It is no secret that inflation has driven the cost of living up drastically. One of the areas where this can be clearly seen is when it comes to grocery shopping. Even things like tomatoes have become ridiculously expensive. Who wants to pay a fortune for tomatoes?!
For this reason, many people are looking for alternative ways to feed their families. Of course, growing your own foods, such as tomatoes, is ideal for this purpose. It’s much more cost effective to grow your own tomatoes than to buy them.
Furthermore, if you grow your own tomatoes, you know what goes into them. You don’t have to deal with any genetically modified ingredients or toxic chemicals. That said, to get your tomatoes to grow properly, they need the right nutrients and fertilizers. This is what we are here to look at today: the best fertilizers for tomatoes.
To make things easier for you, today we are going to look at the top five contenders for the best fertilizer for tomatoes.
Comparison Chart
Best Fertilizer for Tomatoes: Reviews
1. Tomato-tone Organic Fertilizer
Here we have a safe, natural, and organic fertilizer that is specially designed for tomatoes. It comes with everything you need to grow some really big, juicy, plump, and flavorful tomatoes.
Review
One thing that is ideal about this particular fertilizer for tomatoes is of course that it is organic. This product is made with all natural and organic ingredients. It does not contain any sludge, or any toxic or hazardous ingredients.
Everything in this bag of fertilizer comes from nature and is 100% safe. This means that you don’t have to worry about eating tomatoes that have been polluted with a variety of toxic chemicals. This product is definitely ideal for growing edible foods.
Now, as you can tell by the name of it, it is specifically designed for tomatoes. While you can use the fertilizer for other plants, it is best used for tomatoes. That said, it is of course specially designed to provide tomatoes with the optimal level of nutrients that they require.
It contains a good ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These are the three main nutrients that your tomato plants need to grow properly. To be clear, the N-P-K ratio here is 3-4-6, which is absolutely ideal for tomato plants.
One of the best aspects here is that it contains 8% calcium. This is a nutrient that all tomato plants need. It is required to prevent blossom end rot from occurring. It also helps with other growth aspects of your tomato plants.
The other thing worth noting about this fertilizer is that it is designed to be very long lasting. Realistically, you should only need to use this product once or twice at most with each plant. All in all, this might just be the best tomato fertilizer out there at this time.
Pros
- Great NPK level
- Plenty of calcium
- Natural and organic
- Non-toxic
- Specially formulated for tomatoes
- Affordable
Cons
- Smells very bad
2. Jobe’s 09026NA Plant Food
If you are looking for tomato fertilizer that won’t cost you a fortune, this is a great one to go with. It is perfectly safe to use for edible tomatoes, it’s easy to use, and contains all of the required nutrients as well.
Review
One thing that stands out about this particular plant fertilizer is that it is totally organic and natural. There are absolutely no toxic or synthetic chemicals contained within this fertilizer whatsoever. Everything comes right from nature. This particular fertilizer is indeed USDA guaranteed to be 100% organic and non-toxic.
This product is actually made with only three ingredients. This includes bonemeal, processed poultry manure, and sulfate from potash. They may not sound like particularly attractive ingredients, but they are natural and safe.
Another thing that stands out about this fertilizer is that it is designed to be extremely fast acting. Your plants should be able to start absorbing this fertilizer within just a couple of days. One of the reasons for this is because it comes complete with a special biozome or enzyme.
These are special bacteria or microorganisms that help to break down the material within the fertilizer and the soil for faster absorption. It also helps to maintain proper soil conditions.
This particular microorganism helps your soil resist drought, insects, and disease. It’s a little difficult to explain exactly why this is the case, but this bacteria is very beneficial for plant growth.
Of course, this fertilizer does contain all of the necessary nutrients that your tomato plants need to survive and thrive. It contains ideal levels of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. To be exact, the NPK ratio here is 2-5-3. This should be more than ideal for most tomato growing purposes.
The other thing worth noting is that this product also comes complete with 7% calcium. This should help prevent blossom end rot from occurring, and it should help your tomato plants grow really well in general. You also keep in mind that this is a granular fertilizer, so it’s quite easy to use and doesn’t make much of a mess either.
Pros
- Natural and organic
- Food safe
- Ideal NPK ratio
- Contains added calcium
- Very easy to use
- Helps soil maintain ideal conditions
- Very good price
Cons
- May attract mold
- Smells really strongly
3. Miracle-Gro 2000422 Plant Food
Ah yes, good old Miracle-Gro. It’s a very popular brand name, and for good reason. This is considered one of the best all-around gardening brands out there.
This is especially the case when it comes to fertilizers and plant foods. On a side note, this is also one of the most affordable products out there. Let’s take a closer look.
