Tomatoes in Containers Need More Fertilizer than in Ground?

[hardland]

I'm growing in 20" round plastic containers, any larger and I would not be able to move them. I'm in sth FL and decided to use containers so I could move then into some shade on very hot days and under some shelter when we have extreme rain. I have had to do both in the last 2 weeks. Do you need to fertilize more in containers? I'm using tomato tone 3-5-6. I believe the fertilizer is being flushed very quickly with the rain.

[tn_veggie_gardner]

The answer is mainly a yes, but it depends on your potting mix & some other factors. Looking at your other post regarding the start of BER, I would say you might be better off with a fertilizer like Foliage Pro 9-3-6 which has a more accurate NPK ratio for tomatoes (and other veggies), and more importantly, it also has some other essential nutrients like Calcium, Magnesium, etc..

I grow mainly in containers & the fert can be quickly flushed out of them. I fertilize mine weekly with the above mentioned FP 9-3-6 and my veggie plants that are already blooming & producing fruit also get a dose of ProTeKt 0-0-3.

- Steve

[SP8]

I grow mainly in containers & the fert can be quickly flushed out of them.

Yep I agree.

[rainbowgardener]

Definitely. Growing tomatoes in Florida heat in small containers, you are likely to have to water twice a day in the summer. That means, as people have said, you are flushing the nutrients out of your soil very quickly. You will have to water and fertilize a lot more than if you were growing in the ground.

[martoosaat]

you might be better off with a fertilizer like Foliage Pro 9-3-6 which has a more accurate NPK ratio for tomatoes (and other veggies)

Isn't that a really high nitrogen rate and low phosphorous rate for tomatoes? Do you switch when the plant starts fruiting?

Grace and peace,
Michael

[tn_veggie_gardner]

martoo: It's an almost perfect match to what tomato plants can absorb, mineral wise. The studies I read (send me a pm if you want a link) regarding this show a 3-1.5-2 ratio to be ideal. If you offset any of these too much, you run into fertilizer burn, mineral deficiencies, etc.. Of course, like you mention, when the plants start flowering & fruiting, they need more Potash/K. I give them a dose of ProTeKt 0-0-3 when this happens. It has worked wonders for me so far & continues to produce very healthy looking plants and tomatoes with no problems.

- Steve

[garden5]

I've also hear that you want to give plants in containers a lot of water, I wonder if this doesn't help the plant to take-up more nutrients?