No harvest typifies summer over red, ripe garden tomatoes. Their normal coloring, rich scent and compact juiciness contrast remarkably with tomatoes sold in grocery shops in midwinter. Tomato plants require nitrogen and phosphorus, but never to excess. A healthy layer of composted manure above the planting bed — 10 lbs per 10 square feet — combined into the top 6 inches of soil, will take care of the tomato plants through flowering. It doesn’t pay to offer more, since excess nitrogen produces tall, lush comes but decreases the harvest. However, as soon as your tomato blossoms open, it’s time to fertilize again.
Inspect your tomato plants every day after buds start to develop. After the majority of the blossoms are available, the tomatoes are beginning to place their fruit.
Sidedress tomato plants using nitrogen-heavy fluid at fruit set. Dig shallow grooves in the ground on both sides of each tomato plant. Set the appropriate quantity of fertilizer from the grooves, following the label instructions. Apply water into the grooves very slowly and thoroughly to move the fertilizer to the plant’s roots.
Duplicate the sidedressing each four or six weeks during tomato season. Take care not to use too much fertilize, since you don’t want excess nitrogen to wash out of the main area and contaminate ground water.