How to Use Fertilizer on Tomato Growth

Tomato plants are "heavy feeders." Fertilizing with a complete, phosphorus-rich fertilizer will help them produce more and larger fruit. To find the right fertilizer, look for three numbers separated by a hyphen--for example, 5-10-10 or 5-20-20. This is the proportion of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the mix, respectively. If you use the wrong balance of nutrients, however--such as a blend with too much nitrogen, like 20-5-5 or 20-10-10--you may end up with lots of tomato foliage but few if any fruit.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rototiller, garden rake or spade

1. Sprinkle 2 to 3 lbs. of fertilizer per every 100 square feet of garden area 2 weeks before you plant your tomatoes.

2. Use a rototiller, garden rake or spade--depending on the size of the patch--to work the fertilizer into the soil. Alternatively, you may simply add a 2-inch thick mixture of topsoil on top of the fertilizer.

3. Plant your tomatoes in the fertilized soil once 2 weeks have passed.

4. Fertilize again once you notice the first fruit developing. This time, spread the fertilizer in a complete circle about a foot away from each plant. Take care not to let the fertilizer contact any part of the tomato plant.

5. Cover the sprinkled fertilizer with about 2 inches of topsoil, then sprinkle a layer of mulch, like grass cuttings or hay, on top of the added soil.

6. Soak the fertilized area. Repeat this "side dressing" fertilization every week or two; light, sandy soils will need to be fertilized more often than heavy, loamy soils.

References

• New Jersey Championship Tomatoes
• Ohio State University
• Tomato FAQ