Tomato fertilizer: Do tomatoes need a special fertilizer?

There are many tomato fertilizers on the market. But what for? Do tomatoes really need a special fertilizer? We show why tomato fertilizer is so important.

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the most commonly eaten vegetable in Germany and many fertilizer manufacturers offer special tomato fertilizers. But does the fertilization of the plant in the home vegetable garden really require such attention? We answer this question with the most important information about tomato fertilizer.

The following paragraphs deal with the question of why a special tomato fertilizer makes sense and what it can consist of. We also explain the advantages and disadvantages of different types of tomato fertilizer.

Why do tomatoes need a special tomato fertilizer?

Tomatoes have - compared to many other vegetables - a high nutrient requirement: In comparison, they require more potassium (K) and less phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Tomatoes need the three main nutrients N, P and K in a ratio of about 10:3:20. But this is not unique in the plant kingdom, there are other types of vegetables, such as paprika (capsicum) and broccoli (Brassica oleracea) who love a similar nutrient composition.

However, in order to cultivate good yields and healthy plants, the amount of nutrients provided should not deviate too much from the optimum. The consequences could otherwise be the following:

• Too rich a supply of potassium or magnesium can lead to Tomato blossom end rot come. Too little supply leads to low drought resistance, dead leaf edges and reduced yields
• Heavy nitrogen fertilization results in too much foliage, but reduces fruit set. Too little nitrogen fertilization reduces the yield
• Too low a supply of phosphorus causes rooting to suffer, so the water supply is insufficient to ensure good growth

Fertilizing with a special tomato fertilizer is the safest and easiest way to prevent both deficiency symptoms and diseases. But that doesn't mean that tomato fertilizers are completely unsuitable for fertilizing other vegetables. Many other vegetables can be supplied with the nutrients of a tomato fertilizer, such as:

• Celery root (Apium graveolensRapaceum)
• broccoli (Brassica oleracea)
• potato (Solanum tuberosum)
• paprika (Capsicum anuum)

What is tomato fertilizer made of?

A tomato fertilizer is characterized by the above nutrient weighting. The nutrients can be offered in different forms, depending on whether they are mineral, organic, organo-mineral or a organic fertilizer acts. While all of these fertilizer forms contain the nutrients that tomatoes need, the form of fertilizer has a huge impact on how well it can be used. You can find out exactly where the differences lie below.

Tomato fertilizer in comparison

The perfect tomato fertilizer must be able to do more than just provide nutrients for your tomatoes. An environmentally friendly, low-odour fertilizer would be ideal, which at the same time keeps the soil healthy so that it can optimally provide the natural care for the tomato plants. We have the performance of the fertilizer types for you.

Mineral tomato fertilizer

Like all mineral fertilizer such a tomato fertilizer also contains all the nutrient ions crystallized as salt. The nutrient concentration is high and prices are often quite low. The very quick availability can help with acute deficiency symptoms. Some mineral tomato fertilizers are offered with a long-term effect in order to minimize the fertilizer effort. There are no organic components contained here and other micronutrients are missing, unless otherwise stated.

Mineral fertilizers release nutrients depending on the soil moisture, which is why there is a risk of leaching and over-fertilization. The sole use of mineral fertilizers therefore leads in the long term to the loss of important soil qualities such as water storage capacity, nutrient buffering, root penetration and aeration. These are strongly influenced by the humus content of the soil. There humus disappears with mineral fertilization alone, we do not want to recommend this type of fertilization to you. In addition, there is the sometimes destructive and energy-intensive production, which does not rely on recycling and sustainability, but on the mining of finite fossil resources.

Organic Tomato Fertilizer

Like all organic fertilizer such a tomato fertilizer also contains the nutrients in organically bound form. This means that the nutrient ions are in complex and naturally grown structures. They have a delayed effect: The utilization by microorganisms in the soil is followed by availability for the plant roots. At the same time, soil fertilization takes place, which benefits soil organisms and, in the long term, the soil qualities already mentioned. Micronutrients are present in trace amounts, preventing deficiencies in these important elements. Organic (tomato) fertilizers are made from animal or plant material and are therefore a recycling product. Unfortunately, production from animal waste is still the norm. So if you are critical of commercial factory farming, you should look out for purely plant-based fertilizers.

Tip:Organic mineral fertilizers are a mixture of the two categories. They combine rapid nutrient availability with protection of soil life and quality.

Organic Tomato Fertilizer

A organic fertilizer represents a type of organo-mineral fertilizer. The focus is clearly on the organic side and the mineral components used can also be used in organic farming. Organic tomato fertilizers have all the advantages of organic fertilizers and the fewer mineral components mean that the respective nutrients are available more quickly. Deficiencies in the organic starting material can also be compensated. Even live microorganisms can be included to revitalize a very depleted soil. Our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer is based on purely vegetable raw materials from the food and beverages industry and therefore has no unpleasant smell. We rely on producers who demonstrably operate ecologically.

The exact Fertilization of tomatoes - Timing, quantity and execution - is explained in detail in this article.