In this category from the Semenata Shop online catalog for your garden and home, we will present you with specialized fertilizers for tomatoes, but also universal fertilizers for vegetables, which are also suitable for growing tomato plants. For your convenience, we have selected all the options available to us in one place.
Fertilizing tomatoes is an important activity that is related to improving the taste of the fruit, the yield, and even the health of the plant itself, as it provides necessary nutrients.
It is good to pay attention to the fact that tomato fertilizers are available in different ways of application: there are liquid tomato fertilizers that are used for watering or for foliar feeding. If you prefer a solid form, you can choose one of the granulated tomato fertilizers.
It is good to pay attention that most mineral fertilizers contain microelements, which should be in a chelated form for better plant availability.
There are water-soluble fertilizers for tomatoes that leave spots on the leaves, fruits, and plants, but also those that leave no traces after treatment.
You can get high-quality mineral fertilizers for tomatoes in different packages - 250 ml, 500 ml, 50 g, 500 g, 1 kg, etc.
In general, tomatoes that are regularly fed with appropriate fertilizers - mineral, organic or biological will delight you with larger fruit, richer color, and better taste.
Most gardeners prefer the first fertilization to be done with a fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content. In the period from planting to the appearance of the first bunch, it is usually started with a suitable fertilizer for a strong start of the crops - with an increased phosphorus content (for example 5-50-20 + TE).
Sometimes it is necessary from the flowering of the first bunch to the beginning of the tomato harvest, to fertilize every 7-10 days, of course in accordance with the instructions on the packaging specified by the manufacturer for the dosage and method of application of the fertilizer. And with some combined fertilizers for tomatoes and less often.
It is always recommended to follow the exact instructions on how to apply the fertilizer, which is indicated on the package.
Generally, the preferred formulation for the first feeding with the mineral fertilizer for tomatoes to stimulate vegetative growth is 20-20-20 + TE (ratio: nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium). This is then usually followed by a strong start tomato fertilizer with an increased phosphorus content – for example, 5–40–20 + TE. And then fertilizer is used to stimulate vegetation growth with a formulation of 20-20-20+TE. Be sure to take into account the instructions on the packaging.
Then, depending on the individual needs of the tomato plants, fertilization can be continued with a formulation with an increased potassium content, for example, 15-5-30+ TE.
After that, tomato fertilizers are usually used to stimulate vegetative growth - 20-20-20 + TE, followed again by a higher potassium fertilizer 15-5-30+3MgO + TE, and so on.
If the liquid and water-soluble fertilizers are used, depending on the period of action they have 7-14 days, in the harvest period, crop care is again divided into 4-9 feedings. The required dosage is calculated according to the method of application of tomato fertilizers indicated on the label.
Usually, the first fertilization is done with a fertilizer with a very high potassium content (5-5-40)
The second with fertilizer for tomatoes - 20-20-20 + TE - fertilizer for stimulating vegetation growth.
The third is with a mineral fertilizer such as 15-5-30 - tomato fertilizer with a high potassium content.
The fourth fertilization is again with the fertilizer for stimulating the vegetative growth of tomatoes, and the fifth - is with potassium fertilizer for tomatoes 5-5-40.
For the sixth fertilization, the tomato fertilizer 20-20-20 + TE can be used, while for the seventh, the potassium tomato fertilizer can be applied again.
The eighth fertilization can be done with a mineral fertilizer for tomatoes with the formulation 15-5-30 + magnesium + TE, and for the ninth, which is usually the final one, it can be successfully completed with the tomato fertilizer containing high levels of Potassium (K).
The indicated options for fertilizing tomatoes in the process of vegetative growth and fruiting are exemplary and refer to mineral water-soluble fertilizers. Depending on the chosen variant of fertilizing the tomatoes, whether with granules or if the tomatoes will be fed organically with liquid fertilizer, the fertilization scheme must necessarily comply with the method of application of the tomato fertilizer described on the package.
It is good to feed tomato plants regularly but in moderation.
Find out about the method of application, the dosage, and the period of action of the selected fertilizer from the product packaging and follow it strictly.
Regular checks for diseases and pests are also important activities related to the care of tomatoes. It is good to have a consultation with an agronomist and, in case of a diagnosed problem, to apply the corresponding preparation as a preventive measure.
Note that tomato fertilizers are not preparations and do not destroy pests and diseases. Fertilizers are food for plants that helps them grow more vibrant, healthier, and more resistant by nourishing them, but not protecting them from the appearance of pests and attacks of tomato diseases.
