How to Make Your Own Tomato Fertilizer

Overview

Tomatoes like lots of organic nutrients and phosphorus in their fertilizer. Guard against adding too much nitrogen to the soil, because the vines will grow vigorously but will not produce much fruit. You can find most of the ingredients for a good tomato fertilizer at garden stores or feed stores.

Step 1

Measure out the ingredients. To make just under two gallons of dry fertilizer, use 16 cups seed meal, 2 cups agricultural limestone, 2 cups dolomitic limestone, 4 cups bone meal and 4 cups kelp meal. This amount will cover about 200 square feet in your garden; make more if needed.

Step 2

Mix evenly. The mixture needs to be uniform. The ingredients are heavy when combined, so you may want to mix them in smaller parts.

Step 3

Layer the area you want to grow tomatoes in with about a 1/2 inch of good organic compost or animal manure before adding the dry fertilizer mix you have made.

Step 4

Spread the dry fertilizer mix uniformly across your tomato growing area, at a rate of about a gallon for every 100 square feet.

Step 5

Every two weeks throughout the growing season, side-dress the tomato plants with fertilizer. Sprinkle small amounts of the dry mix around the root base of the tomatoes in a circle. Alternatively, you can use fish meal or compost tea.