We all want to grow the biggest and juiciest tomatoes we can especially after putting in all that effort to get them growing. There are a few keys we need to get right to achieve this. Our plant needs sunlight, water, support and nutrients. Selecting the right fertilizer for tomatoes can go a long way to giving your plant all the nutrients it needs for the entire growing season.

With tomatoes you have 2 main options when it comes to getting tomato fertilizer. You can save some money by making your own just by keeping organic food and garden waste such as egg shells and grass clippings. This is cost-effective & environmentally friendly but does take a little effort on your part. The second option is to buy commercial fertilizer products for vegetables and tomatoes. Fortunately these products are very effective, mostly organic and can be bought from many locations including your local garden center.

There are two classifications of fertilizer: Fast Release and Slow Release. Fast release fertilizers are typically water soluble and have the advantage of immediately releasing their nutrients into the soil for faster results. A disadvantage of this form is that they are washed out of the soil quite quickly and need to be re-applied more often. Slow-Release fertilizers typically come in solid form as granules or spikes and release their nutrients into the soil more slowly – usually for several weeks. The advantage of this is that you don’t have to re-apply your fertilizer very often but it does mean you do have to apply the fertilizer before the plant needs the nutrients. We’ll look at 2 of the more popular commercial fertilizer and plant food products.

Miracle-Gro Vegetable and Tomato Plant Foods:
These are well known and popular fertilizer products. Many customers have reported excellent results with their tomatoes even in less than ideal growing conditions thanks to the addition of plant food. Most of the Miracle-Gro products for tomatoes use fast-release formulas so will need to be reapplied more often.

Jobes Fertlizer Spikes:
These are slow release nutrient sources that are designed to be inserted into the soil next to your plants. They can last up to 8 weeks. Many growers have reported excellent results by adding the spikes at the same time as planting their tomatoes. The formula has a very high phosphorous rating which is good for flower growth and increasing the number of tomatoes produced.

By: Mark B Shelton

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