Secret Fertilizer Tips: How to Maximize Your Tomato Yield Naturally

August 7, 2024

The Ultimate Guide to Tomato Fertilization: From Store-Bought to DIY Solutions

Continuing from our last blog on recognizing and addressing nutrient deficiencies in your plants, today we put down some roots into the essential topic of fertilization! Proper fertilization is key to ensuring your tomatoes thrive, providing you with bountiful and delicious harvests. We are mainly going to recommend organic and natural products on this blog.

If you haven't read our previous blog on nutrient deficiencies, we highly recommend checking it out here to better understand the importance of balanced nutrition for your tomato plants.

Understanding Fertilizers and NPK

When selecting a fertilizer, you’ll often see three numbers prominently displayed on the packaging. These numbers represent the N-P-K ratio, which stands for Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). A good soil test sent to Texas A&M will determine what you should add during the fallow (off) season. These three essential macronutrients are required for most plant life:

Nitrogen (N): Promotes leafy, green growth. Overuse of nitrogen can lead to lush foliage but poor fruit production.
Phosphorus (P): Vital for root development and flowering. Adequate phosphorus ensures your plants have strong roots and plentiful blooms, which eventually become fruit.
Potassium (K): Supports overall plant health, disease resistance, and fruit quality. Potassium is crucial for the production of healthy, tasty tomatoes.

Source: Bermuda Grass Care

Most comprehensive fertilizers have good blends that cover the remaining micro and macro nutrients not listed!

Choosing the Right Fertilizer

There are numerous fertilizers on the market, and choosing the right one depends on your specific needs. Here are some popular organic options and their benefits (you can get these at any big box store, but I also left Amazon links to my picks at the end):

Bone Meal: High in phosphorus, bone meal is excellent for root development and flowering.
Blood Meal: A great source of nitrogen, blood meal encourages lush, green growth.
Compost: Rich in a variety of nutrients, improves soil structure and fertility. Compost is the best because it contains more beneficial microflora than store bought soils.
Worm Castings: These provide a balanced mix of nutrients and beneficial microorganisms.
Seaweed: High in potassium, seaweed supports overall plant health and stress resistance. Works very well with foliar spray application!
Osmocote: One of our favorites comes in granular form, releases fertilizer only during ideal temperature and moisture conditions as the plant needs it. Ideal for mixing into soil or container gardening, learn more here.

We encourage the use of organic, natural fertilizers and recommend avoiding synthetic options like ammonium nitrates found in Miracle-Gro. Organic fertilizers not only nourish your plants but also improve soil health and sustainability for years to come!

A study was even conducted in the Himalayans to see the impacts of organic ag over a 7 year period and they concluded "the study strongly suggests several benefits of organic farming for sustainable productivity and improved soil and produce quality"

How to Fertilize Your Tomatoes

Follow these simple steps to fertilize your tomato plants effectively:

Before Planting: Mix compost or a balanced organic fertilizer into the hole. This gives your plants a good start with essential nutrients.
During Growth: Use bone meal or a high-phosphorus organic fertilizer when your plants start to flower. Apply it as a side dressing or mix it into the soil around the base of each plant.
Fruit Development: Switch to seaweed or another high-potassium organic fertilizer as fruits begin to develop. This supports healthy fruit growth and improves taste and texture.

DIY Fertilizer Mixes

If you prefer a hands-on approach, you can create your own fertilizer mixes. Here’s a simple recipe for a balanced, homemade tomato fertilizer:

Ingredients:

1 part organic blood meal (high in nitrogen)
1 part organic bone meal (high in phosphorus)
1 part wood ash or kelp meal (high in potassium)

Instructions:

Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Apply about 1-2 tablespoons per plant every 4-6 weeks.
Water well after application to help the nutrients soak into the soil.
Do not apply before a big rain, otherwise you will pollute the groundwater!

Remediating Overfertilization

Overfertilization can harm your tomato plants, causing nutrient burn or inhibiting growth. In the worst of cases, you can develop a nutrient lockout and your plant will lose out on vital nutrients. If you suspect overfertilization or just a stressed plant in general, products like Fox Farm's SledgeHammer can help. SledgeHammer is a flushing agent that helps wash away excess salts and nutrients, restoring balance to your soil. It uses a compound called "Saporin" to strip soil exchange sites, it can even help remediate a polluted soil.

We are big fans of FoxFarm and are not affiliated with them in any way. They reign from Humboldt County, CA. Their line of fertilizers and soil mediums are some of the best organic solutions on the market.

How to Use:

Dilute SledgeHammer according to the package instructions, I prefer using Distilled water has a neutral charge and can hold more salts in solution!
Water your plants thoroughly with the solution.
Allow the soil to drain completely before resuming regular watering and fertilization schedules.
Use FoxFarm Boomerang after a day to reintroduce beneficial microbes and micronutrients into the soil. Boomerang does well at restoring plants that stressed out, helping them bounce back!

Following a Fertilization Schedule

Adhering to a fertilization schedule can significantly impact your tomato plants' health and yield. Here’s a simplified version of the popular Fox Farm schedule:

Start: At planting, use compost or a balanced organic fertilizer.
Growth Phase: Every two weeks, apply bone meal or another high-phosphorus fertilizer.
Fruit Development: Switch to seaweed or another high-potassium fertilizer and continue every two weeks until harvest.

This is a very handy chart to print out!

By following these guidelines, you can ensure your tomatoes and other plants receive the nutrients they need at each stage of growth. Remember, healthy plants are more productive and resilient to pests and diseases.

Conclusion

Proper fertilization is a game-changer for growing healthy, productive plants. By understanding the role of NPK and choosing the right fertilizer, whether store-bought or homemade, you can enhance your garden’s success. We highly recommend using organic, natural fertilizers to promote not only your plants' health but also the health of your soil and the environment.

Stay tuned for more gardening tips and happy growing! If you have any questions or need further advice, feel free to reach out to us. And don't forget to revisit our previous blog on nutrient deficiencies or our secret tips for tomatoes to get a complete picture of your tomato plant’s nutritional needs. Happy gardening!

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