mixture. With this, you can cover up to 2000 square feet.
It is suitable for all vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
Plant Magic Plant Food Organic Fertilizer
Being an organic fertilizer, it doesn’t bring any chemicals in its composition.. It guarantees a 0% chance of burning. Kids, and all animals are safe for this water-friendly fertilizer. The product doesn’t have any odor.
You will notice amazing growth, deep red color and sweet taste in your tomato plants by using this fertilizer. Plant Magic Plant Food Organic Fertilizer is an all-purpose granular fertilizer that helps bring a healthy beautiful garden. It works on flowers, fruits, veggies, and trees.
It protects your plants from disease and insects. The NPK for Organic Plant Magic is 6-5-5. It has more than 55 trace minerals and millions of beneficial microorganisms.
This granular fertilizer is sold in 2 lb, 5 lb and 20 lb bucket sizes. A 5 lb bucket makes 310 gallons and works on 10,000 square feet.
Greenway Biotech Water Soluble Tomato Fertilizer
For growing tasty juicy large tomatoes, this is the right fertilizer for you. It is 100% organic with a NPK ratio of 4-18-35 This fertilizer is fully water-soluble and specially created for tomato plants, so it carries all the essential nutrients that the plants would need.
This comes with a 5 lb bag which makes 1,000 gallons worth of liquid tomato fertilizer. The texture is concentrated and free of chemicals. It is fully safe for the environment.
This fertilizer is also suitable for eggplants, potatoes, goji berries, tobacco, peppers, etc.
MASTERBLEND Complete Combo Kit Fertilizer
This is a combo of three separate components (master blend fertilizer, calcium nitrate, and Epsom salt). The NPK of MASTERBLEND is 4-18-38. Calcium nitrate has a 15-0-0 ratio. This is a 100% water-soluble product. The plants can easily absorb the nutrition from the soil.
Professionals recommend MASTERBLEND for its perfect blend of nutrients, top-notch quality, and unique approach.. The deep red color, rapid growth, and size of the tomatoes will undoubtedly bring a smile to your face.
This synthetic fertilizer is especially made for tomatoes and other vegetables. Its 3-pack formula saves you the extra cost of shipment. It provides all the ingredients that a gardener needs.
It is sold in 5 different size kits – 2.5 lb, 5 lb, 12.5 lb, 25 lb, and 62.5 lb. Masterblend packed weight keeps a ratio of 1:1:0.5 (Masterblend, Calcium Nitrate, Epsom salt)
It has a powdery texture which is water-soluble.
Here’s how to use it: take one tablespoon of the product similar to the weight ratio (1 part Masterblend, 1 part Calcium Nitrate, and 0.5 part Epsom salt), then mix it with 1 gallon of water. You can simply apply it using a sprayer.
How and when should you fertilize your tomato plants?
Tomatoes need a lot of nutrition to grow. To ensure a good harvest, you need to fertilize the garden on a regular basis. But, keep in mind that over-fertilizing might cause you great damage and leave you empty handed. So, knowing the right way and time of fertilizing is very important.
Tomato plants are heavy feeders. So, ensure that your tomato bed is constantly full of nutrition. Use an all-purpose fertilizer (for example Fox Farm FX14092 Grow Big Liquid Concentrate fertilizer) for the first application. It may be done as soon as you plant the seeds in your garden.
Use 2-3 lb fertilizer to prepare the tomato bed. Early spring is the perfect time to start planting. Make sure the fertilizer goes deep (at least 12 inches) into the ground.
The second application can be started when the tomatoes have grown to the size of a golf ball. From then on, you need to fertilize after every two weeks till harvest. The tomatoes need lots of feeding during that time.
Tomato plants need proper care, some time, and a good fertilizer to provide the best harvest. So, following the above instructions will help you select the perfect fertilizer for you. In addition to fertilizing your plants, don’t forget to water these regularly. Providing enough water to your plants will allow the fertilizer to get to the roots.
Tomato plants become desperately hungry for nutrients during their growth period. If you provide sufficient nourishment during that time, you can produce an abundant amount of large tomatoes, bright-red in color.