Review
OK, so what you need to realize here is that this is some of the strongest and most concentrated possible plant food out there. It contains a whole lot of phosphorus, nitrogen, magnesium, and more. In fact, it contains more than enough of all of the necessary nutrients to keep your tomatoes growing.
To be clear, the NPK ratio here is 18, 18, 21. That is actually extremely strong and concentrated. Generally speaking, this product is best used with soil that does not have any of its own nutrients in it. However, if you get special planting soil that is already loaded with its own nutrients, combining it with this plant food might be too much.
That said, you do need to be careful to not over feed your plants. This product is so strong that you could easily overfeed and burn your plants. Caution is required when using this particular fertilizer. It does say that it won’t burn your plants if you use it as directed.
However, it is designed so that you only need to use a very little bit at a time. Moreover, it is recommended that you use it every 7 to 14 days.
Next, this Miracle-Gro tomato plant food also contains a good deal of calcium. As we have mentioned a few times now, calcium is extremely important for the safe and healthy growth of your tomato plants. Something that also stands out here is how cost effective this plant food is. It’s certainly quite budget friendly.
Pros
- A little goes a long way – very concentrated
- Contains all of the nutrients your plants need, plus more
- Contains plenty of calcium
- Ideal for use with nutrient-free soil
- Fast and simple to use
Cons
- Ingredients may not be all natural
- Need for caution – highly concentrated
4. Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer
Here we have a very special type of fertilizer that contains a variety of beneficial ingredients. It’s organic, it’s natural, and it will absolutely help your tomatoes grow big, fast, and super strong. In terms of the low cost it comes in at, it might just be one of your best choices.
Review
In terms of beneficial ingredients, this is probably one of the best products out there. It contains ideal levels of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. It contains all three of the major nutrients that tomatoes need to grow big and strong.
To be clear, the NPK ratio here is 4, 6, 3. This is rather ideal for most purposes. This is especially the case if you have soil that already contains a bit of nutrients. On that note, this product can also be used for various other flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
However, this product also contains other beneficial ingredients for your tomatoes. One of these ingredients is calcium. As we have covered several times now, calcium is important for preventing blossom end rot from occurring. Calcium also has other beneficial aspects too.
This fertilizer contains a wide variety of multi minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, trace elements, and humic acids. All of these components play a very important role in the growth of your tomato plants.
Something else worth noting about this fertilizer is that it also contains probiotic microorganisms. It actually comes complete with seven different types of champion strains of beneficial soil microbes. It also features ecto and endo mycorrhizae.
These components help ensure that the main nutrients are quickly dissolved within the soil. In other words, it allows your tomato plants to very quickly absorb all of the major nutrients. At the same time, these bacteria also help to maintain proper soil conditions. They can even help your soil resist pests and more.
What you might also appreciate about this fertilizer is that it is 100% natural and organic. All of the ingredients come straight from nature. It does not contain any sewage, sludge, chicken manure, GMOs, or any other toxic chemicals. This product is 100% safe and people safe. We would also like to note that this product is sustainably made in the USA.
Pros
- People and pet safe
- 100% organic and natural
- No toxic ingredients
- Good NPK ratio
- Calcium, proteins, beneficial bacteria, and more
- Organic and non-GMO certified
Cons
- Nutrient levels may not be exactly as listed
- Has quite the odor
5. JR Peters 51324 Jack’s Classic Tomato Feed
If you’re looking for a big bucket of plant feed that will last for a long time, this is a great one to go with. It comes complete with 1.5 pounds of high quality tomato feed. As the name of it implies, it is specifically designed for the optimal growth of tomatoes.
Review
This particular plant feed is designed with a very high level of all three major required nutrients. It contains plenty of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. To be clear, the NPK ratio here is 12, 15, 30.
This is more than enough for the fast and healthy growth of your tomato plants. In fact, it is so much, that you might not want to use it with soil that already contains a lot of those nutrients. If your soil does already contain a lot of those nutrients, you will want to dial back the dosage when using this product.
This fertilizer also contains a lot with calcium. Calcium is of course important for the healthy growth of your tomato plant. More than anything else, it helps prevent blossom and rot from occurring. Do keep in mind that this fertilizer is specially designed for tomatoes as well as all fruiting vine vegetables.
The other convenient aspect of this fertilizer is the fact that it is water soluble. All you have to do is dissolve it in some water and then water your soil with it. It contains so many nutrients that using it once every few weeks should be more than enough. Keep in mind that it also comes complete with a variety of micronutrients for added benefits.
Pros
- Large amount
- Cost effective
- Fairly concentrated
- For tomatoes and fruiting vine plants
- Water soluble
- Easy to use
Cons
- Highly concentrated, so caution is required
Buyers Guide
Before you go out and buy just any fertilizer for your tomatoes, there are a few important things you need to know. Let’s help you find the best possible fertilizer for your tomatoes.
