A master gardener shares 6 secrets for planting tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to growing good tomatoes? ›

Like many vegetables, tomatoes prefer a goldilocks soil that is moisture retentive yet well drained and, of course, rich in nutrients. The very best way to achieve that is simply to add plenty of well-rotted organic matter to the surface of your soil in the weeks or months before planting.

We also recommend putting a third cup of pure worm castings in the bottom of the hole. We amend our beds with worm castings and we also spray a worm casting tea on the plants while they grow. Really great stuff.

Some growers prefer to use a high-phosphorus fertilizer, indicated by a larger middle number. You can also keep things simple with a fertilizer especially formulated for tomatoes – usually with a ratio like 3-4-6 or 4-7-10. Most importantly, don't over-fertilize.

Eggshells can be a good source of calcium and organic matter for tomatoes, but they are unlikely to yield a major improvement in soil calcium levels. You can add eggshells to your garden by drying, crushing, and incorporating them into the soil, or by composting them.

Epsom salt contains magnesium, an essential plant nutrient. Used as a foliar spray or soil additive it will help tomato and pepper plants grow and produce larger, tastier yields. Milk contains calcium, an important plant macronutrient. Milk can feed tomatoes and peppers and double as a fungicide.

Tomatoes have a relatively high potassium requirement with over 300kg/ha of potassium typically being utilized. High potassium levels provide high tomato yields. Balance to other nutrients such as calcium and magnesium is also important.

Coffee grounds are packed with nutrients that tomato plants love, like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. They help improve soil structure and promote microbial activity, which can lead to healthier, more robust tomato plants. Plus, they may even help deter certain pests.

Most home gardeners know their tomato plants need plenty of sunshine, water, and healthy soil to grow. But don't forget the mulch! More than just an attractive ground cover, mulch blocks weed growth and locks in moisture, which is especially important for gardens in hot, dry climates.

Tomato plants have big appetites and need a steady supply of plant food to grow their best. Miracle-Gro® Performance Organic® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules feeds both your plants and the beneficial microbes in the soil (which help plants take up all the nutrition they need) for up to 6 weeks.

Banana peels are also brimming with potassium, which is excellent for plants like tomatoes, peppers or flowers. “Banana peels also contain calcium, which prevents blossom end rot in tomatoes,” the Cape Gazette adds.

Can you use 10-10-10 fertilizer on tomato plants? ›

If only one type of formulated fertilizer is used, it's best to choose a balanced product such as NPK 10-10-10. When should I fertilize my tomato plants? You should fertilize your tomato plants just before or during planting, around two weeks before bloom begins, and again when the first tomatoes are small.

The plants that love eggshells the most are tomatoes, cucumbers and many others that are prone to blossom-end rot, a problem that eggshells are very good at preventing.

Eggs are great for gardening and adding nutrients to the soil. This Dominique hen is one of our favorite brown egg layers. Try planting a whole raw egg or eggshells deeply in the hole before planting your tomato plant.

Wondering what plants don't like eggshells? It's best to avoid using them on varieties that naturally prefer more acidic soil, such as azaleas and geraniums.

It's true that a lot of salt can be bad for plants, but several studies and taste tests have shown that tomatoes grown with salty, brackish water end up tasting better. You don't have to live near the ocean to try it for yourself; SEA-90 is an organic fertilizer with sea salt that you can try adding to your plants.

Tomatoes love the sunshine so placing your tomato plants in full sun (an average of at least eight hours a day) gives the best results. However, the hours of sunlight do not need to be consecutive. Tomatoes thrive in full sun and fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8.