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Fertilizer for Tomato Plants #749915

Asked May 14, 2021, 12:37 PM EDT

I plan to transplant my Legend Tomato plants into containers outside in about 10 days and would like to know what kind of organic fertilizer and soil is best for growing tomatoes.  The blooms are falling off of some of my tomato plants and tiny tomatoes are starting.  Will they transplant okay now that the tomatoes have started?  Thanks for you time and helpful answers.  Carol

Lane County Oregon

Expert Response

First off, Legend will require a minimum of a 4-gallon pot. Transplanting in this hot weather where there are already tomatoes on the plant is going to be very stressful to the plant. You need a good potting soil which retains moisture but does not get soggy. You will want a slow-release fertilizer because you will need to water a container tomato much more than one in normal soil. Most bagged organic fertilizers are that, but do the research. I would not used any bagged manures due to the normal high salt content, especially poultry. Only compost will not grow the tomato well in a container and may even cause problems. To minimize the shock to the plant, I would water it well 1-2 days in advance of digging. Regular garden soil in a container is not recommended, but washing the roots could be fatal, so dig a big chunk and then gently brush off all the garden soil you can without seriously damaging the roots. After potting it up, water in until water runs out the holes and put the container in an area with no afternoon sun. You may get significant blossom and fruit drop, but if it survives, it will go ahead and bear heavily. Once it looks "happy" again, move it to a sunnier area, but watch for leaf burn (white or brown). You might even want to arrange it so you can add shade if the sun gets too intense. Good Luck.

Patricia Patterson Replied May 14, 2021, 6:26 PM EDT

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