What to add when planting tomatoes?
Matthew Barrera
Updated on June 07, 2026
Compost and composted manure are great additions to the soil for tomatoes and lots of other plants. Compost adds basic nutrients and improves soil structure. Composted manure provides nutrients all season long. Composted manure: This provides a slow release of nutrients over the growing season.
What do you feed tomatoes when planting?
Some growers prefer to use a high-phosphorus fertilizer, indicated by a larger middle number. You can also keep things simple with a fertilizer especially formulated for tomatoes – usually with a ratio like 3-4-6 or 4-7-10. Most importantly, don't over-fertilize. Too little fertilizer is always better than too much.Should you put fertilizer in hole when planting tomatoes?
A balanced or nitrogen-heavy fertilizer is really all you need to add to the planting hole for your tomato plant. You can tell if it is nitrogen-heavy if the first number of the NPK ratio is equal to or higher than the others. Yes, all those numbers on the bags of fertilizer actually DO mean something.What to do before planting tomatoes?
Contents
- 10 Best Tomato Growing Tips. Start With Healthy Plants. Know What You're Growing. Wait For Warmth. Provide a Good Foundation. Choose a Sunny Location. Set Up Supports Before You Plant. Learn About Suckers & Pruning. Be Prepared to Water Daily. Know What Blight Is. Tag Your Plants.
- Resources.