Fertilizer Spikes or Tomato-tone?

[Brandywinegirl]

What do you think is a better fertilizer for tomatoes? I bought spikes because they are time-released. I am very busy and I forget to fertilize the tomatoes regularly.
Thanks for your input!

[PaulF]

Tomatoes need very little fertilization. Nitrogen fertilizer will cause the plant to look very good; greener and bushier and more viney (?). But nitrogen fertilizer will make the plant put all its energy into the leaves and vines rather than flowers and fruit. You will have beautiful plants but few tomatoes.

If your tomatoes are in pots, you probably water daily or every other day. Every 7 to 10 days add a little powdered fertilizer, the one called bloom food. And then use only about half the strength called for on the package. Potted plants that are watered on a regular basis will have the nutrients washed out so some fertilization is required.

If your tomatoes are in the ground, unless you have extremely poor soil, no extra fertilizer is needed.
If you use spikes be sure the first number of the analysis is very low and the other two are higher as in 3-10-10 , (N-P-K) or something near that.

[PaulF]

Tomatoes need very little fertilization. Nitrogen fertilizer will cause the plant to look very good; greener and bushier and more viney (?). But nitrogen fertilizer will make the plant put all its energy into the leaves and vines rather than flowers and fruit. You will have beautiful plants but few tomatoes.

If your tomatoes are in pots, you probably water daily or every other day. Every 7 to 10 days add a little powdered fertilizer, the one called bloom food. And then use only about half the strength called for on the package. Potted plants that are watered on a regular basis will have the nutrients washed out so some fertilization is required.

If your tomatoes are in the ground, unless you have extremely poor soil, no extra fertilizer is needed.
If you use spikes be sure the first number of the analysis is very low and the other two are higher as in 3-10-10 , (N-P-K) or something near that.

[patientx3]

I think it depends on your soil. Mine is heavy clay (though I had a garden in it last year and mixed some dead leaves in it over the fall/winter) and my cherry tomato plant is taking off with no fertilizer at all.

I used some liquid plant food (I think 10-10-12), last summer on the same type of tomotoes and the plant grew so out of control that I wanted it smaller this year, and even with no fertilizer (just some eggshells and compost dirt that I planted with it), its growing like crazy. Then again, despite many flowers, I don't any tomatoes yet to speak of...

[Brandywinegirl]

Thanks Paul & Patient. All of my tomatoes are in the ground. I have a large community garden plot. Other than yellow leaves at the base which I have removed, the plants are looking okay. I sprinkled Tomato-tone last week. All of the 12 plants have fruit, some have more than others. Loosing some flowers - I am gonna spray a milk water solution on the plants once the heat goes down here.
Thanks again!