Tomato Plants

Preparing the soil before planting is essential for healthy tomato plants. Plants need three main nutrients; nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. You can get fertilizer that has these three nutrients as represented by the ratio of a three number series, like 15-10-15 or 8-16-16, etc. A good fertilizer ratio to begin add to your soil at the beginning of your growing season is 5-10-10 or 8-16-16. Sending a soil sample in to a local cooperative extension office for analysis is a good idea, then you can add specific nutrients that your soil is lacking.

Soil pH is another aspect to consider. Soil pH influences how well the plants are able to absorb the nutrients. Adding mulch will increase the soil’s acidity, and adding lime will increase its alkalinity. Having a neutral pH of around 7 is a good place to start. Another aspect to keep in mind for high yielding tomato plants is the soil’s composition. Too sandy a soil needs humus added in order to keep water and nutrients in the soil longer. Adding compost to soil with too much clay will help the water to drain more readily so your plants do not get waterlogged.

The tomato plant is one of the most prolific vegetables you can grow. Each plant can produce dozens of beautiful, tasty tomatoes if the soil has proper nutrients, pH, and composition. Some of the highest producing tomato plants are the Heirloom varieties. They come in all kinds of sizes ranging from the huge Beefsteak tomato which can weigh up to two pounds, down to the little Gold Current one half inch in size. It is amazing to know that the world’s record tomato was grown in Oklahoma and weighed seven pounds twelve ounces!