The Best Soil for Your Tomatoes

Tomatoes grow well in deep, loamy soil in a well drained area. If you are planting tomatoes in your garden, you may have to do some treatments to the soil first. After you have chosen where the tomatoes will be planted, you should have a sample of the soil tested to see you what you might need to add to it. Not everyone has the time or opportunity to do this, so there are a few things you can do to prepare the soil yourself.

If the soil you are planting in is a sandy or clay based soil, you will want to work compost into it. You can make a compost pile out of dried leaves, grass clippings, and fruit and vegetable peels. Compost will help sandy soil retain moisture and clay soil to drain. Be sure to use compost that is finished decomposing. If you use compost that is still decomposing, it will rob the soil of nitrogen.

Work 2 to 3 inches of compost into the first 6 to 9 inches of the sandy or clay based soil. If the soil is not sandy or clay based, you will still want to include compost in it. If you haven’t had the soil tested, then you should add 3/4 cup of lime and 1/2 cup of fertilizer to each plant. Lime reduces nutrient imbalance.

You may also want to heat the soil before planting. It is probably best to do this after you have treated the soil, so that everything is worked in well before planting. Heat the soil by covering the area with black or red plastic a few weeks prior to planting. Tomatoes love the heat.