Organic Tomato Fertilizer

Tomatoes are Heavy Feeders

Tomatoes are heavy feeders. This means that in order to produce the optimum amount of fruit they need constant access to plenty of rich nutrients. The main ingredients to look for in any tomato fertilizer are:

• Phosphorus, which promotes blossoms and fruit
• Nitrogen, which promotes lush, vegetative growth
• Potassium, which keeps the plant from succumbing to disease

Too much of any of these is not healthy for your plants. A plant may blossom profusely with plenty of phosphorus but if it is getting too much the foliage will not be healthy and the plant will not support fruit.

If it is getting too much nitrogen then the foliage will be beautiful but the blossoms will be scarce. Either way your tomato plant may fail to thrive and produce the bounty of ripe tomatoes that you are hoping for.

When you are looking at the various organic fertilizers you will usually see three numbers connected by dashes. These numbers indicate the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the mix. The numbers on organic fertilizers may be lower but this does not indicate poorer quality. Organic fertilizers are more easily used by the plants than chemicals.

Liquid Fertilizers

The benefit of liquid fertilizers is that they are immediately available to your tomato plants. They can be easily applied to the soil around the base of the plant or even sprayed on the foliage for foliar feeding.

There are several types of liquid organic fertilizers for tomatoes. Some are based on fish emulsions or kelp, while others are created from manure tea. You can make a homemade mixture from one of the many recipes on the Internet, or buy it at your local garden center.

The problem with liquid tomato fertilizers is that they leach out of the ground very rapidly. If it rains the fertilizer will be washed away. This means that the fertilizer will need to be reapplied after every rain and frequently during dry spells.

Granular Organic Tomato Fertilizers

Granular fertilizers are sprinkled around the base of the plant and mixed into the loose soil. They are a slow-release fertilizer and often will improve the soil as the break down. Because of the slow-release aspect of these fertilizers they can be mixed into the soil during planting and then used as directed as a top dressing.

There is no worry of the plants being burnt by getting too much at one time. The granules tend to contain many more micronutrients than the liquid fertilizers. Rather than running off with the rain, water will pull the nutrients deep into the soil around the plant.

The problem with a granular fertilizer is that it works very slowly. If your plants are not doing well, putting a granular fertilizer on them will not make an immediate difference.

Where to Buy Organic Fertilizers

If you local garden center does not carry organic tomato fertilizer then you can easily order it from one of the many sites on the Internet.

• Clean-Air Gardening has a liquid fish emulsion based fertilizer.
• Heirloom Seeds fertilizer for tomatoes also contains calcium to protect your tomatoes from blossom end rot.
• Gardener's Supply has slow-release granules available in a bog or in a shaker container.
• This liquid organic fertilizer comes with a money-back guarantee. The site is full of information.
• The Tasteful Garden carries a 7-4-5 granular fertilizer.
• Totally Tomatoes has a liquid fish emulsion fertilizer.

Have a Gardening Plan

Using organic tomato fertilizer will not solve all of your gardening dilemmas. It will, however, give your tomatoes a strong start and the nutrients that they need to fight diseases and pests. With a good gardening plan and a good fertilizer you can be harvesting baskets of homegrown tomatoes in no time.