1. Types of Tomato Fertilizer
There are two main types of fertilizer to consider here. These include soil based fertilizer and water soluble fertilizer. When it comes to soil based fertilizer, this is a great way to get plants started. This is mixed in with the soil and it should last for quite some time.
However, when it comes to growing tomatoes, the water soluble version is often best. It can be mixed with water and given to your plants whenever needed. It’s much easier to deal with than soil based fertilizer.
There is something else to consider here, which are the nutrients. There are three main nutrients that tomatoes need. These include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. If you see these fertilizers labelled with NPK, those are the abbreviations for those three elements. One thing to look out for is the P or phosphorus, which many prefer to be quite high.
2. How to Choose the Best Fertilizer for Tomatoes
What we want to do now is to provide you with a quick guide on choosing the best tomato fertilizer. This is based mainly on those NPK nutrients we discussed above.
- Step 1: Check the Condition of the Soil
- The first thing you need to do is to check what the nutrient level of the soil is currently like. For instance, if your soil has a lot of nitrogen, then you want a fertilizer that has less nitrogen, but more phosphorus. However, if your soil is low in nitrogen, using a more balanced fertilizer is recommended. There are also some budget soils out there that have barely any nutrients at all. If this is the case, going for a more concentrated mixture is ideal.
- Step 2: Check the Growing Stage of the Tomato Plants
- You then also need to consider which stage of growth your tomato plants are in. The vegetative state is going to require different nutrients than a tomato plant in the flowering stage. For instance, phosphorus is required in the beginning to grow roots (as well as to grow fruit). However, nitrogen is the more important element for growing foliage during the vegetative state.
- Step 3: Choose the Right Fertilizer
- Once you have determined the growth stage of your tomato plant, and what the nutrient content of the soil is like, you can then choose a good tomato fertilizer. Most people recommend going for something fairly balanced.
3. Natural Ingredients
Another thing to keep an eye out for is what the quality of the ingredients in the fertilizer is like. More than anything else, the fertilizer should be natural and organic. There are plenty of organic materials out there that make for great fertilizers.
Bone meal, compost, manure, and bat guano are just some examples. There are more than enough natural fertilizers out there. You really don’t need any toxic chemicals. Go for something that is certified non-toxic, organic, natural, and if possible, non-GMO.
4. Water Solubility
If you are going for the water soluble option, we definitely recommend going for something that has the ability to dissolve quickly. Some water soluble fertilizers take a lot of mixing to dissolve, and that can be a real pain.
5. Frequency of Use
The other aspect to keep an eye on here is how often the fertilizer in question needs to be used. With soil based fertilizers, they generally only need to be used once, in the beginning. However, water soluble fertilizers may have to be used every week or two.
How often you use these products also depends on the nutrient content and concentration. Higher levels of nutrients means having to use the fertilizer less often.
FAQ
1. Do I need fertilizer to start my tomato seeds?
For the most part, tomato seeds really do not need any fertilizer to start. The seeds themselves contain all of the nutrients that they need to germinate and to start growing. Generally speaking, tomato plants don’t need any fertilizer until they are seedlings and have developed their second set of leaves.
If you fertilize your tomato plants too early, it might actually cause nutrient burn and kill the plant. Therefore, you do need to be cautious. This is a special case if the soil you are using already contains nutrients. If your soil contains nutrients, and then you added more fertilizer, you will definitely burn the plants.
2. How much fertilizer do tomatoes need?
Tomato plants are pretty heavy feeders, so they can handle a fair bit of nutrients. Now, exactly how much fertilizer your tomato plants need is going to depend on their size, the exact tomato type, and how far along in their growth stage they are.
Most people would recommend a complete and balanced fertilizer that features an NPK ratio of 10, 10, 10. In terms of the quantity, you should always follow the directions on your product.
3. How do you put fertilizer on tomato plants?
If using soil based fertilizer, you just mix in an appropriate amount with your soil before planting the tomatoes. However, if you are using water soluble fertilizer, you just mix it with water and then water your tomatoes as you usually would.
4. How often do you fertilize tomato plants?
How often you fertilize your tomatoes depends on the nutrient ratios and quantities within your fertilizer. Generally speaking, once every one to two weeks should be more than enough.
Once again, following the directions on your fertilizer of choice is essential for success. Every fertilizer is a bit different, so following those instructions is important.
Conclusion
If you are looking for the best tomato fertilizer out there, we recommend Tomato-tone Organic Fertilizer. It is specially designed for tomatoes, especially in terms of the nutrient levels it contains. It’s also easy to use and cost effective.