How and what to feed tomatoes after planting in the ground: the best folk recipes and a review of ready-made formulations
If you have at least once grown tomato seedlings from seeds, then you know how much care fragile seedlings need. It is important to maintain the air temperature at the required level, to provide room illumination, and to saturate the soil with moisture. After all the effort spent on growing seedlings, every tomato grower dreams that after planting in the ground the seedlings will take root well, grow stronger, become strong, healthy tomato bushes and produce a rich harvest. For all this to work, it is advisable to stimulate the growth of seedlings.
From the article you will learn how to feed tomatoes after planting in the ground, and what fertilizer recipes for tomatoes are the most effective.
The role of fertilizers in growing tomatoes
Experienced gardeners believe: even if tomato plants are formed correctly, have a developed root system and are planted on fertile soil, You won’t get a rich harvest without additional nutritional supplements.
Important! It has been experimentally proven that with proper fertilizing, the yield of tomatoes increases by 20-30%.
Next, we will consider the basic rules for feeding tomatoes.
Rules and recommendations for fertilizing
Lack of nutrients affects the appearance of the tomato bush. He himself tells his owner what he lacks for full development. Here it is important for the tomato grower to be observant and be able to recognize the signs being given.
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What tomatoes lack - we determine by external signs
Has a blue or purple tint appeared on the leaves and stem? Or has the top become thinner? These are clear signs of phosphorus deficiency. In such a situation, the solution would be to feed the tomatoes with a water-soluble phosphorus fertilizer (for example, potassium monophosphate).
Tomatoes signal by curling their leaves. This indicates a lack of microelements. The tips of the leaves even dry out or curl up - this indicates a lack of potassium. An infusion of wood ash will replenish the balance of potassium and phosphorus. We will give its recipe below in the review of folk remedies.
The appearance of plants also shows that they are being “overfed” with fertilizers.. For example, nitrogen. It happens when a lot of fresh manure is added to the ground before planting seedlings. In such cases, the upper leaves of the tomato bush are twisted into a ring. Eliminating nitrogen in further fertilizing will solve the problem. The leaves, as an indicator of balance, will align.
What types of fertilizers are there?
Feedings are:
- Root. With them, nutrients are applied directly to the root. Before applying root fertilizers, the soil must be shed with plain water. This makes fertilizing more effective: the nutrient solution is not wasted on moistening the earthen ball and is completely consumed by the plant.
- Foliar. The tomato bush is fertilized through the ground part. Most often - along the stems (root fertilizers) and leaves.
Attention! When applying fertilizers, it is important to follow the dosage. Otherwise, the plants will get burned.
Traditional recipes for feeding
Let's look at recipes for plant nutrition from professional tomato growers. The compositions are time-tested.They contain only components generally available to gardeners.
Ash infusion
To prepare the infusion, take ordinary wood ash or ashes from the oven. 1 liter of ash is dissolved in 5 liters of boiling water. The cooled mixture in an amount of 1 liter is diluted with 10 liters of water - this is how a working solution is obtained. Tomatoes are fed with this infusion both at the root and at the leaves. The best results with this recipe are obtained by foliar feeding - spraying the above-ground parts of plants from a spray bottle.
Important! It is better to apply foliar fertilizers in cloudy weather. Then the risk of sunburn on wet leaves is minimized.
Feeding with herbal infusions
The infusion is prepared in a large container - a barrel or bucket. About 2/3 of the container volume is filled with grass (weeds from garden beds, lawn or meadow grass). The container is filled to the top with water and left to ferment for 2 weeks. The fermentation process will become more intense if you add 1 liter of earth to a bucket of mixture.
Chicken droppings
The effectiveness of fertilizing tomatoes with chicken manure among gardeners is not clear. Some tomato growers say that such fertilizing helps improve the yield. A solution of chicken manure in an amount of 0.5 liters diluted in 10 liters of water is approved. In this case, root feeding is carried out at the rate of 0.5 liters of solution per tomato plant.
