Tips on Making Your Own Tomato Fertilizer
Fertilizing is very important for the healthy growth of your tomato plant and for the developMent of large juicy fruits. Although commercial fertilizers are easily available in any local garden store, many gardeners do not like to feed their precious tomato plants with those chemicals. Is there another option? Yes, there is. You can choose to make your own tomato fertilizer that provides the right nutrients to your plants and at no cost at all. Here are a few tips that you can use to make your own.
Epsom salt is a great way to provide some magnesium and sulfate to your plants. All you need to do is just add one teaspoon of Epsom salt to one gallon of water and use the solution about once a month to water your plants.
You probably already know about egg shells. These will provide the necessary calcium to your soil and prevent blossom end-rot which can be seen as a rotten spot at the bottom of the fruits. All you need to do is allow your egg shells to dry, crush them fine, and then sprinkle it on the soil.
Used coffee grounds are also great as tomato fertilizers since they contain nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium. You can spread them out on a paper and allow them to dry. Once they dry out, you can just sprinkle them on to the soil.
How about making a compost pile for next year from the leaves that have fallen in your garden? Yes, that is the best way to start a compost pile early. You can then just keep adding other ingredients such as eggs shells and coffee grounds on to the compost pile. It is a great way to utilize those leaves that would have otherwise gone waste.
There are various other things that you can add to the compost pile. Vegetable peels, earthworms, and manure from various animals can make a very effective fertilizer for your tomato plants. You can use the manures of cows, horses, and rabbits etc. The only thing you need to ensure is that they should be free of contaminants and weeds.
Rabbit manure is the best since you can either add it to your compost pile or even use it fresh. It does not burn your tomato plants and it will help keep the acidity of the soil under control. If you can get you hands on some cow manure, you will be providing the best possible fertilizer for your plants.
The right way to use manure is to compost it and add it to the soil once it is well-decomposed only. Another way to use it is to apply it to the soil about a month before planting the tomato seedlings and allow it to get absorbed into the soil.
Dirty Fish tank water is a great source of nitrogen and can be easily used for watering the plants.
Remember, tomatoes need additional nutrients about 2 weeks after planting, once the fruits begin to form, and once the fruits are set. So, when you do make your home made fertilizer using the above tips, make sure to add a little bit of fertilizer at these crucial sTAGes of growth. Furthermore, with these organic and home made fertilizers, you can rest assured that the fruits you are consuming are completely free of all harmful chemicals.
