Some doubt whether it is necessary to feed tomatoes after picking, but an experienced gardener knows without anyone else’s advice that feeding tomato seedlings after picking is an important stage in growing a healthy and fruitful bush. Proper feeding guarantees the gardener a good harvest of tomatoes, as well as protection from all kinds of infections and parasites that kill thousands of bushes every year.
During the period when seedlings begin to grow, the root system of the future fruit-bearing bush actively develops. Resistance to all diseases is created. Simply put: the foundation of a future healthy and strong bush is being laid.The future harvest depends on how the first days of a tomato’s life go.
Some novice gardeners are convinced that in order to get a good harvest, it is enough to plant a seed in fertile black soil. This statement is far from the truth. Yes, they will produce a harvest, but far from the one we would like to see.
It is important to understand that feeding tomatoes is important not only after picking, but also before picking.
Why is this necessary?
At the very beginning of its journey, the bush has more than enough resources at its disposal. The nutrients present in the grain itself, as well as in fertile soil, are sufficient to produce the first sprouts. But they are enough only in the first stages of development.
A huge amount of resources goes into making the first shoots appear and making their way to the top, even through loose soil. In an apartment or country house, when all possible conditions for active growth are created, tomatoes grow much faster. And in order not to waste away, it simply needs additional beneficial substances. Otherwise, nutritional deficiencies may occur.
Signs that your favorite bushes are missing something are as follows:
- The leaves have acquired a light shade and have also become so transparent that you can easily see all the veins on them. A possible reason is that you are watering them with plain tap water. It contains chlorine, which is detrimental to the bush. Also, the reason may be that the plant is severely deficient in iron. This phenomenon is called Chlorosis;
- If you notice that your tomato bush has become very fragile and is capable of breaking from any touch, then you need to add fertilizer to the soil that is rich in magnesium;
- If the leaves on a small bush have acquired a purple tint, then this is a sure sign that the plant is suffering from an acute lack of phosphorus;
- Stunting, falling and the acquisition of light-colored foliage is a sure sign that the bush is experiencing an acute lack of water, air or magnesium. Also, the cause of wilting may be too low a temperature.
How to properly feed your tomatoes
Gardening professionals strongly advise starting to feed tomatoes at the very beginning of their life. Usually, they begin to feed tomato seedlings at the moment when the first two small leaves appear on the stems. It is during this period that the foundation for future growth is laid. Immunity to all kinds of diseases is formed. It is especially important that resistance to late blight increases significantly.
The better you feed the bush, the healthier it will grow.
An excellent option for feeding at this stage are various preparations that you can purchase at the recommended store. These drugs stimulate the growth of the bush and also help it cope with a large number of ailments. Disease resistance is excellently stimulated by copper solution.
After the first week after feeding, it is necessary to repeat it. At this stage, you can already feed with fertilizers, which include a whole range of different substances. In this case, there are also various drugs that are sold in hardware stores. There are fertilizers specialized for tomatoes. Don't be afraid to use them. Your bush knows perfectly well what it needs and will take everything it needs.
Next, you need to fertilize every 10 days. You can use complex fertilizers, as in the second stage.
You need to understand that picking is not just experienced by your bush. He needs to adapt to the new soil and its composition. Also, damage to the root system cannot be avoided, which can destroy your plant. Therefore, it is necessary to give the bush time for rehabilitation. After two weeks, you need to feed your seedlings with a urea solution or an analogue.
After this, we fertilize every 10 days with complex fertilizer. Treating tomatoes with various antiviral and antifungal drugs will also have a positive effect to avoid infection and death.
What fertilizer is best for this?
There are many things you can use to feed tomatoes after picking. The most effective of them will be presented below. It is important not only how, but also what to feed tomato seedlings after picking.
Every gardener knows perfectly well that plants receive nutrients not only through their roots, but also through their other parts. One of the main conductors of necessary food is the leaves of the plant. And tomatoes are no exception to this rule. In this regard, foliar feeding is a very effective method of helping the bush after a dive. This method is most effective if feeding tomatoes through the leaves is carried out simultaneously with the usual root feeding.
An excellent time for this procedure is early in the morning when dew appears. It is during this period that the leaves best accept additional food.
Excellent sources of nutrients for foliar feeding are:
- Urea solution;
- Potassium monophosphate;
- Potassium nitrate solution;
- Superphosphate solution;
- Phytosporin solution;
One of the most popular sources among gardeners for fertilizing tomato seedlings is organic fertilizers. This method gained popularity due to its versatility. For example, some gardeners fertilize the soil next to the bushes with used tea leaves.
Egg shells can also be an excellent organic fertilizer. You just need to take into account that the eggs from which you take these shells must be homemade. Eggs from the store are treated with solutions that can cause irreparable harm to seedlings.
Another equally popular method is fertilizing tomatoes with iodine. It stimulates not only good growth, but also good health of the bush and future fruits. Plants fertilized with iodine will produce a significantly larger harvest. On sale you can find some fertilizers that contain iodine.
You can use them and get the desired result. You can also simply dissolve two drops of iodine in four liters of warm water and spray over the seedlings. Before planting seedlings in the ground, one similar feeding is enough. The first feeding of tomato seedlings after fertilizing with iodine is an excellent choice.
An effective way to feed a tomato bush is to feed the tomatoes with yeast. In the old days, yeast was a popular source of nutrients for seedlings. This was due to the fact that the choice was not as great as in modern times.
After a large number of new drugs appeared on the market, many forgot about yeast, but in vain. In addition to the fact that yeast itself contains a large number of different elements that are extremely beneficial for tomatoes, they also stimulate the activity of various microorganisms inside the soil, which has an extremely positive effect on the development of the bush.
Ash is another long-lived food source for seedlings. Just like yeast, it was undeservedly forgotten. Ash contains a large amount of potassium and phosphorus. It stimulates the development of immunity in your tomato bush. It is useful for preventing the occurrence of fungal diseases. The main thing to remember when using ash is not to mix it with nitrogen fertilizers.
Now you know what to feed tomato seedlings, how, and whether it needs to be done.
