is 10-10-10 enough for tomatoes?

[sixshooter]

Or should I be buying an organic fertilizer like organic chicken poop miracle grow? I know there's alot to be considered with soil Ph and whatnot...but generally...

[TZ -OH6]

I use it without complaints, and I suspect about a billion other gardeners use it too.

[bcallaha]

I use it for everything also. I am careful to adjust the amount of fertilizer I use according to the plant being fertilized, however. On green beans, I side dress on one side of the row once the beans are up about 6 inches or so. On corn, I side dress on both sides of the row once the corn is 12" or so tall. Around other plants like brocolli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and peppers, I side dress by placing a ring around each plant. I do the same with tomatoes, but I usually apply a little less.

Be careful not to get the fertilizer too close to the plant since it can burn the plant, and possibly kill it.

Brad

[Gary350]

You shouldn't put much nitrogen on tomato plants it will just make big plants. Chicken poop is loaded with nitrogen. I have done a lot of experementing the past 40 years nitrogen gives me 7 ft tall plants but the fruit seems to be about the same. Tall plants are harder to stake.

Your tomato plants need lime, phosphate and potash. I put a little 15/15/15 on my tomatoes but not very much. I put wood ash on my tomatoes too.

[rainbowgardener]

Tomato tone is an organic fertilizer designed for tomatoes and it is 3- 4 -6. As was said above, you don't want to give your tomatoes too much nitrogen or you get big leafy plants with fewer fruit. Personally I think good rich organic soil with lots of compost is best.

[gardenbean]

What about fish fertilizer (Ferti-Lome) its a 5-1-1.? I use it because it has a low nitirgron level and have been told you can use it with other veggies too. And I also use mushroom compost along with homemade compost (when I have enough of it)

[TZ -OH6]

5:1:1 is not a low nitrogen level. It translates to 50:10-:10 in order to get the plants enough potasium and phosphorus. For vegetables you generally want the nitrogen to be the same or slightly lower than the other two numbers, corn being one of the exceptions.

[gardenbean]

Oh no! I didn't know that!

[2cents]

If superman were a gardener his initials would have to be TZ.
Someone get TZ a cape
If only I could pull out some of my 10-10-10 my tomato plants are giants
Thanks for the info.

[CharlieBear]

garden bean, most fish meal is more like 0-5-1 on some the potasium is even higher. I found some at the grower supply that was 0-45-6 according to the analysis, it varies.

[Tony02905]

I generally stick to Gardentone or Tomato-tone. Hre's my tidbit. I grew a ton of veggies from seed this year. Have over 100 tomato plants and other stuff like eggplants, various peppers etc. I was supposed to move at end of May so it was perfect for setting up the new garden.

Closing got pushed to July. I was freaking out because all of my crops were in their peat pots or plastic starter trays. I picked up gardentone and began making a tea out of it first. Then moved to sprinkling it around the plants in their tryas and peat pots. I swear it kept everythng going strong.

Jump to July and only a quarter of our plants are in the ground, we had to completely remodel an inlaw and couldn't get the garden started. I still kept up with the weekly sprinkling of gardentone, the results...

Tomatoes in peat pots have blossomed and produced fruit. I am sure the yield would be better if they were in the ground, but I figure for 6 to 12 inch high plants that have three to four tomatoes on them is pretty good.

Pepper plants just got planted in the ground but also produced while in there starter trays as well. Same for the cukes and eggplants. The zucchini has had a rougher time, but should be ok.

In short, I love Espoma's gardentone!