Other tomato growers say that after fertilizing the bushes, only green tops grow, but there are few fruits on the bushes.
Milk serum
The serum has a beneficial effect on plants after planting in the ground.. Its solution is applied for preventive purposes against late blight. A serum solution applied to the leaves forms a thin film on the surface that prevents the development of diseases. The solution is prepared by diluting 1 liter of whey per 1 liter of water.
Spraying plants by number of applications is not limited. It can be repeated at least every week. Especially when growing tomatoes in open ground, where they are exposed to atmospheric influences in the form of wind, fog and rain.
Yeast feeding
Yeast is considered an effective growth stimulator for tomato seedlings.
Top dressing is made on the basis of starter culture from:
- 50 g fresh baker's yeast;
- 30-35 g sugar;
- 1.5 liters of water.
The starter is ready in 4-5 days. It is used mainly for root feeding. The entire resulting volume of starter is diluted in 30 liters of water. The solution consumption is 100-200 g per plant before planting in the main place. If you feed seedlings after planting in the ground, the dosage can be increased to 0.5 liters per bush.
More about growing tomatoes:
Mineral supplements
During the growth and development of tomatoes plants most need mineral fertilizers:
- Phosphorus. The deficiency is solved by adding superphosphate.
- Potash. Potassium chloride helps.
- Nitrogen. Examples are ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate.
Stores offer many types of mineral fertilizers for tomatoes. Fertilizers from different manufacturers contain different dosages of minerals, so it is recommended to take the rate of use from the manufacturer’s instructions or packaging.
Important! Try to follow the application proportions recommended by the manufacturer. This is necessary so as not to “burn” the growing tomato bushes.
The best commercial fertilizers
In addition to mineral fertilizers, humates receive good reviews from gardeners, combining the properties of fertilizer and dietary supplement.
Note. Humates are completely environmentally friendly preparations.They are made from sludge, peat, manure and organic waste.
Manufacturers produce humates in three types:
- liquid (the most popular type among gardeners);
- powdery;
- tableted.
Humates are diluted according to the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging. (on average this is 1-2 tsp per 10 liters of water). Apply both under the roots of tomatoes (0.5 liters of solution) and along the leaves, spraying the entire above-ground part of the tomato bush. The treatment stimulates long-term fruiting and increases yields by up to 20-30%.
The drug “Rastvorin” has good reviews. This is a complex fertilizer diluted in water. Suitable for both root and foliar feeding. According to the instructions, dilute from 20 to 40 g of the drug per 10 liters of water. Tomatoes are processed once every 2-3 weeks. The consumption of the working solution is 0.5 l per bush.
How and when to apply fertilizer
Good harvests are achieved if tomato bushes are fertilized:
- after planting in the ground;
- during budding, flowering and fruit set;
- during fruiting.
When tomatoes begin to bloom and bear fruit, in addition to all the types of fertilizing mentioned Tomato growers consider feeding tomatoes with boric acid the most necessary and effective way. To prepare it, dilute 0.5-1 tsp in 10 liters of water. boric acid (it is better to first dissolve the crystals in a glass of hot water, and then dilute them in the remaining volume of cold water).
Fertilizing is carried out from a spray bottle on the leaves and stems. Boric acid increases the formation of ovaries, the sugar content of fruits and prolongs the fruiting period of tomatoes.
All of the above rules apply equally to tomatoes., both growing in open ground and in a greenhouse. The types of fertilizing, frequency and time of application are equally suitable for both.
Let's sum it up
A lack of nutrients and microelements immediately affects the appearance of tomatoes - the leaves curl and change color. In such a situation, it is important for the tomato grower to quickly navigate and take measures to help the plants. Feeding in this matter is the best solution.
It is important that the gardener does not have to make serious financial investments to feed tomatoes. You don’t have to buy chemicals, but prepare the fertilizer yourself using available materials (ash from the stove, grass clippings or weeds). If you apply fertilizer correctly, tomatoes will be rewarded with a good harvest, 20-30% higher than expected.