![]() This is perfectly fine to use, but is too strong to use at full strength. One widely available product is Miracle-Gro’s water soluble plant food, with an NPK of 24-6-16. You have many options for liquid fertilizers, and you don’t need a specific one for tomato seedlings. If you do this, then you don’t need to fertilize your seedlings until after you transplant them.Įxamples of How to Use Different Fertilizers for Seedlings Moreover, organic fertilizers work best with active soil microbes which slowly break them down, releasing plant-available nutrients for your tomato seedlings, meaning they are ideally used in soil-based or compost-based mixes. Using slow-release fertilizers like granules or organic fertilizers are not recommended for seedlings unless you are mixing them into your seed-starting mix. They can still be used, but not in the same way as fast-acting liquid fertilizers.Ĭan I Use Slow-Release or Organic Fertilizers for Tomato Seedlings? A slow-release fertilizer or an organic fertilizer (even liquid ones) will take time to break down and release nutrients for your tomato seedlings. However, you should use any fertilizer at quarter strength to half strength to avoid burning your tomato seedlings.įast-acting liquid fertilizers have all plant-available nutrients ready to be taken up by your tomato seedlings roots. The best type of fertilizers for tomato seedlings are fast-acting liquid fertilizers with a balanced NPK ratio or with slightly more nitrogen to promote leaf and stem growth. What Is the Best Fertilizer for Tomato Seedlings? True tomato leaves look like typical tomato leaves, whereas seed leaves are narrow and smooth. It’s recommended to not fertilize seedlings until at least one or two true leaves (blue arrows) appear. Seed leaves (red arrows), also called cotyledons, are the first leaves that emerge from a seed. ![]() At this point you should start lightly feeding your tomato seedlings. Once your tomato seedlings start growing their true leaves, the leaves that look like tomato leaves, they need to start taking up their own nutrients to continue their development. So when your tomato seedlings poke out through the soil and unravel their first two narrow seed leaves, there is no need to fertilize them. Seeds have enough stored starch, protein, and minerals to supply all the energy and nutrients a seedling needs to germinate, emerge from the soil and grow its first few leaves. True leaves are the leaves that look like regular tomato leaves, not the initial two seed leaves when a seed first sprouts. The optimal time to start feeding your tomato seedlings is after one or two sets of true leaves begin to grow. Still, you should use a very light application of fertilizer, and you don’t need to use a frequent fertilizing schedule, either. However, if you are sowing tomato seeds into a growing medium like plain coco coir or peat moss, or you’ve made your own potting/seed-starting mix without adding any fertilizer, it’s recommended you fertilize your seedlings. Naturally, using soil or even well-rotted compost to start your tomato seedlings will also contain enough nutrients for them as well. So, you don’t need to use any additional fertilizer, and you do risk over-fertilizing if you do. Most potting mixes or seed-starting mixes have small amounts of fertilizer added, which is more than enough to support the growth of tomato seedlings. However, if you are using only coco coir, peat moss, or other seed-starting mixes without any nutrients, you should apply fertilizer. If you are starting tomato seedlings in a medium that already has nutrients, like soil or potting mix with added fertilizer, you do not need to fertilize your tomato seedlings.
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